Feel Good About Eating Fungi: The Amazing Health Benefits of Mushrooms
It’s not a secret that what we eat has a major impact on both our physical and mental health. While some people feel that they cannot eat healthily due to their financial situation or their lack of time, there are quite a lot of affordable and convenient foods out there. Many of these healthy options grow right under our noses!
You have to be very careful when foraging for food. This is especially true when it comes to mushrooms because there are quite a few toxic species out there. However, the many types of mushrooms that are edible are both healthy and delicious. If you aren’t an expert in identifying mushrooms, shopping at the store or the farmer’s market is always a good way to get your hands on this type of superfood.
Mushrooms have long been used in many cultures to add flavor and texture to a wide variety of food dishes. Of course, there is a huge variety of mushrooms out there which makes the possibilities endless. You could spend quite a long time experimenting with the different flavors, appearances, and textures that the different types of mushrooms have to offer.
Let’s talk about some of the many reasons why you can feel good about eating mushrooms on the regular. For starters, mushrooms are packed with antioxidants, such as selenium, that help to boost your immune system and prevent several types of serious health issues. Edible fungi also contain the dietary fiber beta-glucan which has been shown to improve cholesterol and benefit the heart.
The myriad of B vitamins in mushrooms comes with a number of health benefits. Riboflavin, for example, is excellent for red blood cells. Mushrooms are also known to be good for the skin as well as the digestive system because they contain niacin. Lastly, the vitamin B5, aka pantothenic acid, found in mushrooms benefits the nervous system.
Minerals are a crucial part of our diet. Mushrooms contain copper which aids the body in the production of red blood cells. However, that’s not all it does. Copper also helps keep your bones and nerves strong and healthy. Just a small serving of mushrooms can give you a large chunk of the daily recommended amount of copper.
Eating mushrooms helps to reduce the risk of lifestyle-related health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. A cup of raw white mushrooms has just 15 calories, 0 grams of fat, and about 2.2 grams of protein. Luckily, there are plenty of easy and fun ways to get mushrooms into your diet. They can be stir-fried, added to a sauce, or even consumed whole.
Want to find your own? We have mushroom foraging classes in Marin, Sonoma, and the Santa Cruz Mountains from fall through spring. Our teachers have a combined 95 years of mushroom hunting experience, and can show you the secrets of finding the most amazing mushrooms.