If there's one great addition to your diet that promises a wealth of nutrients along with powerful health protection benefits, you can rely on mushrooms. A nutritious and delicious snack, mushrooms can be turned into a variety of mouth-watering dishes. Although mushrooms are a type of fungus and not a vegetable, they are a source of antioxidants, proteins, vitamins, and minerals that have great health benefits. Mushrooms not only prevent deadly chronic diseases of the body and brain such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, but also help maintain weight. From boosting immunity to lowering cholesterol to promoting gut health, consuming mushrooms has been linked to a variety of health benefits. (Also read | The magic of mushroom elixirs: Can adaptogenic mushrooms transform your health? Know the benefits and how to take them)
Eating mushrooms, which are low in calories and salt, reduces white salt consumption and can also help manage high blood pressure. If you are concerned about high cholesterol levels, incorporating mushrooms into your diet can help lower your cholesterol levels naturally. Mushrooms that keep you full for longer can aid your weight loss efforts and ensure overall health.
Mushrooms contain a large amount of protein with an average value of 23.80 g/100 g dry weight (DW). It is also a rich, low-calorie source of dietary fiber, protein, selenium, and antioxidants. Consuming mushrooms can help prevent cognitive decline, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
“Mushrooms contain large amounts of selenium, vitamin D, and vitamin B6. Selenium helps prevent cell damage in our bodies. Vitamin D helps cells grow, and vitamin B6 helps our bodies. It helps the body form red blood cells. All these nutrients found in mushrooms help maintain a healthy immune system,” says Geetika Bajaj, a nutritionist and lifestyle management consultant. Masu.
Amazing benefits of mushrooms
Bajaj also spoke about the amazing benefits of eating mushrooms in an interview with HT Digital.
1. Reduces cancer risk
Not only do mushrooms have anti-cancer properties, but their consumption can also minimize side effects such as nausea, bone marrow suppression, anemia, and insomnia, and reduce drug resistance after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Masu. Studies have shown that people who eat two mushrooms a day (about 18g) have a 45% lower risk of cancer compared to people who don't eat mushrooms. In China and Japan, medicinal mushrooms are used as an adjunct to cancer treatment.
2. Reduce your sodium intake
To reduce your sodium intake, consider adding mushrooms to your diet. Mushrooms are naturally low in sodium, with a cup of white button mushrooms containing just 5 milligrams of sodium. It provides a delicious flavor that reduces the need for added salt and lowers blood pressure.
3. Protect your brain health
Eating mushrooms also improves your brain performance. Certain mushrooms have been linked to everything from improving neurotransmitter function, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, and supporting the growth of brain-derived neurotrophic factors.
4. Stimulates a healthier gut
One way to keep your gut healthy is to use prebiotics, such as mushrooms, to stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut. Research has shown that polysaccharides, the most abundant carbohydrates in mushrooms, stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria.
5. Supports a healthy immune system
Mushrooms contain key nutrients that support a healthy immune system. According to the Mushroom Council, mushrooms benefit the immune system because they contain nutrients including selenium, which helps produce antioxidant enzymes that prevent cell damage.
6. Rich source of vitamin D
Mushrooms are one of the few food sources in which vitamin D precursors occur naturally. Mushrooms contain ergosterol (21-107 mg/100 gm), which is converted to ergocalciferol or vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light.
7. Helps lower cholesterol
Mushrooms have been shown to have several therapeutic effects that can help lower cholesterol, especially in overweight adults. It also provides nutrients and plant compounds that prevent cells from adhering to blood vessel walls and causing plaque buildup.
