While they may be extremely popular online now, mushrooms have been part of our diets for thousands of years. From spiritual ceremonies to health-boosting properties, people have long recognised the benefits of this versatile vegetable. But what exactly can they do for our health? We’re here to break it down for you, and tell you exactly why you should be adding these fungi into your weekly grocery shop.
Keep reading to learn all about the types of mushrooms, how they could help your health and some ways to incorporate them into your diet.
What’s the big deal?
Mushrooms aren’t a new trend. They’ve been growing on our planet for millions of years (yes, really), and people have been consuming them for all sorts of reasons ever since we learnt how to forage. While a large historical use of mushrooms was to assist in spiritual or religious ceremonies, our health advice here is instead focusing on the less, let’s say, magical sort of fungi.
Packed full of flavour and with completely unique textures, mushrooms are a great way to add something extra to any dish without the need for more sodium or fat – making them a great health food without sacrificing taste. They’re a key ingredient in one of our most popular Savoury Supermeals, the Garlic N Mushroom Mac, because they’re just that tasty.
Additionally, in recent years, the popularity of plant-based diets means mushrooms have really hit their stride – their substantial texture and ability to absorb flavour makes them a great meat substitute (but we’ll get into that more later).
Pick a mushroom, any mushroom
From little bursts of flavour to recipe centre-pieces, mushrooms come in all shapes and sizes. From the common button and the meaty portobello, to the east-asian shiitake and versatile oyster, mushrooms are found all over the world in all sorts of variations – so whatever meal you have in mind, there’s a good chance you’ll find a mushroom to go with it.
While their textures, colours and prices vary greatly (the rare ones could set you back hundreds), their vitamin profiles are largely the same, giving you some great health benefits no matter which one you take a fancy to. Potassium, copper, B vitamins, beta glucan, antioxidants, vitamin D and more: the list of the goodness crammed in these small packages is impressive. But what exactly could these vitamins do for our health?
10 health benefits of mushrooms
The tons of vitamins in mushrooms of all types mean they’re one of nature’s great superfoods. Helping to protect both our body and mind, they’re a great vegetable to regularly incorporate into your meals. Here are just ten of the big nutrition claims mushrooms can make:
Improve your gut health
Gut health is being talked about everywhere at the moment, and for good reason. Bad gut health can impact multiple areas of your health, and your nutrition plays a big part here. Enter: mushrooms. These handy veggies are a prebiotic, which stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the gut, helping your body do its thing.
Support your immune system
Mushrooms contain selenium, vitamin D and vitamin B6, all of which can be extremely beneficial to your immune system. They can reduce inflammation and help your body form red blood cells, all of which contributes to your immune system running like a well-oiled machine. Shiitake mushrooms are especially full of these vitamins.
Keep your brain active
While the research is still ongoing, some early studies have started to show a link between mushroom consumption and a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment – often a precursor to diseases like Alzheimer’s. One study showed that eating two cups of mushrooms a week lowered participants’ risks of developing this impairment by 50%. Additionally, some mushrooms such as Lion’s Mane, has been considered an adaptogen – a natural substance that helps the body adapt to stress and anxiety, as well as improving learning, focus and memory.
Protect your cells
The ergothioneine (an amino acid and antioxidant) and selenium present in mushrooms have been proven to prevent or slow damage to cells, keeping your body healthy and fighting symptoms such as fatigue, chronic infections and inflammation, as well as helping your body’s systems run smoothly.
Reduce your sodium intake
Adding salt to food is a great way to add flavour – but we tend to overdo it in modern diets. High sodium often leads to high blood pressure, so it’s important to find ways to keep your meals tasty while also keeping them lower in sodium. Mushrooms do this in spades, with just 5 milligrams of sodium in one cup of button mushrooms.
Keep your heart healthy
Going hand in hand with the low sodium content, mushrooms are great for maintaining heart health. The high blood pressure often linked with sodium can lead to heart attacks or strokes, so a diet consisting of mushrooms in place of other high-sodium foods can decrease your risk of these cardiac problems by extension.
Lower your cholesterol
All mushrooms are great for lowering cholesterol thanks to their ability to replace red meat in meals. Shiitake mushrooms, however, are especially good. Studies have shown that this shiitake mushroom contains compounds that block the production of cholesterol and stop it from being absorbed, helping to lower the risk heart disease.
Get plenty of vitamin D
Vitamin D is vital, especially when living in the Northern Hemisphere, where the sunshine isn’t necessarily a daily occurrence for us. Vitamin D helps your body absorb a whole host of nutrients, calcium being one of the most important – and mushrooms are the only type of produce you can get this vitamin from.
Aid weight loss
There is a specific amino acid found in mushrooms that helps to regulate your appetite and prevent overeating. This glutamic acid sends signals to your brain to tell you when you’re full, so it’s a great addition to your diet if you’re on a weight-loss journey. Mushrooms are filling, too, so they’re perfect for bulking up meals without adding too many additional calories.
Regulate blood sugar
Because mushrooms are so low in carbohydrates, they have very little effect on your blood glucose levels. In fact, they barely affect them at all. This means mushrooms can be very helpful if you’re trying to regulate your blood sugar levels, which is especially helpful for those with diabetes or irregular hormone patterns.
How to enjoy your mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms can be found readily in any supermarket – but you might have to go a bit further afield if you want something more specialised. You can add them to pasta, salads, sandwiches, wraps, soup, omelettes, or be adventurous and create a vegan fish and chips or juicy portobello steak that will impress even the most staunch carnivores.
Sprinkle them on meals raw, fry them up with butter and garlic for a little more indulgence, or just toast them in a pan to get the delicious umami taste with none of the added fat. They’re really the most versatile vegetable, so it’s worth keeping some on hand in your fridge through the week for an easy way to jazz up any meal.
Main takeaways
Mushrooms are full of great vitamins and nutrients that can hugely support the health of our body and mind. You can add them as a side dish for a boost in benefits, or create a whole dish centred around them for even more umami – just don’t go foraging for them yourself without an expert in tow…
All of the benefits presented in this article are backed by various studies, but it’s important to do your own research or speak to a nutritionist for personalised guidance if you want to introduce something new into your diet.
References
Are Mushrooms Good for You? | Healthline
Top 5 health benefits of mushrooms | BBC goodfood
7 health benefits of mushrooms | UCLA Health