Often overlooked or under-appreciated, mushrooms are a healthy addition to your plate, providing many of the same nutritional benefits and attributes as vegetables, meat, beans and grains.

Part of your 5-a-day

Mushrooms are technically fungi and not vegetables, however, they still count towards your 5-a-day. Around 3 handfuls of sliced mushrooms are one portion of your 5-a-day.

Great nutritional value

Although different varieties of mushrooms vary in composition and nutritional profiles, all mushrooms are:

• A source of nutrients - fibre, proteins, vitamins & minerals.

• Low in calories, fats & sodium (salt).

• Cholesterol free.

Protein - plant-based diets

Mushrooms have a higher protein content compared to most vegetables and contain all nine types of essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and essential amino acids are the types our bodies cannot make. Unlike mushrooms, generally, plant-based proteins tend to lack 1 or more essential amino acids. This makes mushrooms very useful in plant-based diets and in meat substitutes to replace animal protein.

Vitamin D - immunity & bone health

Mushrooms are one of the few plant sources of vitamin D. When mushrooms are exposed to sunlight or an ultraviolet (UV) lamp, they produce vitamin D - much like humans.

Vitamin D is critical for calcium absorption in the body, which plays a vital role in bone development and strength, and contributes to a healthy immune system.

Pro tip: leave your mushrooms by a sunny window for 15 minutes to 2 hours to increase their vitamin D concentration. Your mushrooms can then provide you with 50-100% of your daily required Vitamin D.

Check out my previous blog on Vitamin D.

B vitamins - energy & skin health

Mushrooms are a source of B vitamins, such as riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), folate (B9).

The B vitamins found in mushrooms play an important role in:

• Turning food into energy by breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

• Forming healthy red blood cells.

• Keeping your nervous & digestive systems, eyes, & skin healthy.

Potassium -  fluid balance & heart health

Mushrooms are a great plant source of potassium, a mineral whose main role is to control the balance of fluids and minerals in the body. Potassium helps control blood pressure and plays a role in ensuring nerves and muscles, including the heart, work properly.

Selenium - health protection & fertility

Mushrooms are normally high in selenium, a trace mineral, which the body only needs in small amounts. 

Selenium works as an antioxidant, meaning it protects cells and tissues from damage and prevents inflammation and other health problems (e.g. heart disease and some cancers).

Selenium also helps the immune system and thyroid functions work properly, and is important for fertility in men (i.e. sperm mobility).

The take-home:

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References

1. Valverde ME, Hernández-Pérez T, Paredes-López O. 2015. Edible mushrooms: improving human health and promoting quality life. Int J Microbiol. 2015, 376387. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/376387 

2. Yuwa-Amornpitak T, Butkhup L, Yeunyaw PN. 2020. Amino acids and antioxidant activities of extracts from wild edible mushrooms from a community forest in the Nasrinual District, Maha Sarakham, Thailand. Food Sci. Technol, Campinas. 40 (3), 712-720. https://doi.org/10.1590/fst.18519   

3. Cardwell G, Bornman JF, James AP, Black LJ. 2018. A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D. Nutrients. 10(10):1498. doi:10.3390/nu10101498

4. NHS. Vitamins and Minerals - B vitamins and folic acid. NHS Sources, 03 Aug. 2020, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b/ 

5. NHS. Vitamins and Minerals - Others. NHS Sources, 03 Aug. 2020, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/others/

6. Rayman M.P. 2008. Food-chain selenium and human health: emphasis on intake. British Journal of Nutrition. 100, 254-268. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114508939830

7. Rayman M.P. 2000. The importance of selenium to human health. The Lancet. 356(9225), 233-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(00)02490-9