10 Healthy facts about mushrooms
Mushroom which is also called Toadstool describes a variety of other gilled fungi with or without stems. The term is used to describe the fleshy fruiting bodies of some of ‘Ascomycota’. These gills produce a microscopic spore that helps the fungus spread across the ground or its occupant’s surface. Although, identifying this requires a basic understanding of their microscopic structure.
Many species of mushrooms seemingly appear overnight, expanding or growing rapidly and this phenomenon is termed mushrooming. China is a major edible mushroom producer. The country produces about half of all cultivated mushrooms.
- Agaricus bisporus:
It is an edible basidiomycete mushroom native to grasslands in Europe and North America. It has two colour states while immature with additional names for the mature state.
- Shitake mushroom:
It is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many East Asian countries. It is considered a medicinal mushroom in some forms of traditional medicine. They are tan to dark brown, with caps that grow between 2 and 4 inches (5 and 10 cm). While typically eaten like vegetables, shiitake are fungi that grow naturally on decaying hardwood trees.
- Enoki mushroom
It is known as velvet shank and is species of edible mushroom in the family Physalacriaceae. It is well-known for its role in Japanese cuisine, where it is also known as enokitake. If you’re interested in cooking Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese food, you’ve got to get these mushrooms into your life.
- Porcini:
Porcini mushrooms are small to large in size with a very thick stem and a rounded cap that averages 7-30 centimeters in diameter. The red-brown to dark brown caps are smooth, slightly sticky, and are convex when young, flattening out with age. Underneath the cap, there are many ivories, spongy tubes which release green-brown spores to propagate.
Here are the top 10 healthy facts about mushroom:
It helps to protect the baby of an expecting mother. Mushrooms can also provide foliate which is equivalent to the folic acid pregnant women take during pregnancy.
- It helps to fight cancer: mushroom contains a small amount of vitamin D, medically it has been proven that vitamin D supplements can help to treat some form of cancer, although based on recent reports, it may vary from person to person.
- It helps to fight diabetes: a cup of sliced raw mushrooms, weighing 70 grams can provide almost 1 gram of fiber. Recent research has shown that people who eat a lot of fiber may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and for those who already have it, fiber may help reduce blood glucose levels.
- It helps to protect the heart: studies concluded that people with vitamin C deficiency were more likely to experience cardiovascular disease and suggested that consuming vitamin C may help prevent this illness.
- Mushrooms are rich in iron and copper which helps the blood cells move around.
- Mushrooms also help to reduce cholesterol.
- Mushrooms in combination with exercise and other lifestyle changes can help facilitate weight loss.
- Recent research has found that mushrooms help stimulate macrophages in the immune system which helps to enhance its ability to fight external attacks which comes in form of illness.
- Mushroom helps to reduce stress: Chaga, cordyceps, and reishi are adaptogenic mushrooms and they help the body adjust to life’s stress.
- Mushrooms also have an important role in the environment. Mushrooms can be useful in microforestry where they can kill sickness in other plants simply because they live off what makes the plants sick