You might not think of mushrooms as being particularly healthy. After all, they're often associated with unhealthy foods like pizza. Or you might be the type of person who considers them wholly unpalatable and completely disgusting. Whatever your mycophobic reason might be, the truth is that mushrooms are actually quite good for you! Very, very good—like in, if your body was a car, mushrooms would the dealership mechanic, good! Except, less expensive. Mushrooms offer an Andes-mountain-wide range of health benefits. Here are just a few of the ways that mushrooms can improve your health.
Mushrooms have at least three compounds that are known to enhance the immune system and the body’s natural disease fighting capabilities.
First, mushrooms contain beta-glucan, which is a type of fiber known to boost the immune system and has also been studied as a potential treatment for high cholesterol and certain cancers. Secondly, mushrooms are a good source of Selenium. Selenium boosts the human immune system and helps the body produce enzymes that prevent cellular damage. Lastly, mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D. And vitamin D is great for boosting the immune system among many other health benefits. Also, the fact that mushrooms are the only type of produce that are a reliable source of vitamin D is remarkable in itself. Just saying.
Mushrooms are a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which are important for keeping your digestive system healthy. Like a tireless traffic cop, fiber helps to keep things moving along smoothly and can lower the risk of constipation and other digestive problems. Fiber also helps support your gut microbiome and is an effective prebiotic. The gut microbiome is a teeming ecosystem of bacteria and other simple-celled organisms that play a key role in overall health and mood. Fiber, along with other mushroom polysaccharides (just a fancy name for a simple type of carbohydrate), stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria all through the digestive tract—from check-in to check-out!
If you're trying to lose weight, mushrooms can be a helpful addition to your diet. This is because they are high in water and nutrients but low in calories—like gas prices in the 1960’s low! Mushrooms contain about 90% water and only have about 6 calories per cup! Mushrooms also have a high pectin content—a soluble fiber that slows down digestion, helping you feel fuller for longer. So you're less likely to overeat or sneak a few late night scoops of sherbet.
Mushrooms are a natural source of energy. They contain all the B vitamins, which are essential for converting food into energy. That is to say, they help the body convert what you’ve eaten into simple glucose molecules which your cells consume in order to function. Cells like your muscle fibers for instance, consume glucose to stretch and contract. Ok, professor, so what?
Mushrooms deliver a shot of energy by doing two things. First, they increase the amount of glycogen storage in the muscles and in the liver. Glycogen is sort of like a buffering state for glucose that your body holds onto before it is used up. The body can rapidly convert glycogen into glucose for quick energy delivery on demand. Secondly, mushrooms blunt the generation of lactic acid. You know that burning sensation you feel in your legs after 20 minutes on the Stair-master? That’s lactic acid building up in your legs—it's like cellular exhaust waste. Anyway, energy boosting mushrooms greatly slow down this build-up, so you can go longer before feeling like your legs are going to fall off.
Mushrooms contain compounds that can help lower your cholesterol levels. However, these compounds don’t just stop there. These little macronutrient overachievers also slow down the production of cholesterol, block cholesterol from being absorbed in the intestinal walls and even clean up after themselves by lowering the overall amount of cholesterol in your blood. Lower blood level cholesterol is important for maintaining a healthy heart and preventing heart disease, but you already knew that, didn’t you?
Mushrooms contain compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. This means that they can help to reduce swelling and pain associated with conditions like arthritis and help your body properly modulate your body’s immune response to system irritants. So what does modulate immune response mean? Well, it just means, when a bug flies into the house, your body appropriately responds by using bug spray rather than a sawed-off Winchester shotgun. Also, maintaining lower inflammation levels is helpful for slowing down signs of aging. Remember those poorly-aged former athletes at your 15-year high-school reunion? Yeah, chronically high inflammation. Adding mushrooms to your diet is an easy way to get relief from chronic pain and inflammation!
Mushrooms are a great source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. One such vitamin that is abundant in mushrooms is B6 which helps promote proper brain function and regulate mood swings! They also contain tryptophan an amino acid necessary for creating serotonin--a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating many interdependent physiological systems including appetite control, sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, learning, memory and sexual behaviour. So, yeah, it’s sort of a big deal in the neurotransmitter world. If there was such a thing as a neurotransmitter conference, serotonin would be a keynote speaker. Lastly, mushrooms have been found to have antidepressant properties and are being studied as a potential treatment for mental disorders like anxiety, stress, and depression.
As you can see, there are many reasons why mushrooms should be a part of your healthy diet! And we’re just scratching the surface. There are many more benefits being actively studied today–some of them mind-blowing, or at least mind-altering. So next time you're at the grocery or your favorite health store, be sure to pick up a few bags of mushrooms. Your body will thank you!
If you’d like to learn more about the incredible power of mushrooms for transforming your health, a good place to start is to learn about the elixir of immortality, also known as the reishi mushroom. You can read about it here.
