Mushroom - An Excellent Food

Mushrooms - a delicious health food that has been valued throughout the world as food and medicine for thousand of years.

Mushrooms are enjoyed for their flavor and texture. The flavor intensifies during cooking and their texture holds up well to stir frying and sauting. Besides being the combination of mushroom-peas, popular dishes are soups, sandwiches. Grilled and tandoori mushrooms are served as snacks. In Europe and USA, mushroom extracts are being used in nutraceutical products and sport drinks.

Mushrooms contain 80 to 90% water and are very low in calories. They have very little sodium and fats. Ten percent of their weight is fiber and therefore they are ideal food for persons following weight management program.

Mushrooms are an excellent source of Potassium, a mineral that helps lower the elevated BP and reduce risk f stroke. One big sized mushroom has even more Potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice. One serving of mushroom provides 20 to 40% of daily value of Copper, a mineral that has cardio protective properties. Iron is a must for growing children and women.

Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to protect the human body from the risk of prostate cancer. Button mushroom possess substances that inhibit the activity of aromatase (an enzyme involved in estrogen production) and 5-alpha-reductase (an enzyme that convert testosterones to DHT). It is well proven that mushrooms reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. An extract of button mushrooms decreased the cell proliferation and decrease the size of tumor size.

FAO have recognized mushrooms as a food contributing protein to the communities depending largely on cereals like our country. Mushroom is different from other vegetables for being rich in folic acid and vitamin B-12, absent in others.