Do you eat mushrooms most days of the month? If you answered a resounding “YES” to the above question, you’re definitely amping up your body with some great health benefits thanks to your regular consumption of mushrooms. Research now shows that eating mushrooms regularly can influence your cholesterol, immunity and weight control. Plus, the good news is it is never too late to start eating mushrooms! Extra Benefits What makes mushrooms so special? It’s because they have a completely different nutrition profile compared to fruit and vegetables. Although mushrooms are classified as a vegetable when talking about food groups, they actually evolved at a different time to plants altogether and contain many different nutrients. Technically, mushrooms are not a fruit or vegetable. They are rather part of a group called ‘fungi’. They should be eaten in addition to fruits and vegetables for some serious health benefits! Packed Full of Nutrients Mushrooms are home to a multitude of good nutrients and antioxidants that boost your health and vitality. In fact, no vegetable can compete with the nutrient profile of the mushroom! Why? >They contain good amounts of protein and fibre, have almost no fat and are very low in kilojoules (also known as calories). >They’re armed with considerable amounts of all the B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and biotin) as well as folate and minerals such as selenium and copper. >They contain antioxidants which help to protect your body from cell damage that occurs during all bodily processes (commonly known as aging!), such as metabolising the food that we eat. >In an Italian study, mushrooms ranked in the top five for antioxidant capacity when compared with 29 common vegetables. >One of the antioxidants found in mushrooms, ergothioneine, appears to play a significant role in human health by protecting the haemoglobin in red blood cells as well as protecting cells from oxidative damage. >We must obtain 100% of ergothioneine from food as it is not made by our body. The best sources are oat bran, egg yolk, meat, some beans and onion, and of course mushrooms! It is not found in other vegetables. Unique Savoury Flavour Mushrooms have a unique texture and rich flavour that Japanese have affectionately labelled as “umami” (meaning “flavoursome”). The taste and texture are largely due to the glutamates in the mushroom, which gives it that savoury flavour. This means you don’t need to add any salt or artificial flavours to your foods
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 08:12:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015