5 remarkable health benefits of adding mushrooms to your diet
Mushrooms come in all shapes, sizes, textures, and colors and have been used as food and medicine for over 2000 years. Not only do they require less soil and water to grow, but mushrooms are nutritional powerhouses that provide many health benefits.
You might be wondering if this seemingly unappreciated food is worth adding to your diet, or if mushrooms will make a difference in your overall health. Let’s explore how this type of fungi can provide remarkable health benefits.
Here are 5 health benefits of mushrooms and why you should add them to your diet.
- Mushrooms boost your immune system. Mushrooms are high in micronutrients, antioxidants, free amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals such as selenium, copper, potassium, and phosphorus. They are especially high in vitamins B and D. Vitamin B affects your energy level, brain function, cell metabolism, cell health, and helps to prevent infections. Vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphate in your body, which is necessary to keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. All of this contributes to a healthier you! Wondering how to add mushrooms to your diet? Try our Mushroom Stroganoff.
- Mushrooms help reduce inflammation. When your body is injured, irritated, or contacts a pathogen, you will experience inflammation. This response leads to many physical symptoms such as fever, pain, and swelling. The best way to reduce inflammation is to feed your body anti-inflammatory foods like mushrooms, which are known to reduce inflammation. Add them to your diet for your best health.
- Mushrooms help fight cancer. This special fungi has been found to suppress breast cancer cell growth and reproduction. A study published in Experimental Biology and Medicine found crimini, portobello, oyster, white button, and maitake mushrooms might protect against breast cancer. Other studies point to mushrooms lowering men’s risk of prostate cancer. Mushrooms also contain lentinan, a sugar molecule known to help the survival of cancer patients after chemotherapy. To add mushrooms to your diet, try Veestro’s Miso Udon.
- Mushrooms are good for your heart. There is nothing better than eating something good for your heart! Mushrooms reduce blood pressure and are free of cholesterol, which are two key elements to keeping your heart functioning at its best. Mushrooms are also known to help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. To add mushrooms to your diet, replace the meat in a burger with a Portobello mushroom. Or, try Veestro’s Portobello Steak Dinner in place of a sirloin steak.
- Mushrooms encourage weight loss. It makes sense to add mushrooms to your diet because they are fat-free, gluten-free, and are low in sodium. They are also excellent sources of fiber and protein! The nutrients found in mushrooms help to regulate glucose levels in your blood which helps your body to burn fat. Mushrooms eaten with a plant-based diet will help you lose those unwanted pounds and improve your health. Try our Pasta Bolognese for a tasty mushroom experience! Learn more about
Although the benefits of eating mushrooms are abundant, not all mushrooms are the same – some are poisonous. There are thousands of different types of mushrooms, but you cannot go wrong with eating the following types: white button, crimini, portobello, shiitake, maitake, oyster, enoki, and beech. All of these are available in grocery stores. Add them to your diet and enjoy the benefits!
One last tip: It is best to cook mushrooms before eating. Cooking helps to break down the cell wall of the mushroom so the nutrients inside are easier for your digestive system to assimilate. Grilling or microwaving your mushrooms is best.
Want to improve your health with mushrooms? Start with Veestro’s fully prepared, plant-based Shepherdless Pie for dinner.
