Nutritional value and Health benefits of Mushroom

If we talk about nutrient rich fruits and vegetables, they are usually green leafy or red colour veggies, but other than those greens, Umbrella shaped body fungi, Mushroom is the one which is low in calories but loaded with nutrients, and called as Powerhouse of Nutrition.

According to USDA, the nutritional profile of mushroom is as follows

One cup (100 gm) of mushroom supplies

• Calories- 22 kcal
• Fat- 0.34 g
• Carbohydrates- 3.26 g
• Fiber- 1 g
• Sugars- 1.98 g
• Protein- 3.09 g
• Potassium- 318 mg
• Phosphorus- 86 mg
• Magnesium- 9 mg
• Sodium- 5 mg
• Calcium- 3 mg
• Iron- 0.5 mg
• Copper- 0.318 mg
• Zinc- 0.52 mg
• Vitamin C- 2.1 mg
• Vitamin B6-104 mg
• Vitamin B12- 0.04 µg
• Vitamin D- 33% of the Daily Value

This is really interesting to know that Mushroom is the only vegetarian, non-animal radix of vitamin D as it is from fungi family and resembles some properties with plants and some with animals, it absorbs UV rays from sunlight and is a good source of vitamin D.

Now, moving towards the health benefits of mushroom, let’s talk about each health benefit one by one.

1. Improves heart health

Mushrooms are rich source of potassium, vitamin C and contains soluble fiber which contributes to good cardiovascular health. Potassium helps in regulating blood pressure and soluble fiber lowers blood cholesterol levels. Vitamin C also contributes in preventing cardiovascular illness.

2. Improves brain function

Mushroom consumption can help in slowing down the perceptional decline that occurs with ageing.

3. Lowers risk of Diabetes

Mushrooms can reduce cholesterol levels, and also supports in weight control and in turn reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes

4. Improves bone health

Vitamin D in mushroom contributes to bone health and some mushrooms are exposed to sunlight to increase levels of vitamin D and after absorbing more vitamin D, mushrooms become even more beneficial for bone health.

5. Fights cell damage

White button mushrooms and porcini are high in antioxidants glutathione and ergothioneine which are not commonly found in other plants. And they contribute to fight oxidative stress and inflammation and also fights development of chronic diseases.

6. In pregnancy

To boost fetal health, folic acid or folate plays an important role. And mushrooms contain folate, so a cup of mushroom can help in maintaining health of pregnant women.

Other benefits

Mushrooms help in improving gut health as they contain polysaccharides which act as prebiotics for beneficial gut bacteria. B vitamins in mushroom helps to get energy from food form red blood cells.

 Mushrooms are healthy to eat with low calorie content high levels of protein and other nutrients. But, some wild mushrooms may be harmful for health as they may contain toxins, so care must be taken for that and it’s usually rare but some people may be allergic to mushroom so they may observe cross reaction. And always purchase mushroom from reliable source.

This is all about health benefits and nutritional value of mushroom, to get more knowledge about healthy foods, stay connected…!! 

References- 
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/787802/nutrients