Mushrooms add flavor and a tender texture to salads, appetizers and main dishes. These flavorful fungi also contain essential nutrients. In addition to potassium and phosphorus, mushrooms also contain vitamins the body uses to function properly. This makes it possible to increase your nutrient intake by adding a few sliced mushrooms to your salad or even a slice of pizza.
Vitamin B-1
Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamin, helps the heart, nervous system and muscles work properly. It also helps the body use carbohydrates as a source of energy. A 5-oz. serving of crimini mushrooms contains 0.13 mg of vitamin B-1, which accounts for 8.7 percent of the daily value for this nutrient, according to the World's Healthiest Foods website. One cup of diced portabella mushrooms contains 0.051 mg of vitamin B-1, as reported by the USDA Nutrient Database.
Vitamin B-2
The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University explains that the body uses riboflavin to metabolize proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Riboflavin also participates in the breakdown of toxic substances and drugs. The Mushroom Council, located in San Jose, CA, reports that several types of mushrooms contain vitamin B-2. White mushrooms contain 18 percent of the daily value for vitamin B-12 in a 3-oz. serving. Oyster mushrooms also contain 18 percent of the daily value for riboflavin in a 3-oz. serving. The same serving size of crimini mushrooms contains 24 percent of the daily value for riboflavin.
Vitamin B-3
Vitamin B-3, or niacin, helps the body produce hormones, works to break down nutrients and plays a role in reducing cholesterol levels, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Seven mushroom varieties contain more than 15 percent of the daily value for this vitamin. Enoki, maitake and oyster mushrooms contain the highest levels of vitamin B-3, with 30 percent, 28 percent and 21 percent of the daily value in a 3-oz. serving, as reported by the Mushroom Council.
Vitamin B-5
Vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid, helps the body metabolize nutrients and contributes to strong skin and hair, healthy eyes and a properly-functioning liver. The World's Healthiest Foods website reports that 5 oz. of crimini mushrooms contain 21.3 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin B-5, or 2.13 mg. One cup of raw enoki mushrooms contains 0.877 mg of pantothenic acid, according to the USDA Nutrient Database.
Vitamin B-6
The body needs vitamin B-6 to produce hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen to the tissues. This vitamin also increases the amount of oxygen that hemoglobin carries within the red blood cells. Shiitake mushrooms contain the most vitamin B-6 when compared to other mushroom varieties. A 3-oz. serving of Shiitake mushrooms contains 0.1 mg of vitamin B-6, or 7 percent of the recommended daily value. White button, portabella and crimini, enoki and oyster mushrooms all contain 5 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin B-6, according to the Mushroom Council.
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