Many people enjoy the taste of mushrooms, and some eat mushrooms for the many health benefits they offer. Mushrooms contain healthy nutrients, and some mushrooms have healing properties. This nutrition information may be helpful to anyone interested in reaping the health benefits this little plant has to offer.
The Facts
A mushroom is a fungus that grows in the dark. There are more than 38,000 different types of mushrooms, but not all of them are edible. Some mushrooms lose up to 20 percent of their nutritional value after cooking, but portobello mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms only lose a small amount of nutrients when they are cooked, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Mushrooms are a good source of copper and potassium.
Types of Mushrooms
Mushrooms are identified by many different names, and the mushrooms that are more commonly eaten include button mushrooms, which are also called agaricus mushrooms; crimini mushrooms; enoki mushrooms, which are also called enokitake mushrooms; morel mushrooms; porcino mushrooms; portobello mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms. Crimini mushrooms look like button mushrooms, only darker. Enoki mushrooms look like sprouts. Porcino mushrooms grow in different sizes. Portobello mushrooms are very large, and shiitake mushrooms are large and blackish brown.
Features
Many cooks like button mushrooms for their distinctive flavor and their versatility in recipes. Other mushrooms, such as shiitake, are popular because they are believed to be therapeutic. Shiitake mushrooms have been used to help heal cancerous growths. Reishi mushrooms contain antioxidants, and they may boost immunity.
Benefits
Mushrooms contain an impressive amount of copper, which helps create red blood cells. One cup of button mushrooms fried for a few minutes supplies an adult with approximately one-third of the copper recommended for daily consumption. Copper provides free radical protection, helps the body absorb iron and assists in the formation of bone and the clotting of blood.
A cup of portobello mushrooms supplies 20 percent of your daily value of potassium. Potassium helps the heart beat normally, helps balance the fluids in your body and supports the performance of muscles and nerves.
One cup of cooked button mushrooms supplies about 16 percent of the daily value of iron, important for blood and energy, and about 12 percent of your daily value of vitamin C, important to the immune system.
Warning
Certain mushroom plants are poisonous, so if you are outdoors, do not pick and eat mushrooms you cannot positively identify.
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