Magic Mushrooms!

Vanessa1969
Vanessa1969 Posts: 144 Member
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
I love mushrooms, even though they might not have the same amount of nutrients in them as other vegetables. As a vegetarian, I use them often to make recipes more dense. I think they are really underestimated though, so I have dug up some really super mushrooms facts. They really are magic!


One Portabella mushroom generally has more potassium than a banana. It has been suggested a diet with potassium may help to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Mushrooms are low in calories, have no cholesterol and are virtually free of fat and sodium.

When exposed to sunlight for only five minutes - a mushroom will go from containing only 4% of the recommended daily requirement of Vitamin D to containing over 100% of your daily requirement.

Mushrooms also contain other essential minerals like Selenium, which works with Vitamin E to produce antioxidants that neutralize "free radicals" which can cause cell damage.

Copper is another essential mineral found in mushrooms. Copper aids iron (also found in mushrooms) in making red blood cells and delivers oxygen to the body.

Mushrooms also contain three B-complex vitamins; riboflavin for healthy skin and vision, niacin aids the digestive and nervous systems, and pantothenic acid helps with the nervous system and hormone production.

Vegetarians should know that mushrooms are one of the best sources of niacin. The vitamin content of mushrooms is actually similar to the vitamin content found in meat.

The amino acid count in mushrooms is higher per serving than corn, peanuts, kidney and soy beans. The average mushroom is also high in protein and nucleic acid.

Replies

  • Vanessa1969
    Vanessa1969 Posts: 144 Member
    I love mushrooms, even though they might not have the same amount of nutrients in them as other vegetables. As a vegetarian, I use them often to make recipes more dense. I think they are really underestimated though, so I have dug up some really super mushrooms facts. They really are magic!


    One Portabella mushroom generally has more potassium than a banana. It has been suggested a diet with potassium may help to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

    Mushrooms are low in calories, have no cholesterol and are virtually free of fat and sodium.

    When exposed to sunlight for only five minutes - a mushroom will go from containing only 4% of the recommended daily requirement of Vitamin D to containing over 100% of your daily requirement.

    Mushrooms also contain other essential minerals like Selenium, which works with Vitamin E to produce antioxidants that neutralize "free radicals" which can cause cell damage.

    Copper is another essential mineral found in mushrooms. Copper aids iron (also found in mushrooms) in making red blood cells and delivers oxygen to the body.

    Mushrooms also contain three B-complex vitamins; riboflavin for healthy skin and vision, niacin aids the digestive and nervous systems, and pantothenic acid helps with the nervous system and hormone production.

    Vegetarians should know that mushrooms are one of the best sources of niacin. The vitamin content of mushrooms is actually similar to the vitamin content found in meat.

    The amino acid count in mushrooms is higher per serving than corn, peanuts, kidney and soy beans. The average mushroom is also high in protein and nucleic acid.
  • meganlkp
    meganlkp Posts: 41
    wow - that's very interesting!! Thank-you for sharing that! x
  • sassyredgirl
    sassyredgirl Posts: 162 Member
    Thanks for sharing i :heart: mushrooms. :love:
  • lmnr
    lmnr Posts: 11
    Thanks for all the info,
    :smile:
    I am going out tomorow to buy a big bag, then look out some new recipes.:happy:
  • FitnessGeek
    FitnessGeek Posts: 487
    That is interesting! I am a huge fan of portabella mushroom burgers. I had no idea about the sunlight thing, so I checked a couple cookbooks, and sure-enough it's true. Pretty cool, I am going to try that.

    TY for the post. :happy:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Thank YOU! I was eating a mushy on my salad the other day and thought........hmm why do I eat these? I do that with all my food now. I was going to look up some info and POOF here it was!!

    Thanks again!:flowerforyou:
  • Vanessa1969
    Vanessa1969 Posts: 144 Member
    That is interesting! I am a huge fan of portabella mushroom burgers. I had no idea about the sunlight thing, so I checked a couple cookbooks, and sure-enough it's true.

    That is actually what prompted me to post this. A friend on Facebook had that information as her status yesterday and I had never heard it before. They are sunlight sponges! :D
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    That is interesting! I am a huge fan of portabella mushroom burgers. I had no idea about the sunlight thing, so I checked a couple cookbooks, and sure-enough it's true.

    That is actually what prompted me to post this. A friend on Facebook had that information as her status yesterday and I had never heard it before. They are sunlight sponges! :D

    Can you expose them to sunlight after you have them home?? That is so cool!

    How do you store them so they don't "turn" so fast? I've been cooking and then freezing them to avoid waste, since I live alone.
  • FitnessGeek
    FitnessGeek Posts: 487
    Can you expose them to sunlight after you have them home?? That is so cool!
    The significant take-home you should have gleaned from reading the articles is that you can make *any* mushrooms richer sources of vitamin D by exposing them to UV-B - especially *after* they have been harvested.

    If your question is "how can I find enough UV-B to activate my mushrooms, and will it work with any mushrooms?" then I have a solution and an answer for you: The mushrooms tested - although it's not specifically mentioned in the articles - are those that are grown artificially in the dark bunkers, i.e. they are the mushrooms that show up on your supermarket shelves, portobello, swiss brown, button, and so-called "field" mushrooms. The technique should work with all of them.

    And the technique is equally simple - spread fairly freshly-harvested mushrooms heads-up on a suitable flat surface (maybe inside a shallow flat cardboard box you used to bring your groceries home in) and leave them out in the sun for 20 to 60 minutes depending on how good your sunlight is. -The Zen Cookbook
  • Vanessa1969
    Vanessa1969 Posts: 144 Member
    What do you mean by turn? Go bad?
    Yes, expose them after you get them home. Even the less nutritious types, like the plain white mushrooms, will absorb the sunlight. Place them gill side up, facing the sun. It is through the underside gills that they absorb it.
    Mushrooms are the only vegetable that will continue to grow after it has been harvested. You will notice 'white' areas around the tips that many people will think is mold and that they have gone bad, but it is just the way the mushroom grows. Those white areas are not mold, they indicate new growth.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    What do you mean by turn? Go bad?

    yeah, they get really brown spotted in two days or so after opening the package ( I'm talking about the white "grocery store" kind) - I use them anyway....just wondering if you had a "tip" since you are a mushroom expert! cooking then freezing seems to be what works for me.

    Thanks Vanessa and FitnessGeek! Great info.
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