Finely made, mushrooms are often a beauty to behold, especially the common ones that serve as food and medicine.
They are unique on their own and are not a common thing you find just anywhere. Apparently, note being very available means so much about its benefits.
In most cases, you have to intentionally grow them to have them.
Due to the health benefits of mushrooms, people now grow them as business.
Let us take a little look at past users of this plant.
Ancient Greeks believed that mushrooms provided strength for warriors in battle, and the Romans perceived them as the “Food of the Gods” (1).
Health Benefits Of Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a nutritious and versatile food that offer a wide range of health benefits. As a god that you are, you can see it is your food.
Some of the benefits of consuming mushrooms include:
1. Rich In Nutrients
Mushrooms are low in calories and high in nutrients, including vitamins B and D, potassium, copper, and selenium.
They are popular valuable foods because they are low in carbohydrates, fat, and sodium. Also, they are cholesterol-free.
The food provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, proteins, and fiber (2).
They also contain some bioactive compounds that are antioxidants.
Some of them are polysaccharides, proteins, glycoproteins, unsaturated fatty acids, phenolic compounds, tocopherols, terpenes, ergosterols and lectins (3).
2. Boosts immunity
We all need our immune system to stay healthy. Mushroom is said to contain polysaccharides, especially agaricus bisporus.
This compound could boost immune system in humans.
Also, certain types of mushrooms, such as shiitake and maitake, contain beta-glucans, which can help boost the immune system.
A study says beta-glucans, stimulates the your immune response to defend you against bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic infections (4).
3. Good For Heart Health
The antioxidants in mushrooms can help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease.
One of such antioxidants is terpenes which is said to have the power to lower oxidation. Oxidative stress is able to cause chronic heart disease (5).
Also, higher bad cholesterol level in the body could trigger heart issues. But beta-glucans are able to also lower this cholesterol level since they load your body with fibre.
4. May Help Fight Cancer
Furthermore, beta-glucans have anticancer ability, making mushroom able to fight cancer cells.
Some studies suggest that compounds in certain mushrooms, such as shiitake and reishi, may have anti-cancer properties.
The terpenes, beta-glucans and phenolic compounds in it have antitumor and anticancer properties (6) (7).
5. May Improve Brain Function
Some types of mushrooms, such as lion’s mane and cordyceps, may have cognitive benefits and help improve memory and focus.
The beta-glucans in this plant also plays an important role in boosting your brain function.
Beta-glucan, one of the major soluble fibers in mushroom ferments in your lower gastrointestinal tract.
When this happens, it impacts the microbial ecosystem and improve elements of cognition and brain function via the gut-brain axis (8).
As such, higher mushroom intake could protect adults from brain-related issues.
6. May Help Regulate Blood Sugar
Mushrooms are rich in polysaccharides, especially pleurotus ostreatus, contains properties that can lower blood sugar level (9).
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Some studies suggest that certain types of mushrooms, such as oyster mushrooms, may contain these anti-diabetic properties and help regulate blood sugar levels.
7. May Support Gut Health
The fiber in this fungi plant can help promote good gut bacteria and improve digestion.
Basically, most of the mushrooms polysaccharides have been proved as dietary fibers and displayed an interaction process with the colonised microbiota in gastrointestinal tracts.
This could alter different variations of gut microbiota and impact the host health level, consequently (10).
Interestingly, you can find them in different places in Nigeria and from persons who are in the business of grooming it.