7 AMAZING BENEFITS OF MUSHROOMS FROM LOWERING CHOLESTEROL TO MANAGING BLOOD PRESSURE

If there is one great addition to your diet that can promise a burst of nutrients along with a strong protective effect on your health, you can bank on mushrooms. A nutrient powerhouse and a savoury treat, mushrooms can be turned into a variety of mouthwatering dishes. Mushroom isn't a vegetable but a type of fungi, yet it's a storehouse of antioxidants, protein, vitamins and minerals that can give your health a big boost. While mushrooms prevent you from deadly chronic diseases of the body and brain such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, they also help you maintain your weight. From boosting your immunity, lowering cholesterol to stimulating gut health, mushroom consumption is associated with a range of health benefits. (Also read | Magic of mushroom elixirs: Can adaptogenic mushrooms transform your health? Know benefits and ways to consume)

Low in calorie and sodium, eating mushroom can also reduce your white salt consumption and help manage hypertension. If high cholesterol level is what bothers you, including mushroom in your diet can help you naturally reduce it. Keeping you satiated for long, mushroom aid your weight loss efforts and fulfil the promise of holistic health.

Mushrooms contain a high amount of protein content with an average value of 23.80 g/100 g dry weight (DW). They are also a rich, low-calorie source of fibre, protein, selenium and antioxidants. Consuming mushrooms can prevent cognitive decline, diabetes, heart disease, cancer among others.

"Mushrooms contain high amounts of selenium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B6. Selenium can help prevent cell damage in our bodies. Vitamin D helps with cell growth while Vitamin B6 helps our bodies form red blood cells. All these nutrients in mushrooms help to maintain a healthy immune system," says Geetika Bajaj, Nutritionist and Lifestyle Management Consultant.

WONDERFUL BENEFITS OF MUSHROOM

Bajaj also shares amazing benefits of eating mushrooms in an interview with HT Digital:

1. Decreases risk of cancer

Mushroom not only possesses anti-cancer properties, but their consumption is also associated with minimising side effects like nausea, bone marrow suppression, anaemia, and insomnia, and lower drug resistance after chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Research shows that people who eat two mushrooms a day (around 18g) have a 45% lower risk of cancer compared with those who do not eat mushrooms. In China and Japan, medicinal mushrooms are used as adjunct in cancer treatment.

2. Reduces sodium intake

To decrease your sodium intake, consider adding mushrooms to your meals. Mushrooms are naturally low in sodium and an entire cup of white button mushrooms has just five milligrams of sodium. They offer savoury flavour that reduces the need for added salt and keep your blood pressure low.

3. Protects brain health

Eating mushrooms can also improve your brain prowess. Certain mushrooms have been linked to everything from improved neurotransmitter function, lowered inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, and supporting the growth of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

4. Stimulates healthier gut

One way to keep your gut healthy is to stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in that space with the use of prebiotics, such as mushrooms. Research shows that mushroom polysaccharides, their most abundant carbohydrate, stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria.

5. Supports healthy immune system

Mushrooms contain macronutrients that support a healthy immune system. According to the Mushroom Council, your immune system will benefit from mushrooms whose nutrients include selenium that helps your body make antioxidant enzymes to prevent cell damage.

6. Good source of Vitamin D

Mushrooms are one of the few food sources where the precursor to Vitamin D occurs naturally. Ergosterol, found in mushrooms (21- 107 mg/100 gm) is converted to ergocalciferol or Vitamin D2 by exposure to UV light.

7. Promotes lower cholesterol

Mushrooms have been shown to have some therapeutic properties that may help lower cholesterol, particularly in overweight adults. They also contribute nutrients and plant compounds that may help prevent cells from sticking to blood vessel walls and forming plaque build-up.

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2024-01-29T06:19:44Z dg43tfdfdgfd