WHAT IS THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF MUSHROOMS?
Sep 26, 2022
Health benefits
The protein, vitamins, and minerals in mushrooms may be beneficial to a person’s health.
Mushrooms contain protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These can have various health benefits.
For example, antioxidants are chemicals that help the body eliminate free radicals.
Free radicals are toxic byproducts of metabolism and other bodily processes. They can accumulate in the body, and if too many collect, oxidative stress can result. This can harm the body’s cells and may lead to various health conditions.
Among the antioxidant agents in mushrooms are:
selenium
vitamin C
choline
Learn more about antioxidants here.
Cancer
The antioxidant content in mushrooms may help preventTrusted Source lung, prostate, breast, and other types of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Some sources have suggested that selenium may help prevent cancer, but a Cochrane review, from 2017, found no evidence to confirm this.
Mushrooms also contain a small amount of vitamin D. There is some evidenceTrusted Source that vitamin D supplementation may help prevent or treat some kinds of cancer, though according to a 2018 report, the effect may vary from person to person.
Choline is another antioxidant in mushrooms. Some studiesTrusted Source have suggested that consuming choline can reduce the risk of some types of cancer, but at least one other studyTrusted Source has indicated that it may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
It is worth noting that consuming a nutrient as a supplement is not the same as consuming it in the diet.
What links are there between cancer and the diet? Find out here.
Diabetes
Dietary fiber may help manage a number of health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
A 2018 reviewTrusted Source of meta-analyses concluded that people who eat a lot of fiber may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For those who already have it, fiber may help reduce blood glucose levels.
A cup of sliced, raw mushrooms, weighing 70 gramsTrusted Source (g), provides almost 1 g of fiber.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults consume 22.4–33.6 gTrusted Source of dietary fiber each day, depending on sex and age.
Mushrooms, beans, some vegetables, brown rice, and whole-grain foods can all contribute to a person’s daily requirement of fiber.
Heart health
The fiber, potassium, and vitamin C in mushrooms may contribute to cardiovascular health.
Potassium can help regulate blood pressure, and this may decrease the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The American Heart AssociationTrusted Source (AHA) recommend reducing the intake of added salt in the diet and eating more foods that contain potassium.
According to current guidelinesTrusted Source, people should consume around 4,700 milligrams (mg) of potassium each day. Mushrooms appear on the AHA’s list of foods that provide potassium.
A 2016 studyTrusted Source concluded that people with a vitamin C deficiency were more likely to experience cardiovascular disease and suggested that consuming vitamin C may help prevent this illness. They did not find evidence that vitamin C supplements can reduce the risk of this type of disease.
There is some evidenceTrusted Source that consuming a type of fiber called beta-glucans may lower blood cholesterol levels. Beta-glucans occur in the cell walls of many types of mushrooms.
The stem of the shiitake mushrooms is a good sourceTrusted Source of beta-glucans.
The Mediterranean diet includes a range of plant foods, such as mushrooms. Find out more.
In pregnancy
Many women take folic acid, or folate, supplements during pregnancy to boost fetal health, but mushrooms can also provide folate.
A cup of whole, raw mushrooms contains 16.3 microgramsTrusted Source (mcg) of folate. Current guidelines recommend that adults consume 400 mcgTrusted Source of folate each day.