Back in the 80’s, mushrooms got a bad rap. Anti-candida diets (to reverse yeast infections/yeast overgrowth caused by consuming too much sugar and not enough fiber) were a major fad. Mushrooms ended up on some “forbidden foods” lists because, like candida, mushrooms are fungi.
But the restriction made no sense. Yeasts are fungi, but mushrooms aren’t yeast, and, unlike candida, mushrooms have no relation to yeast infections or yeast overgrowth. But the restriction still lingers, and is presumably the reason Tom Brady and other celebs don’t eat mushrooms (Brady’s chef groups mushrooms in with nightshades, but mushrooms aren’t nightshades; they’re not even plants).
Obviously there are some mushrooms you want to avoid. A friend of mine nearly died because she went mushroom hunting with a self-proclaimed expert, and subsequently consumed the poisonous bounty. Dying of liver failure is not how I want to go out. I’ll buy mushrooms at a store, and eat mushrooms at a restaurant that purchases wild mushrooms from reputable foragers. But you won’t catch me trying to distinguish edible from poisonous mushrooms on my own.
Button, portobello, cremini, shiitake, porcini, reishi, oyster, morel, truffle, chanterelle, beech, enokitake, Lion’s Mane, maitake/Hen of the Woods; there are dozens if not hundreds of edible mushrooms varieties. But there are similar health benefits offered by nearly all of them:
- Mushrooms protect against cancer, possibly due to containing high amounts of ergothioneine, an anti-oxidant amino acid. This may also be due to the immune-stimulating effect of the polysaccharide beta-glucan.
- Mushrooms protect against dementia and cognitive decline, which may also be attributable to the protective effects of ergothioneine, as well as other compounds in mushrooms that prevent the buildup of amyloid-beta plaque.
- Mushrooms boost immunity (see beta-glucan link above).
- Mushrooms contain prebiotic compounds, and improve gut health. Polysaccharides in mushrooms survive digestion until they reach the colon, where they provide food for health-promoting strains of bacteria including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
- Mushrooms are nutritious, contain significant amounts of protein, potassium, B-vitamins, a compound similar to vitamin D, selenium, and copper.
In addition to the health benefits, mushrooms are delicious. It’s hard to go wrong adding mushrooms to soups, or sauteing with butter, olive oil, and herbs.
I hope I’ve given you enough reasons to eat the food that is neither plant nor animal. Good health to you!
