Did you know mushrooms are edible? Some are. Some are not. Wild mushrooms with white gills or a ring around the stem are considered poisonous. Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms that have a red cap or stem, can cause strong visual and auditory hallucinations. Some other inedible mushrooms look like edible mushrooms, so unless one is trained in recognizing wild mushrooms, it is best to find your mushrooms in the grocery store or health food store.
Mushrooms have been used and eaten as medicine for thousands of years. Traditional and folk medicine practitioners applaud the bell-shaped fungi for their healing and cleansing properties. All varieties of mushrooms are low in calories and fat, and contain modest amounts of fiber and various nutrients. Perhaps the more interesting properties of mushrooms are their non-nutritive plant substances – polysaccharides, indoles, polyphenols, and carotenoids in which cell and animal studies have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. Mushrooms are also recognized by chefs for their ability to create savory rich flavors called umami, thanks to the presence of an amino acid called glutamate, which is also found in meats, fish, cheeses, and simmering soups.
Mushrooms contain compounds that have been linked to lowering the risk of a range of cancers. They have been found to stimulate the immune system by increasing the number and activity of our immune system by increasing the number and activity of our immune cells. Surprisingly, the anticancer effects of extracts of edible mushrooms were first reported back in 1969, in the Journal Cancer Research.
Since that time the anticancer activity of edible and medicinal mushrooms has been studied extensively. A meta-analysis of ten large studies on breast cancer, with a total of 6,890 cases, was published in 2014 by a team of Chinese researchers. They concluded that mushroom intake had protective effects against breast cancer in both pre- and postmenopausal women. The higher the mushroom intake, the greater was the level of protection. In their report, the scientific team concluded that polysaccharides present in mushrooms trigger a wide spectrum of host immune responses, which are capable of recognizing abnormal cancerous cells and eliminating them.
In some studies, women who ate mushrooms had up to 50 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to those who did not eat mushrooms. Mushrooms are specifically effective in inhibiting the growth of estrogen-dependent breast cancers.
Although considered a vegetable, mushrooms are neither a plant nor animal food. They are a type of fungus that contains a substance called ergosterol, similar in structure to cholesterol in animals. Ergosterol can be transformed into vitamin D with exposure to ultraviolet light.
Mushrooms vary in appearance with more than 10,000 known types, but generally they are distinguished by a stem, fleshy rounded cap, and gills underneath the cap. China and the U.S. are among the top five producers of mushrooms worldwide.
Because mushrooms sold in supermarkets are usually grown in dark, controlled environments indoors. they will contain little if any vitamin D. But some manufactures expose mushrooms to ultraviolet (UV) light to increase their content of vitamin D either by natural sunlight or a UV lamp. A substance in mushrooms called ergosterol then produces vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), a form found only in plants. Vitamin D2 is also added to fortified foods and supplements. The other main form of vitamin D is D3 (cholecalciferol) found in animal foods (egg yolks, oily fish) and supplements. Both will effectively raise blood levels of vitamin D through D3 may be absorbed slightly better and break down more slowly than D2.
The amount of vitamin D mushrooms contain varies widely and depends on how long the mushrooms are exposed to UV light. Estimates show that fresh wild mushrooms like chanterelles and morels can contain up to 1200 IU of vitamin D per 3.5 ounce serving, whereas mushrooms grown in darkened conditions like white button, shitake, and oyster contain less than 40 IU. However, button mushrooms that are exposed to sunlight can produce up to 400 IU vitamin D per 3.5 ounce serving through the exact amount depends on factors related to their UV exposures such as the time of day, season, latitude, and duration. Mushrooms treated with UV lamps can produce even higher amounts of vitamin D. Even after harvesting, mushrooms can continue to produce vitamin D, whether exposed to UV light from the sun or a lamp.
Dried mushrooms also contain the vitamin. Some estimates show dried mushrooms to contain about 600 IU of vitamin D2 per 3.5 ounces if stored in dark, cool, dry conditions for up to 6 months (the vitamin may start to break down after that time).
Humidity and cooking mushrooms in water do not appear to affect vitamin D content in mushrooms, but cooking them in fat (such a oils) can cause the vitamin to leach out because it is fat-soluble.
Animal and cell studies show that mushrooms can stimulate the activity of immune cells, macrophages, and free radicals that can stop the growth and spread of tumor cells and cause existing tumor cells to die. Various polysaccharides in mushrooms including beta-glucans are believed to exert these cancer-fighting properties.
There are thousands of varieties of mushrooms, with different colors, shapes, and sizes, but the common button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) is the most common in the U.S. Some are very expensive. It is the mildest-tasting mushroom and can be eaten raw or cooked. Other types available for sale include:
Chanterelle: the cap is a wavy golden trumpet – like shape
Cremini (baby bella): a young Portobello mushroom that is dark and firm
Enoki: long, thin white stems with small white caps that are eaten raw or cooked
Maitake: a head that resembles flowering leaves
Morel: the cap is a spongy dimpled oblong shape
Oyster: a fan-shaped delicate cap
Portobello: a large brown thick cap with rich juicy flavor that can be used as a meat substitute
Shiitake: a dark brown umbrella cap with a thin cream-colored stem
STORAGE
Select mushrooms with firm whole caps with an even texture. They should be refrigerated until use, but ideally within one week. Do not wash or clean them until just before using. Storing in a brown paper bag with the top open will help to absorb moisture and keep them from spoiling, as opposed to tight plastic wrapping that traps moisture. Because they are about 80 – 90% water, mushrooms do not freeze well, becoming mushy when defrosted.
