People who love mushrooms know they taste great on tossed green salads or on thick juicy burgers topped with Swiss cheese, but did you know that mushrooms have a number of amazing health benefits? Surprisingly, mushrooms have health benefits that many people are unaware of, and they contain natural ingredients to naturally help prevent certain types of cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions.
Fiber
People rarely think of mushrooms when considering adding fiber to their diets, but they are a fantastic source of fiber. Mushrooms are comprised mostly of water, but about 10% is natural fiber, and this helps keep the digestive system running smooth. Eat four to five medium-size mushrooms each day, either raw or cooked, to add daily fiber to your diet. Not only will you add fiber, but you’ll gain a number of other wonderful health benefits in the process.
Potassium
Potassium is a naturally occurring mineral that helps prevent strokes, and it reduces blood pressure. Most people think of bananas when they want to add potassium to their diet, but unbeknownst to many, mushrooms have a high potassium content. An average-size portabella mushroom has as much potassium as a serving of orange juice or a banana. This is great news for those who want to gain the health benefits of potassium but want to add greater variety to their diets.
Selenium
We hear a lot about the health benefits of antioxidants and the damaging affects of free radicals, but in most cases, the ads that provide the information are pushing the sale of multivitamins. You don’t need expensive multivitamins in order to reap the health benefits of antioxidants. Mushrooms contain selenium, and along with vitamin E, selenium protects the cells of the body from free radicals. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather eat delicious mushrooms and other natural foods than take expensive multivitamins. Natural foods have greater health benefits than processed vitamin and mineral supplements.
Copper
Copper is a mineral we don’t hear much about, but copper has health benefits that helps keep the cardiovascular system in check. Those who like mushrooms can greatly benefit, and eating mushrooms a tasty way to get up to 40% of the recommended daily amount of copper in just one single serving.
Niacin
Niacin has a number of fantastic health benefits, and a serving contains at least ¼ of the daily requirements of niacin. Many of the enzymatic functions of the body rely on niacin. This includes the production of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. Niacin also helps keep the nervous system functioning properly as well as many other working components of the body. Mushrooms, which contain niacin, also help the body produce energy from blood sugar, and they help give the skin a healthy texture and brilliant glow.
Cancer Fighting Properties
Many of the foods provided by nature contain cancer fighting ingredients, and mushrooms are no exception. According to recent studies, consuming just 3 ½ ounces of the white button variety each day, can decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer and breast cancer. Shitake mushrooms are also said to inhibit tumor growth.
The health benefits of mushrooms are truly amazing, and I’ll continue to eat them on a regular basis since the flavor is fantastic, and because they’re worth their weight in gold. They’re are one of nature’s finest creations because they’re natural diseases fighters, and like other natural foods, mushrooms can help keep the body healthy for many years to come.
