Category Archives: mushrooms

November 13, 2017 · 12:10 am

Mushrooms may help to slow aging – MNT

It’s always gratifying to run across information that may indicate an ally in the battle of aging in which we are all engaged. Medical News Today reports on what I would have thought to be an unlikely ally – the mushroom.

A new study published in the journal Food Chemistry suggests that certain mushrooms contain two antioxidants thought to improve healthspan and stave off aging.

The new research was led by Robert Beelman, professor emeritus of food science and director of the Pennsylvania State University Center for Plant and Mushroom Products for Health in State College. Michael D. Kalaras, a postdoctoral assistant in food science, is the first author of the paper.

Researchers were already aware that mushrooms are “the highest source” of an antioxidant called ergothioneine, but little was known about glutathione, another major antioxidant.

Additionally, levels of antioxidants vary across different species of mushroom, so the researchers wanted to know which species had the most of these two chemicals.

The new findings are significant in the context of the so-called free radical theory of aging. As Prof. Beelman explains, “[The theory] has been around for a long time [and it] says when we oxidize our food to produce energy there’s a number of free radicals that are produced that are side products of that action and many of these are quite toxic.” Continue reading →

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October 23, 2017 · 4:46 am

Morning mushrooms may be key weight control tool – Study

Shades of Alice in Wonderland! A new study demonstrates that mushrooms may have near magical powers in making your body feel as full as if you had consumed meat – when protein levels are matched. This could be really good news for anyone who feels concerned about reducing his saturated fat consumption from red meats.

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If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then mushrooms may be one of the most imperative ingredients. A new study on satiety published in the October issue of the journal Appetite indicates that eating a mushroom-rich breakfast may result in less hunger and a greater feeling of fullness after the mushroom breakfast compared to the meat breakfast.

“Previous studies on mushrooms suggest that they can be more satiating than meat, but this effect had not been studied with protein-matched amounts until now,” said gut health and satiety researcher and study author Joanne Slavin, PhD, RD, professor at the University of Minnesota. “As with previous published research, this study indicates there may be both a nutritional and satiating benefit to either substituting mushrooms for meat in some meals or replacing some of the meat with mushrooms.” Continue reading →

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Tagged as mushrooms, weight control, weight-loss

February 15, 2015 · 9:13 am

8 Reasons to Eat More Mushrooms

“Mushrooms are miniature pharmaceutical factories, and of the thousands of mushroom species in nature, our ancestors and modern scientists have identified several dozen that have a unique combination of talents that improve our health,” says leading mushroom research, Paul Stamets, who has written six books about mushrooms.

Our Better Health

Diana Herrington February 10, 2015

If you’re looking for a new food to boost your health and shake up your boring meal routine, mushrooms might be it. With over 100 thousand species of mushroom-forming fungi and huge health benefits, the mushroom is a little-known superstar. We often sprinkle mushrooms on our salads or add them to our casseroles. Next time add a few more handfuls of this ingredient–or, better yet, make it the main entree! Including a little more mushroom to your favorite meal is a tasty and rewarding move.

There are:

140,000 species of mushroom-forming fungi.
Close to 100 types of mushrooms being studied for their health benefits.
A small number found to be very beneficial for boosting your immune system.

“Mushrooms are miniature pharmaceutical factories, and of the thousands of mushroom species in nature, our ancestors and modern scientists have identified several dozen that have a unique…

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5 Types of Medicinal Mushrooms and the Different Ways They Can Boost Your Health

The immune-boosting nutrients and health benefits of medicinal mushrooms continue to contribute to the large and persuasive body of scientific research. In fact, scientific studies of medicinal mushrooms have increased during the last two decades primarily in Japan, Korea, China, and the US.

Our Better Health

A spate of medical research demonstrates that different species of mushrooms can aid you.

July 7, 2014 By Andreea Nica

Understanding how food interacts with our bodies and the role it plays in healing various health conditions can be helpful. Whether food is used as part of a medical treatment or a prevention-focused diet, knowledge is power. Though some may disregard medicinal food, medical researchers have proven how prescriptive diets have been used to minify health risks. One such functional food is mushrooms. There are currently 38,000 discovered and classified species of mushrooms that hold medicinal benefits.

In the last two decades there has been widespread interest in the role of the immune system for maintaining good health. According to a study on medicinal mushrooms, diseases related to immune dysfunction “such as cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, AIDS/HIV, hepatitis and autoimmune conditions” are gaining wide attention from medical researchers and…

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Vitamin D Levels In Mushrooms Increase When Exposed to Sunlight

“To achieve enough vitamin D you could eat half a kilo of fatty fish such as tuna or salmon, around five tablespoons of margarine or half a litre of vitamin D fortified milk. Mushrooms however, can provide all the vitamin D we need, in just one serve,” concluded Cardwell.

Cooking with Kathy Man

Vitamin D is essential to maintain strong bones and good health. Although vitamin D can be naturally generated in the body in response to sunlight, many Australians are deficient in vitamin D. Dietary sources of vitamin D become increasingly important during winter, when days are shorter and sunlight less intense.

Like humans, mushrooms also generate vitamin D in response to sunlight. Exposing mushrooms to UV light in particular is known to result in high levels of vitamin D. This trial therefore aimed to determine the time and conditions under which 100 g of fresh mushrooms placed in the sun would produce 10mcg vitamin D. This is enough to meet the daily intake recommended under the Australian Food Standards Code.

Tests were conducted in Sydney during July 2013, using punnets of mushrooms purchased from local supermarkets. Mushrooms were either placed in a single layer on a white plastic plate, left in…

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