Mushrooms for the body, mind and spirit

PART 1: Edible mushrooms

Mushrooms are a low-calorie, low-fat food with moderate fiber and nutrients. However, mushrooms have very particular characteristics and benefits that make them extraordinary.

Did you know that although they are considered part of the plant kingdom, they are not classified as animal food or plant food?

They are actually a type of fungus that contains a substance called ergosterol, which has a structure similar to cholesterol in animals. The ergosterol present in mushrooms is transformed into vitamin D2 when exposed to ultraviolet light. The concentration of vitamin D2 in mushrooms will depend on the time they have been exposed to the sun.

Another fun fact: do you know what umami is?

In Chinese medicine, umami is considered the fifth basic taste, along with sweet, bitter, salty and sour. It is a flavor created by glutamates present in food preparations such as meats, cheeses, soy sauce and ferments. Well, you should know that mushrooms are one of the few plant foods that contain a strong umami flavor.

You may have heard or read about monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer used in many oriental preparations. In some people, consuming it can cause temporary symptoms of headache, flushing, or even chest pain.

Nutritional benefits of edible mushrooms

Let me introduce you to Paul Stamets, founder and research director of Fungi Perfecti, Olympia, WA. It is thanks to him that much valuable information has been obtained from the different types of mushrooms and fungi.

For starters, mushrooms contain polysaccharides, which are complex carbohydrates made up of multiple simple sugars and play an important role in the formation of organic structures and supporting tissues, especially in plants. One of the polysaccharides in mushrooms is a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which activates areas of the immune system such as macrophages in the lymphatic system, increasing the human body's ability to fight infections and even stop the growth of tumors, as demonstrated by experiments conducted on patients with breast cancer. ( study )

“What defines a species is its unique molecular architecture . Although all mushrooms have certain compounds in common, they are never exactly the same,” Stamets explains. Imagine mushrooms as miniature chemical factories that produce a huge variety of exotic components. “Some components are common across multiple mushroom groups, but many of them are unique to the species they are found in.” Other medicinally active compounds in mushrooms include glycoproteins, ergosterols, triterpenes, and antibiotics.

According to Paul Stamets, it’s not just beta-glucans that stimulate an immune response. “Mushrooms are immune modulators , which tend to bring the immune system back to a state of normality without causing over-stimulation. These are naturally occurring substances that tend to be very high molecular weight, so they require digestion to be broken down,” he said. “As the compounds are digested, they are broken down into lower molecular weight sub-constituents. It’s that pathway of breaking down these large molecular complexes into smaller units that creates a cascade of sub-constituents that, used individually in concert, activate the immune system. For this reason, if a consumer is looking to strengthen their immune system, a multiplicity of mushrooms activates many more receptor sites in the immune system.”

Several studies have shown that shiitake mushrooms help control cholesterol levels. These mushrooms, in particular, contain compounds that inhibit cholesterol production, modulate its absorption and reduce the total level of cholesterol in the blood. ( article )

In 80 grams (approximately ¾ cup) of mushrooms you will find:

6 calories. 0.6 grams of fiber; 0.2 grams of sugars; 0.8 grams of protein and 0.2 grams of fat.

Mushrooms contain essential minerals such as manganese, zinc, copper, iron, magnesium and selenium. They also contain potassium, sulfur and B vitamins, such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B9 and especially, B6.

The mineral selenium present in Portobello mushrooms in particular helps the body produce antioxidant enzymes, preventing cell damage.

Due to their B vitamin content, mushrooms allow you to absorb energy from the foods you eat more efficiently and produce more red blood cells that carry oxygen to all corners of the body.

How to consume mushrooms

Mushrooms are a very versatile food. They can be eaten raw or cooked, but as I said above, they have a high molecular weight, so cooking them would allow for better absorption of their nutrients. Here are some ideas:

Mushrooms with garlic

• The one I personally use the most is to sauté the mushrooms in a little olive oil with a little garlic and chopped chives. You can make it as a side dish or a main dish. The mushrooms that can be used for this preparation are small Portobello mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, or regular mushrooms (white or brown). The recipe works with all of them.

Shiitake mushrooms in a wok

• Stir-fry in a wok with other vegetables used in oriental preparations such as broccoli, mung bean sprouts and carrots, and combine with Chinese noodles and teriyaki or Tamari sauce, for example.

Here I have prepared them on a bed of shiratake noodles (Konjac or Glucomanan) in the Chinese style and accompanied by a protein of choice. In the photo it is accompanied with okara tempeh. See the recipe on my Youtube channel.

Stuffed mushrooms

• Mushrooms stuffed with legume pesto (a mixture of olive oil, dried and fresh tomato flakes, chopped basil and thyme; a little lupine flour and nutritional yeast). These can be Portobello mushrooms, from which the stem is removed and chopped. Leave the buttons to one side.