Despite the controversial and ambiguous opinion in society, mushrooms have been used for thousands of years both for food and for medical purposes. Sometimes they are mistakenly classified as a vegetable or plant, but in reality this is a separate kingdom – fungi. While there are 14 varieties of mushrooms in the area, only 000 are edible, about 3 are known for medicinal properties, and less than 000% are considered poisonous. Many people are very fond of hiking in the forest for mushrooms, but it is important to be able to distinguish an edible mushroom from a poisonous one. Pharaohs considered mushrooms a delicacy, and the Greeks believed that mushrooms give strength to warriors. The Romans, on the other hand, accepted mushrooms as a gift from God and cooked them only on solemn occasions, while for the Chinese, the mushroom is a healthy food product. Today, mushrooms are valued for their unique taste and texture. They can give the dish its flavor, or soak in the taste of other ingredients. As a rule, the mushroom flavor intensifies during the cooking process, and the texture well withstands the main methods of thermal processing, including frying and stewing. Mushrooms are 700-1% water and are low in calories (80 cal/90 g), sodium and fat. They are an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke. One medium portabella mushroom contains more potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice. One serving of mushrooms is 100-30% of the daily requirement for copper, which has cardioprotective properties.
Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that, together with vitamin E, protects cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Male honey. workers who consumed two recommended daily doses of selenium reduced their risk of prostate cancer by 65%. The Baltimore Aging Study found that men with low blood levels of selenium were 4 to 5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those with higher levels of selenium.
The most commonly eaten mushrooms in the United States are champignons and white mushrooms.