At the height of the season, it is a sin to neglect this wonderful product.
Can mushrooms be harmful? Yes, absolutely. In two cases: if it is a toadstool or if it grew by the road, absorbing toxins from the exhaust gases, like a sponge. If the mushroom grew properly in the forest, away from busy highways, then this is a real superfood.
Some nutritionists claim that mushrooms are essential for losing weight. The thing is that they have a lot of protein – even more than meat. They are easily absorbed by the body, but they do not add volumes – they contain only 22 kilocalories. Unless, of course, you do not deep-fry them. But the most important thing is not even that. Englishwoman Anna Pursglou tried a mushroom diet on herself in an attempt to lose excess fat localized on the thighs. Everything suited her in her chest, but her butt … And let them say that it is impossible to lose weight somewhere in one place, you will slim down in a complex way, but Anna did it. In two weeks, she lost one and a half kilos, and her thighs decreased by 3 centimeters. Anna herself was surprised – it turned out that it was enough to eat 80 grams of mushrooms every day.
However, this is not the only reason to add mushrooms to your diet. We found at least five more.
1. Mushrooms contain chitosan, a natural polysaccharide. A similar substance is contained in the shells of crabs, but chitosan from shitake mushrooms is of more interest to scientists. It turns out that this substance is able to stop the spread of tumors. So mushrooms are an excellent cancer prevention.
Scientists say that just 10 grams of mushrooms a day will help you fight breast cancer. In China, for example, where tons of mushrooms are eaten, breast cancer is five times less common than in other countries.
2. In mushrooms there is a lot of not only protein, but also vitamins: group B, vitamin D, biotin. They help to cope with insomnia and keep you feeling energized. In addition, mushrooms are rich in iron and copper, which improve the quality of blood.
3. Certain types of mushrooms can help lower cholesterol levels. The same shitake, as certain sources assure, are effective in combating hypertension.
4. Mushrooms contain more antioxidants than many fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants, recall, fight free radicals that destroy our cells. And as a result, they protect youth and health, preventing cancer, diseases of the cardiovascular system and even Alzheimer’s disease.
5. Mushrooms are compatible with absolutely any other food. Soup, stewed vegetables, meat (although mixing the two types of protein is still not worth it), salads – you can cook anything with them. And the dose of 80 grams necessary for losing weight will go unnoticed in the main dish at all.
Caution!
Who needs to be treated carefully with mushrooms:
– people with allergies and individual intolerance;
– children under 14 years old should not be given them at all;
– patients with chronic dysbiosis.