Delicious, Ignored Mushrooms

Some research findings go unnoticed. It is difficult to figure out why. One great example is the role simple white button mushrooms play in curing cancer. You have probably never even heard that mushrooms can be good for anything but pizzas. But, research is extensive and findings are strong: mushrooms are proving almost miraculous in their ability to inhibit or treat large number of cancers. When not busy treating cancers, mushrooms are doing so much more for our bodies that they are worth a bit of a second look.

Cancer and mushrooms

To start with, phytochemicals in button mushrooms Agaricus bisporus are found to inhibit activity of an enzyme aromatase responsible for the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Lectin in white button mushrooms shows promise in the treatment of colon, skin cancer and many other types of cancers.

Scientists already managed to reduce the size of tumors with the extract of mushrooms and they recommend that eating just 100 grams of white button mushrooms may reduce your risk of developing a range of cancer.

Perfect diet food

If you want to add flavor to your food without adding any calories, you cannot get any better than with mushrooms. This delicious fruiting body of a fungus comes in thousands of varieties and is used all over the world. It is used as important food in many cultures and there are thousands of wonderful recipes with mushrooms. But, mushrooms are also considered highly important natural health component, because there is much more to mushrooms than great flavor to add to the salads.

Mushrooms are mostly water (almost 90 percents). They have only 100 calories per ounce and almost no fat. Adding mushrooms to a salad means getting great flavor at no cost – perfect for weight loss programs.

Mushrooms have more potassium than bananas or orange juice, what makes them an excellent nutrient for people with high blood pressure. Potassium reduces a risk of stroke. You will get the same amount of potassium from one glass of orange juice as from just one large mushroom.

Mushrooms and your health

Copper is a mineral with important cardioprotective properties. Just one serving of mushrooms will give you almost 40 percent of the daily need of copper.

Mushrooms are also very rich source of niacin, riboflavin and selenium. Niacin boosts your good cholesterol. Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, plays important role in growth and production of red blood cells. It also helps convert carbohydrates into energy. Selenium is an antioxidant. Together with vitamin E, it works to protect cells from destructive free radicals. Research confirms that selenium is particularly important in prevention of the prostate cancer.

So, stock up with mushrooms and sift through your cookbook for a bit of variety in using mushrooms in your meals. They are definitively worth second chance, much more attention and some of your imagination.

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HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our blood alcohol, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years. Our team of health professionals, and researchers use peer reviewed studies as source elements in our articles. Our high quality content has been featured in a number of leading websites, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Live Strong, GQ, and many more.

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Written by HealthStatus Team
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our blood alcohol, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years. Our team of health professionals, and researchers use peer reviewed studies as source elements in our articles. Our high quality content has been featured in a number of leading websites, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Live Strong, GQ, and many more.

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