Health Benefits of Mushrooms

A serious food obsession of mine is mushrooms!

At Natural Health Improvement Centers of South Jersey and Des Moines we take a functional approach to nutrition called functional nutrition. We look to whole, real food for answers to handling common health problems, and utilize Standard Process whole food supplements, along with MediHerb herbs to act as the genuine replacement parts the body needs to fix the underlying health issues going on. This natural approach to healthcare using Nutrition Response Testing as the tool paves the way to truly changing the healthcare paradigm in this country by getting to the root cause of illness.

Mushrooms are often overlooked as a source of nutrient denseness but they are a fantastic source of key nutrients so unique only to them that we need for our immune systems.

Because of the many vitamins and minerals mushrooms contain, they have healthy benefits for thyroid, heart, liver, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, bones, and even iron absorption.

Mushrooms are a rich source of vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin C, selenium, and fiber which all strengthen the immune system. They are full of protein, amino acids, and minerals including copper and iron that help protect your body from infection.

In addition to immune system supporting vitamins, mushrooms are also a good source of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and B vitamins. Think niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, folate. We NEED B’s for energy AND especially to nourish the heart and adrenals.

Remember, many of the vitamins in mushrooms are fat soluble so it’s important to cook them with lots of healthy fats.

Speaking of cooking, experts advise cooking mushrooms due to their tough cell walls that render them very difficult to digest by the body. Thoroughly heating them releases the nutrients that they contain.

Try a variety of mushrooms including:

Cremini Mushrooms
Morel Mushrooms
Shiitake Mushrooms
Oyster Mushrooms
Lion's Mane Mushrooms
Enoki Mushrooms
Button Mushrooms
Portobello Mushrooms
Porcini