Yes! Mushrooms are a superfood.
Why?
They provide many minerals as well as a lot of protein, potassium, and niacin content, making them very healthy food. They may improve cell health, combat cancer, and be beneficial to your brain and gut health. They are rich in B vitamins such as riboflavin, folate, thiamine, to name a few. They are also good for the planet as they absorb pollution and repel insects, and create amazing underground networks of communication in forests. If you would like to know more about the latter, you can read Kiss the Ground by Josh Tickell, which informs on soils, mushrooms and many other environmental matters. My review of this book here.
There are around 70.000 types of mushrooms and only a rough 250 types are edible. Make sure you avoid eating those growing in your yard unless you are pretty sure of their type. Enjoy them in your salads or your cooked dishes. I sometimes just pop some button mushrooms filled with cheese in lieu of their stems in the oven and savor a quick delectable meal on the go. I add them to my salads, my omelettes, and my curries. They taste yum and are super healthy!
White button mushrooms, for example, are loaded with potassium, niacin and selenium and are calorie-arm. If you consume a mix of reishi, shitaki or turkey tail mushrooms, you are strengthening your immune system. Eating fresh mushrooms is a good source of fiber and this re-inforces cardiovascular health, especially when combined with onions. Check my recipe for mushroom with pasta here. If you are diabetic, portobello mushroom, which are high in protein and very low on carbohydrates, can help regulate insulin in your body. Mushrooms, specially the portobello sort, contain vitamin D, whereas shitaki can level blood pressure.
Bon appétit!
