Whether you eating mushrooms as a vegetable or adding them to your favourite meal, we pretty sure you never knew about them importance of them. But worry not, because we have summed it up for you.
Amped up on antioxidants
Mushrooms were placed in the top 5 as far as antioxidants are concerned in a comparison with 30 other common veggies using three different analytical methods. L-ergothionine, a specific anti-oxidant that occurs in mushrooms, is found in high levels in red blood cells and bone marrow, where it protects the haemoglobin in the red blood cells. Selenium, another antioxidant, occurs in mushrooms in quantities much higher than any other plant food. One serving of mushrooms (100g) provides 8-22 ug selenium, about half of the daily recommended amount. Eating foods rich in selenium may lower the likelihood of developing prostate cancer and may also slow prostate tumor progression. A big advantage is these antioxidants in mushrooms is that concentrations appear to be similar before and after the mushrooms have been cooked.
Immune booster
The immune system as we know plays a critical role in our ability to fight diseases and mushrooms contribute to ahealthy immune system. Numerous studies have described the effects of mushrooms & mushroom extracts on immune function with the implications for the inhibitory effects on tumour growth. Mushrooms is a source of polysaccaharides, particularly beta-glucans that are reported to stimulate the immune system via its stimulating effect on natural killer (NK) cell activity. NK cells are specialized white blood cells that spontaneously kill pathogen infected and tumor cells making them a key component of the immune system.
Also see: Tips to boost your immune system
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