HAVE you ever wondered how the piles of mushrooms in the supermarket actually made it to the produce aisle?
According to experts farmers don’t harvest them from the woods in fact they grow them in secret climate controlled bunkers.
Research says that mushrooms are classified as vegetables in the food world, even though they are not technically plants.
Mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom although they are not vegetables they provide several important nutrients.
In this week’s market watch we will look at the health benefits of mushrooms.
Website www.readersdigest.ca revealed that increasing consumption of whole, unprocessed foods, like mushrooms, appears to decrease the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Mushrooms also promote a healthy complexion and hair, increases energy and overall lowers weight.
Here are some health benefits of mushrooms.
Safeguard against cancer — mushrooms are rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals, and eating them regularly has been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer in studies of Chinese and Korean women. Mushrooms also prevent prostate cancer cells from multiplying in mice-and might do the same in men.
Supply hard-to-get nutrients- one medium Portobello mushroom supplies 21 per cent of the recommended daily intake of selenium and one-third your need of copper; it also has as much potassium as a medium-size banana.
Other varieties are just as rich in minerals, a recent analysis found. What’s more, mushrooms retain their nutrients when stir-fried, grilled or microwaved.
Help you cut calories-researchers estimate that if you substitute mushrooms for ground meat in one meal every week, you can lose five pounds in a year.
Just don’t sabotage this fringe benefit by preparing mushrooms with loads of butter. Instead, toss them into a non-stick pan that’s been lightly sprayed with oil, then sauté on low heat until they soften.
