Mushrooms and the World's Problems

There has been so much exciting research into the health benefits of mushrooms -- both for humans and for the planet Earth. The research explored has been in no particular order, and the benefits of mushroom kits, mushroom powders and seasonings explored here are just as valuable as those in the previous two posts. Be inspired by mushrooms.

Mushrooms helping fight obesity

Mushrooms are a low energy density food, yet have the same filling action and long-lasting effect on appetite that intake of high energy density foods like beef do. A small study involving the substitution of beef entrees for mushroom entrees showed that while there is no difference (generally) between the palatability of the meal, how full people feel afterwards, and full they feel for the rest of the day, there si a big difference in total calories and fat consumed.

Portabella and crimini mushrooms have same antioxidant action as colourful veges

If you grow your own portabella and crimini mushrooms in a mushroom growing kit (and eat them!), you are enjoying the same antioxidant benefits as those who eat fresh carrots, green beans, red peppers and broccoli daily. Color has long been thought to be an indicator of antioxidant effect -- a new study at Penn State disproved this with mushroom powders.

Shiitake mushrooms improve immune functions and crop health

Researches have found that the high molecular weight polysaccharides (HMWPs) in shiitake mushrooms could improve immune function in general, making them a possible preventive and reactive cure for a host of diseases. The logs that shiitake mushrooms are grown on can also improve the health of other crops (spinach, in the study), when chipped and added to the soil.

Organic insulation from mushroom spores

Student inventor Eban Bayer has created an organic insulation material from mushroom spores, as well as water, flour and minerals. This could help reduce energy consumption in households drastically, with a cheap medium. Perhaps someday you could grow your own insulation!

Mushrooms and the World's Problems

Mushrooms don’t generally get enough credit. In some countries, to be a fungus is one of the deepest insults possible! In reality, mushrooms are an essential part of our ecosystem, have enormous medicinal benefits, and help the environment in a myriad of ways. Let's look at the most interesting research on mushrooms, mushroom seasonings and mushroom spices in recent times, looking at them from a perspective for the health of the body, and the planet.

Button mushrooms pack same antioxidant benefit as exotics

Exotic mushrooms include dried porcini mushrooms, dried shiitake mushrooms and their close cousin the maitake, and other exotics like oyster mushrooms and matsutake mushrooms. A French team from the Institut National de la Recherche Agrinomique found that button mushrooms had the same (and in some cases better) free radical scavenging abilities as other more expensive and exotic mushrooms. The body was found to be higher in antioxidants than the stalk, also. However, compounds that are specific to exotic mushrooms may make an impact on their ability to fight certain diseases.

Maitakes help in protein identification

Maitake mushrooms are not only healthful in and of themselves, but are helping researchers discover all sorts of things about other organisms. Utrecht University's Prof Albert Heck found a way to identify protein types without knowing an organism's genetic makeup - previously a requirement for protein study. This will be used for exotic animal species, as well a for research into disease that change genetic makeup, like cancer and diabetes.

Mushrooms used as medicine delivery platform

You might be eating mushrooms instead of popping pills to help cure your ailments before long -- and not just because they are naturally rich in antioxidants. The prevalence of new treatments for diseases means that a platform which is reliable, cheap and fast for mass-producing protein based drugs is needed. Dr Romaine from Penn State University thinks that may be mushrooms.

Stay tuned for more research news on how mushroom kits and mushroom powders are improving our lives!