The Health Benefits of Mushrooms

Mushrooms do you like them, love them or hate them?

When I was younger I hated mushrooms!! They used to make me gag. They were slimy and the texture just turned me. I know quite a few people who have the same thoughts as these, and I encourage them to try mushrooms again as they can get over their distaste for them - as I did - and anyone who knows me personally knows what a fuss pot I am!!

I am so glad that I no longer have this issue with mushrooms as the health benefits of mushrooms are massive. They really are under rated when it comes to foods that are good for long term health.

How did I get over my aversion to mushrooms?

Well I remember my mum asking me to cook the dinner one time when I was a teenager. It was Spaghetti Bolognese and she even joked that I had to include the mushrooms. My mindset was that if they had to go into it, they would go into the frying pan so small that they would practically disappear. I chopped them up so small that you couldn’t tell the difference between the mince and the mushrooms and the rest they say is history.

From that day on I have ate mushrooms and I actually LOVE them now. There is nothing nicer than poached eggs and fried mushrooms with a slice of SMASH Nutty Bread.

The mushrooms that I am talking about, and the ones that most people know about, are the most common ones here in the UK and Ireland - Button Mushrooms. You can always get them in the shops and they are readily grown here in Northern Ireland.

These mushrooms can be used in lots of different dishes and hidden in many dishes just in case you have a fuss pot like what I was years ago.

The Health Benefits of the Simple Button Mushroom

The reason you may want to hide them (from fuss pots) in some dishes is because mushrooms are a great source of Vitamin D, (one of the few plant based sources available).

A tip to increase the levels of Vitamin D in your mushrooms is to leave them, tendril side up, in sunlight for a period of time before you cut them up and use them. This happens because mushrooms contain the provitamin ergosterol. Once the mushroom is exposed to sunlight, there is a chemical reaction that causes the mushroom to produce Vitamin D2. This is easily absorbed but the body and not destroyed by cooking.

This is so important because most people are actually deficient in Vitamin D. We are hearing more and more about the importance of Vitamin D in our diet and for long term health. Unfortunately many people are deficient in it due to not being out in direct sunlight as much - which is another great way to get Vitamin D into your system.

Mushrooms are also a great source of fibre and can easily bulk out many dishes and they are cheap too which means your meals can be really healthy without being really expensive - which is an added bonus. They are really low in calories, yet filling, which is great for anyone concerned about their calorie intake.

Other Mushroom Varieties and their Benefits

Did you know that there are so many more different varieties of mushrooms that have outstanding health benefits? Medicinal Mushrooms are used widely in Chinese medicine, and although not readily available in the UK & Ireland, they are definitely something that you should consider taking. 

There are many varieties of medicinal mushrooms, all with different health benefits but there are four that I want to tell you about...

Aren’t they amazing!!

Now, I don’t know about you, but where I live, I can not just walk into the supermarket and pick up a carton of Shiitake or Cordyceps mushrooms, but I really want the benefits of them. I want to have easy access to them, but is hasn’t always been possible.

That is up until now!

I have made it easier to get the benefits of medicinal mushrooms into us without having to search loads of health stores, supermarkets or get them online and not know what to do with them. They now are included in the recently launched an improved POWZA!

This organic supplement not only contains food sourced fruits and vegetables (you want your supplements to be food based to ensure that your body can utilise the nutrients properly), but it also contains the four amazing mushrooms mentioned above.

You can now get the benefit of them without the need to hunt for them.  I love the fact that I am able to supplement them into my diet easily, on a daily basis and get the numerous health benefits from them. Powza actually makes this so much easier now for you.

If you think you could benefit from any of the benefits of mushrooms, why not try Powza for yourself. 

We also have them in our new Shroomzy Mushroom Blend which is specifically devoted to mushrooms.