The Mighty, Mighty Mushroom

I know some of you have been waiting patiently for part three of the Knee Pain series...and you will need to wait a little bit longer, because today we learn about one formidable fungus!

There was a time when I despised mushrooms.  I think it was around the same time that I couldn't stomach spinach, Brussels sprouts, peas...pretty much all veggies.  Those days however, are long gone my friend.  I am a vegetable eatin' son of a gun these days!

As an athlete - sorry, yes...an aging athlete, it is in my best interest to eat the most beneficial, nutrient dense, power-foods I can get my hands on.  My days of eating Jack-In-The-Box tacos are far behind me...well, maybe not that far come to think of it.

Before we dive into the marvelous mushroom, I have to tell you a quick story.  I am a little ashamed of it, but I think it proves that, while I try to eat very healthy, nutrient dense foods...I falter.  Hey...I'm only human for cryin' out loud.

Recently, the guys at the firehouse decided they wanted to have 'taco night' for dinner.  This is not out of the ordinary, and often times we create fairly healthy tacos...but not this time.  You see, one of the guys on my truck suggested we buy Jack-In-The-Box tacos for dinner...yep, those same tacos that you and I used to eat after a night of partying!  I truly cannot remember the last time I had a Jack-In-The-Box taco!  What I do remember however, is just how TASTY they were.

What?  You mean the real tacos don't look like the ones on the left?

We ordered up 60 tacos.  Yes you read that right...60 tacos!  Before you judge us, it is important to understand that there are 11 guys at my fire station.  That's only 5.45 tacos per person!  Just for the record, I only ate three...and they sure don't taste like they used to.  Well...they probably taste exactly the same, but they sure don't taste good to me anymore!

Stop judging.

So let's move on to the magic mushroom.  No...not that magic mushroom!

The mushroom is a superfood.  Did you know that?  Those little fungi are packed full of nutrients and vitamins.  In fact, take a look at how these fungi stack up...

• Mushrooms manufacture their own Vitamin-D...just like humans!
• Mushrooms are naturally low in sodium, and their earthy flavor (umami) counterbalances saltiness, and can lead to lower salt usage per meal.
• Mushrooms are immunity boosters thanks to their abundance of a powerful antioxidant known as ergothioneine.
• The cap of a Portabella Mushroom has more potassium per 100-gram serving than bananas, therefore mushrooms can help lower blood pressure, as potassium plays a key role in the control of blood pressure.
• Mushrooms provide B-vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid-which help in the breaking down of the macro-nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat).
• The mushroom is low in calories, while high in nutrients.

Pretty cool for a funny little fungus huh?

Have some fun with your formidable fungi!

What is even better is that recent research has found mushrooms to play a role in the prevention and treatment of various forms of cancer!  That's right, that funny little toadstool may actually be able to fight cancer.

Current research has identified phytochemicals in mushrooms that block the enzyme aromatase from producing estrogen. Controlling aromatase activity can help decrease estrogen levels, which controls and kills hormone-dependent breast cancers. In addition, mushrooms also demonstrate the ability to inhibit cancer cell activity and slow tumor growth.  More research is necessary however,  Promoters claim that shiitake mushrooms contain several compounds with health benefits. A compound called lentinan is believed to stop or slow tumor growth. Another component, activated hexose-containing compound (also known as 1,3-beta glucan), is also said to reduce tumor activity and lessen the side effects of cancer treatment. The mushrooms also contain the compound eritadenine, which is thought to lower cholesterol by blocking the way cholesterol is absorbed into the bloodstream. 

Click here to be taken to Google Scholar, and a list of peer-reviewed, journal published studies regarding these purported cancer fighting benefits.

By the way...if you are not familiar with Google Scholar, and you like to research stuff, I highly recommend that you use this site.  Google Scholar only contains research that is both peer reviewed and journal published.  Therefore, you can be assured that the information is evidence-based rather than just one individual's opinion...such as those found on sites like Wikipedia.

Now that you know...enjoy mushrooms with your meals.  There are many ways to prepare mushrooms...some healthy, some...not so much!  I prefer to eat them raw...I even put a couple mushrooms in my morning fruit/veggie smoothies!  I know, I know...it sounds horrible, but trust me on this - you cannot taste them!  I promise.