The Magnificent Benefits of Mushrooms

by Noor H. Salem

Do you frequently pick mushrooms out of your salad or, perhaps, order your sandwiches without them when eating out? Unfortunately, many are unaware of the incredible health benefits mushrooms carry or even how many unique varieties of mushrooms are out there for consumption.

Many are familiar with white crimini mushrooms, the small white button tops seen in almost all supermarkets. If you visit a farmer’s market or a health food store like Whole Foods, you may come across many varieties of mushrooms, both white and brown in color and in various shapes, too. Nevertheless, please don’t consume mushrooms you find growing in your backyard or while you are hiking any trail. There are a ton of poisonous mushrooms out there, and I fully advise you to stay clear of those. Although white crimini mushrooms carry many health benefits, there are other mushrooms that come with a myriad of unique advantages for your health.

Crimini mushrooms carry unique properties that strengthen your immune system. They protect against cardiovascular disease and are a perfect vegetable for those looking to take care of their heart health. Mushrooms are also wonderful in that they carry anti-inflammatory properties. In other words, I highly recommend them to my clients and readers alike, whom may suffer from arthritis and other joint aches caused by inflammation in the body. I recommend incorporating not only the popular crimini mushrooms but other unique and expensive mushrooms that you may not have heard of prior to reading this. They include reishi, shiitake, maitake, turkey tail, and chaga. These mushrooms each carry unique health benefits and can aid in decreasing inflammation in your body, strengthen your immune system, and detoxify the body. Maitake mushrooms have been proven to specifically aid in balancing blood sugar, and also strengthen the immune system. Some of these mushrooms have been proven to prevent cancer, especially breast cancer. I have some clients who are not fans of mushrooms, so I suggested Host Defense, organic and verified non-genetically modified capsules, that are easy to take and extremely remarkable in results!

Also, favorable to many, mushrooms are extremely filling, yet very low in calories. In fact, one cup of mushrooms has only 16 calories! These calories come with an amazing amount of copper, Vitamin B12, selenium, Vitamin B2, zinc, potassium, manganese, and many more nutrients. Mushrooms taste delicious fresh and cooked, and can go great with your morning omelet, lunch salad, or served as a side dish for dinner. Mushrooms are extremely easy to prepare, and again, remarkable in health benefits. I highly advise if you don’t already, begin incorporating mushrooms into your meals frequently. You may not feel the difference immediately, but in the long run, the impact will be immense.

Next week, I will share a unique and mouth-watering recipe to aid you in integrating mushrooms into your diet.

Noor H. Salem is an author, speaker, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, from Michigan. Noor works with clients in better understanding their bodies and healing with natural foods through her wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition. She presents various workshops, school lectures, group coaching classes, and community lectures on the topic of holistic health. Noor recently published her book, “Sunnah Superfoods,” a culmination of life-changing recipes and remedies, with a foreword by Dr. Waleed Basyouni. Her book consists of prophetic hadith, modern research, and delicious recipes, and is in the process of being translated into other languages.