Food of the Week: Mushrooms
Low in Calories and High in Nutrients, Mushrooms Are an Ideal Health Food
Because mushrooms are almost 90 percent water, they have very few calories. And that makes them a fantastic way to infuse more flavor into your meals. In fact, an entire cup of cooked mushrooms has just 28 calories.
They're also a great health food. Case in point: At least 700 different species of these edible fungi are known to have a medicinal effect. Credit their metabolites, by-products that are created when mushrooms are broken down during the digestion process. Scientists in the Netherlands recently reported that metabolites have been shown to boost immunity and prevent cancer growth.
What's more, emerging research suggests that mushrooms may help fight heart disease, according to Arizona State University scientists. In a test-tube study, the researchers found that an antioxidant -- called ergothioneine -- in the fungi inhibited the buildup of artery-clogging plaque. One reason: "Ergothioneine appears to reduce the number of 'sticky fingers,' or adhesion molecules, that grab plaque-forming cells from your blood and pull them into the walls of your blood vessels," says study author Keith R. Martin, Ph.D.
A great way to add more to your diet: Toss a pound of whole mushrooms (any kind will do) with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400°F for 15 minutes. Eat as a side, over steak, or folded into an omelet.
***
More from Men's Health:
- 1
