8 SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN MUSHROOM BENEFITS - NUTRITION

The health benefits of mushrooms are numerous: they prevent cancer, reduce joint pain, help breathe better, regenerate bone damage, treat infections and others that I will explain below.

It has taken decades for technology and scientific knowledge to evolve to properly classify this group of organisms called fungi. Until the sixties they were considered plants but now they have their own kingdom, the kingdom of fungi.

This kingdom comes full of health benefits: they fight cancer, take care of your eyes and your skin, help you breathe better, they are antibiotics, and many other benefits that you will read in this article and that are based on scientific research.

But be careful because not all are edible, for something a warning saying: "all mushrooms are edible, but some mushrooms are edible only once."

More than 70,000 species of fungi have been identified, but around 1.5 million species are believed to exist worldwide.

Mushrooms are incredibly well adapted to almost any condition on Earth. Some fungi are microscopic and others are spread over a thousand acres. Their reproduction can be sexual or asexual, by means of spores that are more or less comparable with the higher seeds of plants.

Healthy benefits of mushrooms

1- They prevent and fight tumors

Also the antibiotics retapamulin, tiamulin and valnemulin are derived from the fungal metabolite Pleuromutilin, and thus a great variety of antibiotics come from fungi.

Important warning

It is very important to only eat mushrooms that have been grown organically and are for sale in supermarkets or safe places.

If you suspect that someone has ingested an unknown wild mushroom DO NOT WAIT for toxic symptoms to appear, as some contain amanitin and there is no antidote to death. The only remedy is to eliminate toxins before the body absorbs them and for this you must go immediately to the nearest hospital.

Importance of fungi

Fungi are important in a variety of ways:

Recycling - Along with bacteria, fungi play an important role in recycling dead matter and decomposition.
Food - Many mushrooms are used as food for humans and are grown for sale in many parts of the world.
Medications: Antibiotics such as penicillin are derived from a fungus. Many other fungi also produce antibiotics, which are used to control disease in humans and animals.
Biological control agents: Fungi are used to parasitize insects, thus helping to control pests. The spores of the fungi are sprayed on the crops, and this method is cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Plants and Animals - Many fungi harmoniously coexist with plants and animals.

Edible mushrooms in the history of the world

-Egypt: More than 4,500 years ago in ancient Egypt, only the pharaohs were allowed to eat, since they believed that mushrooms were "children of the gods" sent to earth through lightning that was announced by thunder.

-Rome: The Romans also believed that some fungi that sprung from the ground came from lightning.

-India: In the Hindu tradition, there was a god named Soma who manifested himself to the priests in the form of hallucinogenic liquids. Some scientists believe that Soma was the fly fungus, Amanita muscaria. Mushrooms are also mentioned in the Hindu Rig Veda and were eaten in the Indian subcontinent.

-Latin America: A similar legend may have existed among the inhabitants of the highlands of Guatemala and Mexico, where even today people refer to A. muscaria by a common name that means lightning bolt.

-Paris: Mushroom cultivation originated in Paris. Melon growers in the region discovered how mushrooms could be grown and began cultivating them in 1650. In the mid-1700s it was discovered that A. bisporus could grow without light, and that the most favorable conditions for growing mushrooms were in underground tunnels and caves.

-Other countries: From France, mushroom cultivation spread to other parts of the world. The business soon began to grow and spread to England and other countries. Before 1825, the first mushroom crops were being grown in caves in Holland. In 1865, mushroom cultivation entered the United States through England and the first edible mushrooms began to be cultivated on a small scale on Long Island and New York.

Recipes

Never eat any mushroom if you are not absolutely sure it is edible.

-Basic recipe: Portobello mushrooms

Portobello mushrooms have a robust and meaty texture, making them great for roasting, baking, and stuffing. They are great companions for barbecues.

Preparation of sauteed portobellos:

Place a dot of butter on the pan, add crushed garlic, herbs and seasonings, add the mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes until the juices run out. You can also sauté with onions and garlic.

-Garlic mushrooms

Ingredients:

200 grams of fresh mushrooms
10 garlic cloves
Ground black pepper
Olive oil
Fresh parsley
Salt

preparation:

Peel half of the garlic and put them to crush in a mortar, adding the parsley and a little salt. Then add a generous splash of virgin olive oil and mix everything. Reserve to use this mixture later.

Peel 4 to 5 cloves of garlic and cut the mushrooms as finely as you can with the help of a sharp knife (if you prefer, leave them a little thicker). Heat a pan with olive oil and brown the sliced garlic for a few minutes over low heat until they take on a good color.

When the garlic is changing color then add the mushrooms. Keep the heat medium and stir with a wooden paddle from time to time. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and then add the previous mixture, stirring for a few more minutes.

-Fondue mix (with five kinds of mushrooms)