How does a juicy, grilled portobello mushroom burger sound? What about some delicious, tender, and crisp, portobello fries? This umami-driven fungi have been used for centuries to enhance various pasta dishes, as a tasty side or a hearty main course. For many vegans and vegetarians, portobellos are the easy choice for a meat substitute because of their meat-like texture. We know they taste great, with a savory flavor and easy adaptability making them a go to in all kinds of recipes, but besides their taste and versatility, how else can we benefit from eating these? Well, here are 3 impressive ways.
Mushroom ‘Mind Effect’
“Mushrooms were believed to be the secret to preserving youth in ancient China. The Egyptians believed Osiris gave them the gift of mushrooms, and the Romans believed mushrooms were the Food of the Gods and reserved them for special occasions.”
There’s a basis for a lot of these ancient beliefs. Portobellos are the mature brown strain of the agaricus bisporus and we began cultivating them artificially in the 1600s. They also happen to be part of the white button and cremini mushroom family. They’re packed with very specific nutrients needed to support brain health. For example, B vitamins, which assist in neurochemical reactions that help cells function and metabolize nutrients for energy are abundant in these mushrooms… and can’t we all use a bit more energy?
A 2019 study of Chinese seniors over the age of 60 showed that after eating two servings a week, the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment was cut down by half! Other mind-enhancing nutrients you can find in a nice portobello include selenium, copper, phosphorus, and potassium.
Give Your Immunity System a Boost
Not only are these mushrooms conducive to healthy brain function, but they’ve been proven to be awesome at maintaining gut health. One might ask what gut health has to do with immunity. The fact is, 70% of our immunity is controlled by the gut.
Portobellos have a high content of polysaccharides. These compounds are absorbed by gut bacteria, cleaning out intestines and in the process, promoting a healthy gut. This mushroom feeds white blood cells as well, capitalizing on a positive immune response. Cancer patients especially can benefit from increased immune responses. Studies have been done on animals resulting in findings that suggest they can activate white blood cells and decrease the rise and spread of cancer cells
An Awesome Source of Vitamin D
Yummy and effective. These mushrooms have plenty of love to give us, and by love, I’m talking vitamin D. You can get all your daily recommended intake of vitamin D from just a ½ cup!
Vitamin D is essential to our bodies, supporting numerous functions from bone health to mood. Our bones use vitamin D to maintain calcium and phosphate levels and the lack of it causes depression and fatigue among other things. Portobellos can convert sunlight into vitamin D that our bodies can absorb. You can even leave your fresh portobellos in the sun after purchase to increase the vitamin D content in them, which is really cool.
Get Some Portobellos!
I never met a shroom I didn’t like, but I especially love portobellos. You can do so many different things with them and they just taste so good. Here are some awesome recipes to try from Food Network and remember to keep these super benefits in mind. It’s amazing to eat something that you can feel truly help your body and from brain health to bone health, these mushrooms don’t play games!
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