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Mushrooms the Hidden Superfood
Newswise — A load of
antioxidants, nutrients and vitamins are
available in the produce aisle from white
and brown fungi, commonly known as
mushrooms.
Several scientists addressed
the health benefits of mushrooms in a
session Monday at the Institute of Food
Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo
in New Orleans.
Mushrooms are low in
calories, cholesterol and sodium, and they
provide plenty of fiber and flavor when
cooked. But the big news is that they are
high in antioxidants, selenium, riboflavin
and other healthful substances that protect
the immune system and fight cancer.
Mushrooms contain high
amounts of beta-glucans, compounds that
occur in the bran of cereal grains and in
yeast. These substances help to keep immune
cells in a state of vigilance, guarding
against disease, said Lana Zivanovic, Ph.D.,
with the University of Tennessee’s
Department of Food Science and Technology.
Mushrooms also contain
cancer-fighting substances, said Shiuan
Chen, Ph.D., director of surgical research
at the Beckman Research Institute in Duarte,
Calif.
Chen’s lab experiments show
that mushrooms’ cells contain mechanisms
that suppress breast and prostate cancer
cells. He is following up his lab work with
clinical trials funded by the Mushroom
Council. Results should be out in a year, he
said.
Research is showing that
mushrooms contain ergothioneine, an
antioxidant that contributes to immune
support and protection of the eyes, skin,
liver, kidneys and bone marrow.
The substance is produced in
the soil and transported through the
mushroom’s roots, said Joy Dubost, Ph.D.,
R.D., and principal nutritionist at PepsiCo.
Her studies show that stressful growing
conditions can help the fungi produce more
of the antioxidants.
Scientists have unearthed
other mushroom benefits including robust
amounts of selenium, vitamin D and
potassium. White button mushrooms have more
protein, potassium, copper and selenium than
oyster or shitake mushrooms, said Robert
Beelman, Ph.D., at Pennsylvania State
University’s Department of Food Science.
Whether mushrooms will be consumed more as
foods or in supplements and extractions is
yet to be seen. But a rich opportunity
exists in the marketplace, said Zivanovic.
About IFT
Founded in 1939, and with world headquarters
in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the Institute of
Food Technologists is a not-for-profit
international scientific society with 22,000
members working in food science and
technology and related professions in
industry, academia and government. As the
society for food science and technology, IFT
brings sound science to the public
discussion of food issues. For more on IFT,
visit
http://www.ift.org. © 2008 Institute of
Food Technologists
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