50: The Magic of Mushrooms

Mushrooms are packed full of nutrition. From essential B vitamins, to antioxidants, and compounds that can make them great for brain health too. Whether you like mushrooms or not, this podcast is a good one to listen to, as I also mention other foods that you can get similar nutrients from.

For all the show notes head to 

www.veets.com.au/50 

Relevant links mentioned in the show 

Cerviche   https://www.veets.com.au/blog/ceviche

Mushroom dip https://www.veets.com.au/blog/mushroom-dip-or-pate

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Transcript

Woo hoo, this is podcast 50 

I can’t believe I have written all the info and recorded 50 podcasts. A big shout out to Mak who publishes them each time.

I only started publishing podcasts this time last year so I feel such a sense of achievement that we have managed to get 50 out to you.  

I don’t feel so accomplished as I am not getting them out to you weekly on a regular basis.  Bear with me, when I get this sorted there will be no stopping me. If you are on my mailing list, you will know that it is rare that I miss a newsletter. They are so consistent and soon the podcasts will be too. I just have to find my way with them.

Maybe I need more mushrooms!

That is what this podcast is about. Whether you are sitting at your desk, cooking, at the playground with the children, driving, or taking a jog, listen up, and especially if you love mushrooms, as I am doing the low-down on how effing fantastic our fun guys are for our health. And if you get them out tanning in the sun, you take it up a whole other notch.

I am fortunate enough to live in an area with good mushroom growers – presently I buy mushrooms from Shroom Brothers and there is a lady in Uki who I get exceptionally good mushrooms from too. Pandora (who has completed the vegan chef training) is the proud mumma of a mushroom grower, Jess and her husband are the owners of Ruffle mushrooms in Newtown.  Do you have good mushroom growers in your area?

What exactly are mushrooms 

They are the reproductive structure of mycelium that live in the soil. Mycelium is thread-like in appearance and grows in soil, on wood, and other organic matter. Nutrients are absorbed by the mycelium and the mushroom grows.

Mushrooms have a 

Cap (pileus): The top part that protects the spores.

Gills (lamellae): Thin structures under the cap where spores are produced. Stem (stipe): The stalk that supports the cap.

Spores: Tiny reproductive cells that allow the fungus to reproduce.

B vitamins 

Mushrooms are packed with B vitamins.

All our health could benefit from 100g of mushrooms a day.

If you are a mushroom avoider as you don’t like the texture, maybe you could experiment with mushroom powder?

B vitamins are abundant in mushrooms 

B2, B3 and B5

B2  is riboflavin, and it helps convert food into energy. Its other role is to keep our skin and eyes healthy.

B3 is niacin, and we need niacin for nervous system function and again for skin health. Another function of B3 is for metabolism.

B5 is pantothenic acid. B5 helps produce hormone and red blood cells and without it energy metabolism would be severely interrupted.

These vitamins are found in other foods like: 

B2 – in spinach, broccoli, asparagus, almonds, grains, legumes, nutritional yeast  and avocados. 

B3 – In grains, peanuts, sunflower and sesame seeds, and almonds, potatoes, lentil, chickpeas and avocado. 

B5 – in broccoli, peanuts , bananas and oranges 

And mushrooms come at the top of the food lists for all of those three B vitamins.

Selenium 

Our body need 16Ug of selenium a day. In one cup of cooked mushrooms, there is 22 % of the RDI of selenium.

Potassium 

which we need for heart and muscle function, is found in good quantities in mushrooms.

Copper

Needed for red blood production and to help absorb iron, as well as supports the immune system, is found in mushrooms.

Contains antioxidants 

Like ergothioneine, which protect the brain cells.

Regular mushrooms, which are called most often white, brown or portobello,, all contain the above, and then some of the other mushrooms contain the above and more.

For example 

Shitake

Can help you reduce gum disease  as it contains lentinan, which is an anti -microbial compound, which can help limit the growth of periodontitis and gingivitis.

Shitake like portobello mushrooms can take up vitamin D from the sun.  Many studies have proven that if you put shitake and portobello mushrooms out in the sun, you will get 24ug of vitamin D in a small serving. The RDI for vitamin D is 10 – 15ug.

The vitamin D remains in the mushrooms when you put them in the fridge, and when you cook them there is only about 10 to 20% of the vitamin D content lost in the heating process.

Lion's Mane 

So many sources say that Lion's Mane can help with reducing and reversing dementia, but most of the studies conducted have been on animals.

In 2020 a study was done where people with dementia were given 3 x 5 mg mycelia from Lions' Mane a day, for 49 weeks. Cognitive improvement was significant compared to the control group.

More studies need to be carried out.

What is known is that cognitive improvements can occur in people with or without dementia when Lion's Mane is taken on a regular basis.

Lion's Mane increases the gut microbiome and produces bacteria that reduce inflammation. There is also proof that it can prevent stomach and gastric cancer. As well as reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Three other mushrooms that our grower grows are: 

Oyster mushrooms and Pioppino and Wood Ear Mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms sport many of the other health benefits that the mushrooms above do, but what is so good about them is that you can really make them look and taste like chicken. Wait for the charred and seared method of cooking mushrooms below.

Pioppino are those very tiny long stemmed mushrooms, and I have heard lots of kids say they like those ones best, maybe because they look like mushrooms in books. Wood Ear are super chewy, and great if you want a bit of gristle in foods, or chewiness like you would if you were eating a steak 

Then there are the specialist mushrooms that you find in powder form. 

Chaga 

They grow on the birch tree and are a fungus that grows In colder climates. They have been used extensively in Siberia and Asia to boost immunity and overall health.

Rishi 

Is popular in Eastern medicine. They contain a lot of antioxidants  and are thought to prevent cancer and immune issues. They have been used to assist in overcoming fatigue and depression. They improve heart health and manage blood sugar levels.

FCT 

Now if you are not a mushroom fan, maybe try dehydrating the mushrooms, grinding them up and adding that to your soups and stews, or buying a mushroom tea.  

Recipe 

Seared and pressed mushrooms

Marinade options 

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice 

Big sprig of rosemary chopped finely 

Or 

1 tbsp tamari 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

2 cloves garlic minced 

Take one big cluster of oyster mushrooms and marinate them by rubbing the marinade into the gills of the mushroom cluster, leave in a container with a lid for 1 hour, or up to all day in the fridge. 

Place the mushrooms and the marinade in a big frying pan and turn to medium high heat. Get your biggest, heaviest saucepan and press it down on top of the mushrooms, until all the liquid has evaporated.  Turn the mushroom cluster over and you will see it is nice and seared. Cook on the other side for a few minutes.