Mushrooms for nutrition and health

SK Sharma, Arati Ningombam, SS Roy, MA Ansari, N Prakash *

ICAR celebrates National Mushroom Day on December 23 2016 :: Pix - TSE

With the changing food habit and consumer preferences towards nutritious food, the edible mushrooms are gaining immense popularity. Mushrooms are considered to be the highest producer of protein per unit area and time and are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals too.

Mushrooms are rich in quality proteins, vitamins B complex (thiamine, riboflavin and niacin) including Folic acid, vitamin B-12, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and fibre. Superior quality proteins (12-35% crude protein content) of mushrooms contain most of the essential amino acids in good quantity (lysine, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, tyrosine and phenylalanine) that the body cannot synthesize on its own.

As a low calorie high protein item with negligible starch and sugars, they are 'the delight of the diabetic'.

Very high potassium: sodium ratio, low calorie and fat (rich in linoleic acid and devoid of cholesterol) make mushroom the ideal choice of the dietician for those suffering with or prone to obesity, hypertension and atherosclerosis.

Fruiting body contains 80-90% moisture content, 26-82% carbohydrates and low fat content. Mushrooms also contain ergosterol that acts as a precursor for vitamin D synthesis, thus making it a very good source of vitamin D.

Mushrooms does not contain cholesterols. Alkaline nature and high fibre which are needed for those with hyperacidity and constipation are present in mushrooms.

Importance of dietary fibre in rejuvenating the human immune system is being increasingly appreciated in this era of healthy eating. Besides the attributes which make mushrooms 'the ultimate health food' recent investigations have proved the empirical observations of the oriental herbalists that certain mushrooms possess many useful medicinal values.

Various mushroom species are reported to have compounds responsible for curing many ailments. Mushrooms derived medicines have the potential to increase immunity of our body thus reducing chances of disease susceptibility.

Many bioactive substances with immunomodulating effects have been isolated recently from mushrooms. These include polysaccharides, high-molecular weight polysaccharides; low molecular weight protein bound, glycoproteins (lectins), triterpenoids and fungal immunomodulating proteins.

Mushrooms as a diet also provides various health benefits to kids, elderly persons as well as growing children. Due to the absence of cholesterol and high amount of unsaturated fatty acids, mushrooms are the ideal food for heart patients.

Taking white button mushroom and shiitake mushroom lowers down the cholesterol level to the tune of 34 and 35 % respectively. Some mushrooms put on clinical trial have shown to possess antiviral and anti cancer activities.

Recent studies have indicated that all edible mushrooms especially button mushrooms have potential in preventing prostate and breast cancer. Mushrooms are rich in selenium, thus considered to be an ideal food for pregnant and lactating mothers (cultivated not wild mushrooms).

Keeping in view the nutritional and medicinal values of mushrooms, they have the potential of becoming next generation nutritious foods and can be of great use in nutriceuticals and pharmaceutical industries.

With reference to Manipur, there exists a large scope of mushroom cultivation and its integration with the crop based or animal based farming systems. There is a high demand for supply of fresh and processed mushroom products from within and outside the state.

ICAR, Manipur Centre is extensively working for the popularization of scientific mushroom cultivation technology including spawn production among the farmers of Manipur and making people aware about health and nutritional benefits of mushroom.

With the support of NABARD, ICAR, Manipur Centre has successfully facilitated in establishing a mushroom growers company "Sidayai Chengum Growers Company" with more than 900 growers and expanding.

ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan has declared 23rd December as National Mushroom Day to highlight the importance of mushrooms for nutrition and health benefits.