Sure shiitake mushrooms are savory and delicious, but now there are scientifically proven reasons to eat them every day. If you are one of the lucky people who ate shiitake mushrooms at breakfast this morning, you are well aware of the tasty reasons to eat them.
Shiitake mushrooms are one delicious variety of fungi that not only taste good, but that help heal your body. Let’s look further at the edible bounty of shiitake mushrooms and why science has proven that eating them every day is deliciously good for you.
8 Scientifically Proven Reasons to Eat Shiitake Mushrooms Every Day
A half cup of these particular shrooms only has 41 calories and packs the following nutritional daily values:
- Copper 72%
- Pantothenic acid 52%
- Selenium 33%
- Vitamin B2 9%
- Zinc 9%
- Manganese 8%
- Vitamin B6 7%
- Vitamin B3 7%
- Choline 6%
- Fiber 6%
- Vitamin D 5%
- Folate 4%
1. Science proves that shitake mushrooms can kill bacteria that cause disease.
Chitosan is a type of natural sugar that is found in a few foods, including the shells of crabs and the stems of shiitake mushrooms. The chitosan found in shiitake mushrooms has antimicrobial properties that kill bacteria.
One study found that chitosan from shiitake stems showed excellent antimicrobial activities against eight species of disease-causing bacteria. Scientists also discovered that shiitake chitosan was more effective at killing bacteria than the chitosan taken from crab shells.
2. Science has proven that shitake mushrooms can kill tumors
Keeping yourself cancer-free is certainly a great reason to eat mushrooms and the scientific research backs up this claim. The same study mentioned above also found that the chitosan in shiitake mushroom stems helped prevent tumors from spreading.
Chitosan can also be found in crab shells, but the researchers found that shiitake chitosan was better at stopping the spread of tumors than the chitosan taken from crab shells. Although we can’t say that shiitake mushrooms prevent cancer form occurring in the first place, reducing the spread of tumors is a great reason to add them to your meal plan every day.
3. Science has proven that shiitake mushrooms can reduce inflammation and improve immunity.
Yet another scientific study showed that eating whole dried shiitake mushrooms in a daily diet helped reduce the inflammation for 52 male and female study participants over 4 weeks. Scientists showed improved immune function for the people who ate the shrooms every day. Another incredible health benefit of shrooms is an improved immune response.
4. Science has proven that shiitake mushrooms can help fight obesity.
In a study of mice that were fed a diet of shiitake mushrooms, scientists showed that the mice that ate the mushrooms had much healthier body weights than those that did not. The shiitake-fed mice had reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels and also had fewer fatty liver deposits.
The researchers say that supplementing diet with shiitake mushrooms could be a way to help control obesity in humans as well. Whether you suffer from a weight problem or not, adding this food to your diet is a way to add a healthy, high-nutrient, low calorie food that you will enjoy.
5. Science has proven that shiitake mushrooms can prevent insomnia.
Some scientists believe that Vitamin D deficiency is responsible for many of the chronic insomnia sufferers in the world. 100 grams of fresh shiitake mushrooms provide 100 IU of Vitamin D daily, which helps your body repair itself at night while you get restful sleep.
6. Science has proven that shiitake mushrooms can prevent autoimmune diseases.
Adding this fungus to your diet can decrease the risk of autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia and arthritis. Shiitake naturally contain beta glucans, which are a type of natural sugar.
Beta-glucans have many health benefits, including protection from colds and flu.
Gaining resilience against autoimmune diseases and preventing the immune system from attacking the body is a scientifically proven reason to eat shiitake mushrooms every day.
7. Science has proven that shiitake mushrooms can improve overall nutrition in your diet.
Science has shown that those who have mushrooms in their diet are more likely to have a higher quality diet concerning total nutrient content than people who do not have mushrooms in their diet. Researchers analyzed and measured nine years of data on healthy eating for groups who either had mushrooms in their diets or did not. The mushroom-eating group surpassed the others for total vegetables, dark greens, and grains.
8. Science has proven that shiitake mushrooms can prevent and correct hypertension.
Researchers evaluating alternatives to high-blood pressure medication say that ‘Synthetic anti-hypertensive drugs have been blamed for side effects of various sorts. Thus, the search for natural, safe, and food-based anti-hypertensive agents has gained momentum. Mushrooms, abundant in bio-active components, had been recognized for its use as therapeutics in alternative and complementary medicine as well as functional food.’
Mushrooms contain terpenoids, peptides, lentinan, pipecolic acid, and potassium, which researchers have shown can prevent a high-cholesterol diet from causing high blood pressure. The compounds in shiitake mushrooms also have the potential to reverse hypertension for patients who prefer non-drug therapy.
