Button Mushroom – Immune Booster & Cholesterol Health.

The button mushroom (agaricus bisporus) has little calories but plenty of fibre and rich in b vitamins, vitamin d and selenium therefore a good nerve food. Conventional grown mushrooms should be avoided as they are treated with insecticide, fungicide and sheds are sprayed with a chemical steriliser in between growing seasons. Organic mushrooms don’t cost that much more and are in plenty supply in supermarkets.

One Study carried out on button mushrooms being added to the diet daily resulted in an increase in killer Tcells and demontrated anti-tumour, antiviral and anti-bacterial properties[i]

It may come as a surprise to know that mushrooms have anti-fungal properties.[ii] In cases of yeast overgrowth i.e. candida, mushrooms should be enjoyed. Another study reported that several species of mushroom, including white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus) and Shiitake (Lentinus edodes), reduces the cholesterol level in serum and/or liver. These mushrooms were also reported to alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (animal study).[iii] Here in Ireland the traditional Sunday fry is a disaster for cholesterol health especially those who may be predisposed to heart disease or have an inability to break down fats. Trying swapping the traditional Sunday Irish breakfast for a lighter dish of mushroom soup to help reduce cholesterol levels. Its important to be realistic and understand significant changes to health are only achieved through a combination of multiple positive changes carried out simultaneously.

Siobhán Shinnors, Medical Herbalist, Nutritionist & Yoga Therapy. Ireland info@yogaherbalist.ie for appointments

[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17513409

[ii] https://www.scribd.com/document/6470300/Antimicrobial-Activities-of-Four-Wild-Mushroom-Species-Collected-From-Turkey

[iii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3201963/