My "healthy" obsession with mushrooms

If you follow me on Instagram then you know that mushrooms are in my food ALL THE TIME. I love them. All different varieties. The earthy flavor and the smooth, rich texture are only some of the reasons I use them so often. Mushrooms are full of nutrition and immune boosting properites. Here is some info from Mercola on the health benefits of this delicious obsession of mine. 

Mushrooms from a farmer at our local market Pepperplace Market. 

The FASEB Journal recently published nine studies on mushrooms that were also presented at Experimental Biology 2013, which detailed a wide variety of health benefits,1 including:

At the end of the 12-month trial, the intervention group had lost an average of 3.6 percent of their starting weight, or about seven pounds. They also showed improvements in body composition, such as reduced waist circumference, and ability to maintain their weight loss, compared to the control group.

• Weight management: One study2, 3 found that substituting red meat with white button mushrooms can help enhance weight loss. Obese participants with a mean age of just over 48 years ate approximately one cup of mushrooms per day in place of meat. The control group ate a standard diet without mushrooms.
• Improved nutrition: One dietary analysis4 found that mushroom consumption was associated with better diet quality and improved nutrition.
• Increasing vitamin D levels through your diet: Consuming dried white button mushroom extract was found to be as effective as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or D3 for increasing vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D).5
• Improved immune system function: Long chain polysaccharides, particularly alpha and beta glucan molecules, are primarily responsible for the mushrooms' beneficial effect on your immune system. In one study, adding one or two servings of dried shiitake mushrooms was found to have a beneficial, modulating effect on immune system function.6 Another study done on mice found that white button mushrooms enhanced the adaptive immunity response to salmonella.7

So all this to say, go out and get yourself some delicious mushrooms today! Choose organic for the highest nutritional value!