Before you haul several tons of top soil into your basement to grow your own mushrooms, eating mushrooms will not give you everlasting life, but they will help keep you healthy and aid in your longevity. The ancient Egyptians were the first society to take such a strong stand for mushrooms, originally branding them the plant of immortality. The Pharaohs declared the mushroom was for the royal elite only and any commoner eating them was forbidden. The ancient Egyptians were apparently a bit dramatic about their menu.
History notes that Louis the XIV was the initial cultivator of mushrooms. He apparently grew them in caves outside the Parisian capitol and these caves had only this single purpose, to grow mushrooms. Seems that French royalty had a real proclivity for the simple mushroom as well.
Mushrooms are part of the fungi family. Not the most appetite arousing food group to belong to. The thing about mushrooms is they have an amazingly high dietetic value so fungi or not, they deserve a place on the plates of those with a desire to eat healthy food. They are high in fiber with little or no fat and zero salt.
They are full of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, ascorbic acid and cobalamine. Vegetarians eat them due to their selenium content that is mainly found in various meats. The mineral count does not stop there. Mushrooms also are high in potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper.
For many people the mushroom has been underestimated as a healthy food, considered by many to have little or no food value. It was thought of mainly as a garnish more than anything. The ancients on the other hand knew better as mushrooms have been a medicinal mainstay for millennia. Just in the last half century, have mushrooms landed in science labs for study purposes and not as part of the salad course in lunchrooms.
Studies have been conducted that showed mushrooms having an ability to thwart the development of cancerous tumors. They also worked to augment the immunity levels, stimulating immune system function. Currently, mushrooms are being investigated as a means of regulating hypoglycemic functionality, anti cancer actions and further means of improving the immunity systems of individuals.
The oyster mushroom for one is known for innately containing the drug lovastatin, which is prescribed to reduce cholesterol in patients. Mushrooms that are farmed beneath ultraviolet lighting turn out huge amounts of vitamin D. The white button mushroom is raised using this manner on numerous mushroom farms. Mushrooms have been grown to produce penicillin, lovastatin, ceclosporin, griseofulven, cephalosporin, statins and ergometrine.
Mushrooms are available in many different types. These are the most popular brands:
• The white button mushroom is the type most people equate as the main mushroom. It makes up more than ninety percent of all mushrooms purchased in the US. They are a mild tasting variety that seems to make a nice addition with any meal. When they are cooked, sautéed is best; their flavor comes through – though they are extremely healthy when eaten raw as well.
• Crimini / Cremini mushrooms are infant portabella mushrooms common to many as having a light brown or darker top with a firmer composition than a white mushroom. They have a more unsophisticated naturally strong flavor. They are also best eaten when sautéed or raw in salads. Due to the gamey flavor, they go well with meats like beef or venison included as a healthy vegetable side portion.
• The portabello or portabella mushroom also has a light brown cap and measure about half a foot in diameter. Their meaty composition and flavoring make them an ideal barbeque food, entrée, appetizer or side portion.
• The Enoki mushroom has a little cap and a longish narrow stalk. They vary from white to light brown in texture, have a gentle taste and are crisp. They fit in nicely with a salad. They come with roots attached and the stalk should be cut away.
• As mentioned earlier, the oyster mushroom has amazingly healthy elements and is a pastel yellowish grey color and even blue. Their texture is like velvet. They have a fine flavor that needs to be sautéed in butter and onions for the best preparation. Eat them with beef or pasta.
• Maitake and shitake mushrooms have been keeping the Japanese healthy and increasing their life spans for centuries! Maitake’s are known as the “Hens of the woods”. They are cap less, shaped like a fan and taste woody with a unique scent. They can be eaten with anything and taste good. Sautéed in natural oil they are at their best.
• Shitake mushrooms are a light brown or darker. The top resembles an umbrella with tan colored gills and open veils. They have an angled stalk that gets detached. Shitake’s are a meaty mushroom also with a woody flavor. They are best when cooked [recommended] in a stir fry, spaghetti meals and soups.
Always choose a mushroom that is firm and has a smooth and clean look to it. Be sure the surface is stout and dry. When the shroud beneath the cap of the mushroom is closed, it will have a fine flavor and an open shroud with the gills showing mean a deeper flavor.
Always store mushrooms in their original packaging in the fridge until you are ready to eat them. When they are opened, you can keep the longer if you put them into a paper bag for restore. Never close them up airtight, nor should they be frozen. Once they are sautéed they can be frozen for upwards of a month. Never soak a mushroom since they will absorb water. Clean them by hand.
Now that your knowledge of mushrooms has been enhanced, there is more regarding their ability to promote longevity.
The Chinese, in their earliest literature – going back more than three millennium, include some varieties of mushrooms alongside the most powerful of all herbal healing plants used in the world currently. The earliest healers in many cultures, including the Chinese, knew of their ability to stimulate optimal health, brain function and longevity without any adverse reaction. Unfortunately, for most of the citizenry, they were only available to society’s elite.
The mushrooms that are known to be the prime species for health are the same ones that were reserved for ancient royalty, the Reishi, Cordyceps and Shitake. Many in these ancient cultures believed them to be the key to health, energy, longevity and some thought immortality. The Chinese use mushrooms in combination with acupuncture for a full traditional healing experience.
Mushrooms have proven their effectiveness as immunity system stimulators and their health benefits are many. Research has exhibited the mushrooms nutritional capacity to aid in many areas:
Mental – Emotional
Develop the ability to focus and concentrate
Alleviate depression
Aid in anxiety management
Fertility
Encourages fertility
Normalizes menstruation cycle
Improves PMS
Decreases menstruation discomfort
Athletic Performance
Increases energy and vitality
Enhances stamina
Assists with injury recuperation
Augments your blood oxygen quantities
Improves Circulation System
Regulates high and low blood pressure
Arteriosclerosis due to high cholesterol levels
Aids altitude sickness
Gastro Intestinal Tract
Aids Gastroenteritis liver necrosis
Metabolic syndrome / obesity diabetes
Bowel irregularity due to constipation
Lessens risk of gallstones
Improves and regulates appetite
Many health food outlets now supply Organic Mushroom Nutritional Supplements as a great option for those who desire the nutritional value from mushrooms without the necessary preparation etc. required for fresh mushroom consumption.
Either way, mushrooms are a phenomenal addition to anyone’s health and diet regimen. You can improve your health, augment athleticism and the immunity enhancing properties will assist in thwarting serious illness and diseases such as cancer and its associated difficulties. When a food has this much going for it, little wonder it is called the immortality plant.
Tue, Apr 13, 2010
Health And Aging, Immortality, Longevity