Veggie steak! Pan Huaizong: Eating mushrooms in a balanced way is nutritious and healthy

In Taiwan, there is always a shortage of dishes using mushrooms, whether it is for banquets, home cooking, or night market snacks, such as mushroom and meat soup, three-cup king oyster mushroom, mushroom and pork rice, red wine mushroom stewed chicken, mushroom chicken soup, hundred-mushroom hotpot, etc. These are all mouth-watering mushroom dishes and are loved by many people.

There are many varieties of mushrooms in the market and they are not expensive. This is because Taiwan is the world's largest producer of mushrooms. In 1978, Taiwan was the world's largest producer of enoki mushrooms. In 2013, the annual production of enoki mushrooms was about 33,000 metric tons, with an annual output value of about NT$1.3 billion. In addition to imports from Japan, South Korea, mainland China and other countries, there are at least 20 common types of mushrooms in the Taiwanese market, and they are available all year round.

Mushrooms are a type of fungus. They cannot produce nutrients through photosynthesis like plants, nor do they directly eat food like animals. Instead, they first break down organic matter into absorbable small molecules (sugars, amino acids, etc.) through the secretion of enzymes outside the cells, and then use them as nutrients for themselves. We usually classify mushrooms as vegetable foods, but don’t underestimate these small and inconspicuous umbrella-shaped plants. Mushrooms contain the nutrients of both animal and plant foods.

Fresh mushrooms contain about 90% water, and the remaining 10% is called dry matter. The dry matter includes 27-48% protein, less than 60% carbohydrates and 2-8% fat. Because the protein content of mushrooms is higher than that of ordinary vegetables, they are also called plant meat or vegetable steak.

The protein of each type of mushroom contains at least one essential amino acid for the human body. For example, the commonly eaten shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, button mushrooms, pleurotus geesteranus, and king oyster mushrooms contain eight essential amino acids that the human body cannot synthesize on its own, including lysine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, hydroxybutyric acid, tryptophan, and valine. Among them, lysine is present in higher content, while tryptophan and methionine are present in lower content.

Fresh mushrooms are also rich in vitamins and minerals. The vitamins are mainly water-soluble vitamins B1, B2, niacin (vitamin B3), biotin (vitamin B7) and vitamin C. Minerals include potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus, among which potassium has the highest content, about 45%. At least 72% of the fat contained in mushrooms is unsaturated fatty acids, most of which are linoleic acid (ω-6 fatty acid).

In addition to the essential nutrients for the human body, studies in recent years have found that mushrooms also contain polysaccharides, triterpenoids, proteoglycans, dietary fiber and other elements that help promote the activity of physiological functions. Through in vitro cell experiments and animal experiments, it was found that these elements have health benefits such as anti-tumor, immune regulation, lowering blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, and lowering cholesterol. For example, the polysaccharides (β-glucan) extracted from Ganoderma lucidum have been shown to effectively activate macrophages and T cells, thereby stimulating the activation of natural killer cells. These immune cells have the function of eliminating abnormal tumor cells.

Although dried mushrooms are full of flavor, they will lose water-soluble nutrients, so it is recommended that people buy fresh mushrooms when buying mushrooms for cooking at home. When selecting fresh mushroom ingredients, you should pay attention to the fact that the mushroom cap should be shiny and firm, the mushroom body should not be damaged, the color should not darken, and it should smell fresh and not smell bad. Because mushrooms are more likely to release water as they are stored for a long time, if the outer packaging looks very watery, it means that it may have been some time since the harvest. They should be eaten as soon as possible after purchase. If they are to be stored in the refrigerator, the seal needs to be opened because fresh mushrooms release carbon dioxide. If they are sealed, they may produce sourness and affect the taste.

Eating fresh mushrooms in the sun can help people absorb more vitamin D. Professor Michael F. Holick of Boston University School of Medicine published a study at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He pointed out that in the winter when the sun rarely shines, he invited 30 healthy adults to be divided into three groups. They took 2,000 international units of vitamin D2 capsules, 2,000 international units of vitamin D3 capsules and mushroom powder made from sun-dried mushrooms (containing 2,000 international units of vitamin D2) for 7 weeks. The results showed that the vitamin D concentration in the blood of all three groups reached sufficient standards and lasted for 5 weeks. Therefore, it is recommended that people buy sun-dried dried mushrooms to eat, which can also help the body absorb more vitamin D.

Fresh mushrooms are high in potassium ions, so people with poor kidney function should avoid eating them. In addition, the purine content in mushrooms is no less than that in animal foods. Therefore, people with a history of high uric acid and gout should temporarily avoid eating mushrooms when gout attacks. They can eat them in moderation after the gout attacks are over. Mushrooms are mild and cool in nature, so it is recommended that they be slightly cooked before eating or added to dishes with ginger. Because mushrooms also contain a large amount of dietary fiber that is difficult to digest, people with poor gastrointestinal function may suffer gastrointestinal discomfort if they eat too much at once, so they should also pay attention to the amount they consume.

Since mushrooms are what Chinese medicine calls "irritants", people with allergies or a history of asthma, psoriasis, eczema, lupus erythematosus (which may cause photosensitivity and worsen skin symptoms) should not eat too much at one time. Some people with more sensitive constitutions may experience or worsen allergic symptoms even if they eat a small amount. It is recommended that they try to avoid eating mushrooms in the future.

Whether dried or fresh, mushrooms are low in calories and contain essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for the human body. However, the nutritional content of different varieties of mushrooms is different. Therefore, it is recommended that people should consume a variety of different mushrooms and treat mushroom ingredients as a type of vegetable. Do not be biased towards eating only a specific type of mushroom. Only a balanced diet can allow the body to absorb complete nutrients and effectively maintain physiological functions to stay healthy.