BY JOYCE WONG JIN YI
Have you ever wondered how unique the small insignificant mushrooms that always become the side dish in your daily meal? Since human civilization began, fruiting bodies of mushrooms have been used as food not only due to their unique texture and flavours but also for their nutritional properties. I have two research papers and one review paper published in international journals about the nutritional value of mushrooms. Let us discover the unique properties of mushrooms together!
Studies showed mushrooms were a valuable food with total carbohydrates (including polysaccharides) are about 50% of the dry matter of mushrooms, proteins (10–40%), fats (2–8%), vitamins, phenolic compounds and minerals. There is little fat and digestible carbohydrate in mushrooms, making them suitable for low-calorie diets. Mushrooms are rich in beta-glucans responsible for many of their health benefits, including antiviral and immune-boosting effects.
