Speaking of mushrooms, perhaps everyone’s first reaction is [delicious]. Indeed, mushrooms are smooth and tender in taste, delicious in taste, and even deserve the reputation of [meat in vegetarian].
So, is mushroom as nutritious as meat? And the rumors in the market that mushrooms have various health care effects are somewhat true?
Delicious fungus family
The so-called mushroom is actually a common name for edible fungi.
The mushrooms we usually eat are actually a large family with more than 350 members. Most of them are visible and tangible macrofungi. Common species include Auricularia auricula, Lentinus edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, Flammulina velutipes, Coprinus comatus and other species.
Although mushrooms look like plants in appearance, they are more closely related to yeast for fermentation and distiller’s yeast for brewing.
Where does the delicious taste come from
The first feeling of eating mushrooms must be fresh!
This delicate flavor comes from the fact that mushrooms contain some delicate flavor substances, such as delicious amino acids such as glutamic acid and aspartic acid, and flavor nucleotides such as inosinic acid and guanylic acid.
Although the name of these delicate flavor substances looks somewhat uncommon, a look at the ingredient list of chicken essence shows that these substances are all among them.
Of course, besides delicate flavor, mushrooms also have some special identification odors, so we can taste the unique fragrance when eating different mushrooms.
For example, pentathiocycloheptane is the root of the special taste of Lentinus edodes, also known as Lentinus edodes essence. The almond aroma of Tricholoma matsutake is provided by benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde.
Mushrooms have more protein than eggs?
Although the taste is very similar to meat, the protein content in mushrooms is very low. Generally speaking, the protein content of fresh edible fungi can reach 5%.
The protein content of Pleurotus eryngii we usually eat is 1.3 g/100g, Lentinus edodes is 2.2 g/100g, and that of Fir is 2.5 g/100g. Moreover, there is no obvious difference in protein content between wild and cultivated.
In some propaganda, it is mentioned that [every 100g of mushrooms contains 18g of protein, which is much higher than that of eggs], which is calculated according to dried mushrooms, and it is just a bluff.
However, every time we eat dried mushrooms, we will only take a relatively small amount and soak them in water before cooking. Therefore, if the protein content of mushrooms is higher than that of eggs, it is just a confusing and deceiving statement.
Healthy ingredients have many benefits.
Although the protein content in mushrooms is not high, mushrooms are still a healthy food suitable for middle-aged and elderly friends.
1. Rich in dietary fiber, it helps prevent constipation and regulate blood lipid and blood sugar.
The soft taste of mushrooms similar to meat is attributed to fungal polysaccharides.
These fungal polysaccharides cannot be decomposed and absorbed by our digestive system, and basically belong to passers-by.
It is a kind of dietary fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and help prevent constipation. However, intake of sufficient dietary fiber in diet has certain effects of regulating blood lipid and blood sugar.
2. Benefit for supplementing minerals
Mushrooms are rich in various minerals and are an important source of mineral elements in diet.
For example, the zinc content in Lentinus edodes is very high, with 0.66 mg per 100g of fresh Lentinus edodes.
Of course, since mineral nutrition can also be obtained from various grains and vegetables, we do not need to eat mushrooms in large quantities specifically to supplement minerals.
Clever Use of Mushrooms to Control Three Highs
Because mushrooms taste delicious, if mushrooms can be used to increase freshness during rice, the usage of salt can be reduced, and the effects of reducing low sodium salt intake and helping to control blood pressure can be achieved.
For example, when stir-frying pakchoi, put some mushrooms on it. Brown mushrooms are dotted with jasper leaves, which not only looks good, but also increases freshness with mushrooms, so you can put less salt.
For example, when we make tofu soup, we can also add some mushrooms such as smooth mushrooms and phoenix tail mushrooms, which can also increase freshness and reduce salt.
Here, I would also like to remind everyone that since mushrooms can absorb oil very well, to eat mushrooms healthily, it is best to choose the way of mixing, stewing and cooking instead of cooking with a large amount of oil.