Nutritional Value of Mushrooms

In another episode of "Is this good for you?" I bring you the magic mushrooms, those tasty fungi that we love to saute, stuff, braise, slice, and caramelize. In December, I reported on the nutritional value of Onions. Come to find out, they are very good for you, containing so many essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. This was good news, for sure, but it led me on the other question plaguing my mind: Are mushrooms good for you? I had always suspected they were. They come from the ground. We eat them all the time. So, a little research has paid off.

- Mushrooms are about 85 percent water. The rest are protein, carbs, and minerals.
- Mushrooms are high in dietary fiber, but that fiber is low in fat.
- Mushrooms are rich in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and calcium.
- The proteins found in mushrooms are of better quality than found in vegetables, therefore they are more wholly nutritious than those other vegetables.
- Mushrooms are also rich in vitamins necessary for nutrition: Thiamin (B1), Pyridoxine (B6), Pantotecnic Acid, Nicotinic Acid, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), ergosterine (Provit, D2) and Biotin (Vitamin H).
- Mushrooms contain an elevated amount of Folic Acid -- folic acid is rare in most vegetables.

Source: Agrotropical.com

Related: Onions and Shrooms, Onions and Shrooms, Mark II