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You would never have guessed that this common plant could be so good for your health. It’s not even that colorful. It’s actually pretty plain-looking. <\/p>\nYou would never have guessed that this common plant could be so good for your health. It’s not even that colorful. It’s actually pretty plain-looking. <\/p>\n
Call it the ugly duckling of plants if you like, but it’s loaded with powerful nutrients. And it’s not even a fruit. Nor is it a vegetable.??<\/p>\n
But here’s where it really gets interesting: consuming this food lowers your blood pressure, helps minimize cardiovascular disease, and fights type 2 diabetes. And there’s a whole lot more to it, too. <\/p>\n
Such as the fact that you’ll find it just about anywhere, and it’s really inexpensive. <\/p>\n
Who could have thought that plain mushrooms can provide such an impressive amount of health benefits? <\/p>\n
This simple fungi has very few calories, and is naturally low in sodium, cholesterol and fat. For those reasons, it is often called a \u201cfunctional super food\u201d by health experts. <\/p>\n
Not only are mushrooms a great source of basic nutrients, they also help protect from chronic illnesses. <\/p>\n
Mushrooms are loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants and valuable dietary fibers like beta-glucans and chitin. <\/p>\n
Recently, researchers discovered that beta-glucans have the ability to improve insulin resistance and lower total blood cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of obesity and providing a powerful immunity boost. <\/p>\n
Choline has been found to be a powerful memory and learning aid that also helps with muscle movement and sleep. <\/p>\n
This nutrient assists in transmission of nerve impulses, reduces chronic inflammation and supports proper fat absorption. <\/p>\n
These \u201cvegetables of the forest\u201d are very rich in B group vitamins, such as folate, riboflavin, niacin, thiamine and pantothenic acid. <\/p>\n
They are also one of the best vegan sources of non-fortified vitamin D. <\/p>\n
On top of that, mushrooms are a great source of minerals that can be sometimes difficult to obtain from diet, such as iron, selenium, phosphorus, copper and potassium. <\/p>\n
The incredible amounts of fiber, potassium and vitamin C in mushrooms contribute to their amazing cardiovascular health-supporting qualities. <\/p>\n
The ideal combination of low sodium and high potassium in mushrooms helps reduce blood pressure and prevent heart disease. <\/p>\n
If that weren\u2019t enough\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n A recent study showed that type 1 diabetes patients who often incorporated mushrooms in their diets were able to significantly lower their blood glucose levels.<\/p>\n Type 2 diabetes patients who consumed mushrooms drastically improve their blood sugar, insulin and lipid levels. <\/p>\n These amazing qualities of mushrooms contribute to a high-fiber content. <\/p>\n Just one cup of portabella mushrooms and one cup of shiitake mushrooms provide about 3 grams of fiber. <\/p>\n And even more\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n As researchers discover, mushrooms have the same powerful antioxidant capacity as tomatoes, red and green peppers, beans and broccoli! <\/p>\n An abundance of selenium in mushrooms (a mineral not present in most fruits and veggies) plays a vital role in liver enzyme function, helping remove cancer-causing toxins from blood. It has also been found to decrease inflammation and reduce tumor growth. <\/p>\n Although a large variety of mushrooms exist, most of them provide similar amounts of nutrients per serving. <\/p>\n One cup of raw, sliced, white mushrooms contains 0 fat, 2.2 grams of protein and 2.3 grams of carbohydrates. <\/p>\n The good news is that it is very easy to find and prepare mushrooms. <\/p>\n Find them in your local supermarket or the forest near you (always pick only those mushrooms that you know and recognize!!) <\/p>\n Just pan fry them in olive oil with some garlic and enjoy it with pasta or rice, or consume them as an appetizer. <\/p>\n Have delicious mushrooms recipes to share? We would love to try them. <\/p>\n However, as powerful as mushrooms are, some serious health conditions are not easily treatable just by eating delicious foods\u2026<\/p>\n