Mushroom, the ultimate health food

By: Milan Luwang
The world unanimously accepts that health is wealth. Greek philosopher Socrates (469BC-399BC) who was considered to be the father of philosophy once said that food is the medicine and medicine will be the food. It means that there is an inseparable relation between food and health. Mushroom is one of the important food supplements of human being. It is a divine food. Besides, the attributes which make mushrooms the ultimate health food recent investigations have proved that certain mushrooms possess many useful medicinal values. Some mushroom species are reported to contain compounds responsible for curing many common ailments. From the point of nutrition values, mushrooms contain more nutrients than fishes. Now my question is, do you like to become a healthy person? If your answer is yes, then eat mushrooms regularly. Experts opine that magic mushrooms could one day treat depression and some other ailments. A mushroom is the reproductive structure produced by some fungi. All mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms. For those fungi that produce them, the mushroom plays a similar role to a flower or a fruit in plants. Mushrooms are edible fungus that can provide several important nutrients. The many kinds of mushroom have varying compositions and nutritional profiles. From puffballs to truffles, mushrooms can range from everyday fare to a costly delicacy. People can buy them fresh, canned or dried. In 2015, each person in the United States consume on average, around 3 pounds of mushrooms, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. The botanical name of edible mushroom is agaricus bisporus brunnescens.
According to S Bihari Singh, secretary universal mushroom club, Thangmeiband while meeting the writer said that the experts of mushrooms opined that there are at least twenty thousand mushroom species in the world. In early time mushroom is the best food for human being. It was called as royal dish because of only the royal families were allowed to eat the food. No public were allowed to eat the food. The followers of Bhudhism used to give food items made of mushrooms to their leaders or teachers. They considered that mushroom is for only their teachers. The soldiers of Romans used to eat mushrooms at the time of battle for stronger. They also had drunk a soup named Soma drink made of mushrooms for storage of strength.
In fact, the mushrooms are used for not only as diet but also as a medicine. Indian physicians frequently used a mushroom known as polyporus officinalis while giving treatment of some ailments. This treatment is still practiced and has no side effects. Mushrooms possess compounds of anti – ageing and anti- cancer. Being enriched in fiber, mushrooms can maintain our body figure and enhance the power of sex. It helps to cure constipation and diverticular. Mushrooms contain ergosterol that acts as a precursor for vitamin D synthesis, thus making it a very good source of vitamin D. Mushrooms don’t contain cholesterol and fat. Importance of dietary fiber in rejuvenating the human immune system is being increasingly appreciated in their era of healthy eating.
Beyond the diet, mushrooms feature in some types of traditional medicine. The protein, vitamins and minerals in mushrooms may be beneficial to a person’s health. They contain protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Some species of mushrooms have been used as medicine for thousands of years, particularly in China and Japan. Some of the immune enhancing and anticancer effects of traditional species such as Ganoderma lucidum and Trametes versicolor have been demonstrated scientifically regular consumption of oyster mushrooms has been shown to reduce cholesterol.
As low calorie and Carbohydrate, they are the delight of the diabetic patients. Mushrooms are considered to be the highest producer of protein per unit area. Due to the absence of cholesterol and high amount of unsaturated fatty acids, mushrooms are the ideal diet for heart patients. They are the good food for the gout patients and jaundice. Some minerals like Ca, P, Fe, Na and K etc are enriched in mushrooms. Mushrooms as a diet provide various health benefits to kids and growing children. Researchers have indicated that all edible mushrooms especially button mushrooms have potential in preventing breast cancer for women. Mushrooms being enrich in selenium, considered to be an ideal food for pregnant women. They are benefits to BP low persons.
Button mushrooms are the most common variety of mushrooms found in India and are a popular choice for cooking as well. There are 614 edible mushroom species in the world.8 types of mushrooms are found in India. White button mushrooms are low in calories and sugar. They are rich in protein and due to their exposure to sunlight, mushrooms are a natural non- animal source of vitamin D. It helps in the absorption of calcium in your body and helps keep your bones strong. White mushrooms are also known to have cancer fighting properties and help in reducing blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance.
Besides, some proteins viz, lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, valine, leucine, solucine, cystine, etc are present in mushrooms. The vitamin folic acid present in mushrooms can supply enough blood to our body. So those who eat mushrooms regularly can abstain from anemia. In brief, all the nutrients essential for life are present in mushrooms. So everyone are asked to eat mushrooms regularly. The cultivation of mushrooms is suit to our climate and soil. It can provide jobs to educated and unemployed youths of Manipur. There are some NGO s and SHGs working in mushroom cultivation. The mushroom cultivation is very simple. It doesn’t need chemical fertilizers. It can boost up our economy. There is a high demand for supply of fresh and processed mushroom products from within and outside Manipur. Mushrooms are available in our khwairamband bazar and other markets. In the markets, one kg of fresh mushrooms costs Rs 280 to 300. The Indian council for agricultural research Manipur centre is working for the Popularization of mushroom cultivation among the farmers of Manipur and making public aware about health and nutritional benefits of mushrooms. The ICAR Manipur centre for the first time had announced 23rd December as national mushroom day to highlight the importance of mushrooms for nutrition.