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Eat Mushrooms to Improve Your Health and Happiness this Winter

Though initially it may sound strange, eating mushrooms can do a lot more for your health than you might think. The vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in mushrooms will help you maintain vibrant health, keep off the excess weight and boost energy levels, not to mention help you avoid getting cancer.

Part of the "winter blues" includes extremely limited exposure to natural sunlight. Sunlight has been shown not only to make people happier, but it also triggers the human body to produce vitamin D, a necessary component of good health. And mushrooms are loaded with vitamin D!

Mushrooms are also rich in selenium and ergothioneine, two antioxidants that have been shown to boost immune function and help ward off disease. Selenium is also known specifically to fight cancer, prevent heart disease, and even rid the body of toxic mercury.

If you choose not to eat meat, mushrooms make a great meat substitute because they are both hearty and filling. They also add great flavour to foods since they are rich in umami, also known as the savoury "fifth taste." Together with the fact that they are rich in potassium and energy-producing B vitamins, mushrooms are a great addition to any heart-healthy meal.

"Button mushrooms have been a healthy food source since the prehistoric era," explain Michael Murray, N.D., and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., in their book The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. "Ancient Egyptians believed mushrooms to possess keys to immortality ... [C]ommon thought in many nations through the world hailed mushrooms as conferring superhuman power."
 

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