Mushrooms: Edible, medicinal and hallucinogenic

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Eating mushrooms is good for health because mushrooms are a nutrient-dense food. In addition, researchers use mushrooms as medicine because mushrooms have many antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, not all mushrooms are edible, some mushrooms cause poisoning, even death.

Below is the full share of the Founder, Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine, Center for Health Sciences, Arizona State University Andrew Weil about the health benefits of mushrooms, including eating mushrooms. and producing medicinal mushrooms from mushrooms as well as some notes when using mushrooms.

1. Mushrooms for medicinal and medicinal purposes

Mushrooms are a valuable source of medicinal herbs thanks to their anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and immune-boosting properties. Here are some medicinal mushrooms that have been widely studied and used:
Shiitake (also known as shiitake or shiitake): Shiitake mushrooms have anti-cancer, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. lower cholesterol. Mushroom experts say fresh or dried shiitake is best. Enoki (Vietnamese called enoki mushroom): Enoki mushroom has a slender body, mild flavor, and has anti-cancer and immune-boosting effects. Maitake (Vietnamese called dancing mushroom): Dancing mushroom has the same properties as shiitake, which is antiviral, anti-cancer and immune-boosting. In addition, they also help lower blood pressure and blood sugar. Oyster (Vietnamese called oyster mushroom): Oyster mushroom is also a popular medicinal mushroom because of its milder taste and cheaper price than shiitake. Oyster mushrooms also have some cancer-fighting properties.

2. Things to know when eating mushrooms

2.1 Is it good to eat mushrooms?

Common edible white mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms may offer some health benefits, but it should be noted that these mushrooms often contain a natural substance called agaritine, which has been found to have some health benefits. may increase the risk of tumors in animals.
You don't need to worry too much about eating mushrooms when you read this because mushrooms are not the only food that contain potential carcinogens in small amounts. Many other foods when cooked at high temperatures produce acrylamide, which has been studied to increase the risk of tumors in mice. Among the popular fast foods, french fries were found to contain acrylamide.
Experts said that although there is no convincing evidence that agaritine in mushrooms is harmful to human health, to ensure safety should avoid eating a lot of mushrooms, should only eat a moderate amount. and must be cooked before eating mushrooms. When mushrooms are cooked, some of the toxins naturally present in mushrooms can be broken down. In fact, we need to know that we should not eat any wild mushrooms.

2.2 Eating mushrooms provides many essential nutrients for the body

Mushrooms are known to be a food that provides many nutritional values, including:
Abundant amount of protein, low in fat and no cholesterol. Selenium: has antioxidant properties that help prevent cell damage. Copper: The body needs copper to participate in the production of red blood cells. Potassium: Mushrooms contain more potassium than bananas. If you don't like bananas, you can consider eating mushrooms instead. Vitamins B and B12: very good for vegetarians. Vitamin D: White mushrooms are also a significant source of vitamin D. To absorb all the nutrients of mushrooms, we must cook mushrooms before eating because the cell walls of mushrooms are very hard, which can prevent the digestive system from absorbing. In addition, chemical compounds present in mushrooms interfere with the digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Therefore, cooking mushrooms at a sufficient level will cause the cell walls to be broken down and inactivate the factors that interfere with digestion, and at the same time destroy many harmful toxins for the body. Cooking mushrooms also makes them taste better. However, depending on the place of cultivation and production, the nutritional content of mushrooms can vary.

2.3 Where to buy mushrooms to avoid eating poisonous mushrooms?

Supermarkets, food stores often sell mushrooms that are purchased from many different sources. If possible, buy mushrooms from farmers markets and buy from the same seller to ensure that the mushrooms are grown from the same soil.
To avoid eating poisonous mushrooms that can lead to death if you accidentally eat mushrooms containing amatoxin, you should avoid picking wild mushrooms. Many people believe that for poisonous mushrooms, touching can also be dangerous. However, experts say, touching poisonous mushrooms is not dangerous.
To be on the safe side, it's best to only eat mushrooms that have been identified as edible and should not be eaten raw.

3. Eating mushrooms can cause hallucinations

Mushroom experts say that many mushrooms are consumed not for nutritional purposes but because they can cause hallucinations, which is the substance psilocybin. Just a single dose of psilocybin can cause increased hallucinations of emotions, creativity, imagination and abstract ideas.
Researchers believe that using mushrooms as medicine containing psilocybin can be used to treat neurological diseases such as depression, nervous disorders accompanied by anxiety. However, more research is needed to determine the mechanism of action of psilocybin.
Because it causes hallucinations, it is illegal to use psilocybin, which is classified as an unapproved substance for medical use in the United States. Therefore, it is best to choose edible mushrooms to enjoy the taste of mushrooms and get health benefits.
There are many ways to eat delicious mushrooms, the simplest is to saute mushrooms with olive oil. This preparation allows us to fully enjoy the taste and texture of the mushroom meat. For mushrooms with thick meat, charcoal grilling with a little fatty sauce is another suggestion. If you don't want to bake, you can stir-fry with vegetables to have a delicious dish with mushrooms.
Humans harvest mushrooms not only for eating but also for medicinal and medicinal uses. However, it is necessary to be careful with some types of mushrooms that cause hallucinations, poisonous mushrooms that are dangerous to health and life.

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Reference source: webmd.com