Affordable, nutritious and delicious, fresh mushrooms are making their mark. Even though they look simple, mushrooms have a whole lot going for them in the nutrition department.
Essential Nutrients

A half-cup serving of cooked sliced mushrooms has a mere 14 calories, virtually no fat, 1 gram of fibre and is a source of phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium, niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms are also a good source of riboflavin, and are the only vegetable in the produce section with natural Vitamin D. All that goodness with little calories and fat makes mushrooms a nutrient dense food and a healthy choice.
Antioxidants

Fresh mushrooms contain a powerful antioxidant called L-ergothioneine. Ergothioneine is found in both raw and cooked mushrooms. Portabella and crimini mushrooms have the most, followed by white button mushrooms.
Fibre

Mushrooms offer both soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps to maintain good bowel health.
Cancer-Fighting

Fresh mushrooms offer nutrients such as beta-glucans and conjugated linoleic acid, compounds that are currently being studied for their chemo-preventive potential. Recent research suggests that mushrooms (and mushroom extracts) may have powerful anti-tumour activity, for both breast and prostate cancer.
Immunity

A strong immune system helps protect against infections from bacteria and viruses. Emerging research indicates that certain mushroom extracts (including extracts from the white button mushrooms), may have a positive effect on the immune system.
Weight Management

Fresh mushrooms are nutrient dense, meaning they are high in nutrients and low in calories. They also have high water content, are low in fat, and contain some fibre; three factors that will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Researchers have found that people who eat satisfying portions of foods that are less energy-dense have greater success at weight loss and maintenance.

Fresh Mushrooms Can Help!

Recent Studies Show that fresh mushrooms can help with:

Blood Pressure
Arthritis
Diabetes
Heart Health
Gout
Healthy Aging
Childhood Obesity
Diverticulosis

Source: Mushrooms.ca

Casseroles are a fantastic way to feed a hungry family of four or serve at a potluck to feed a group of twenty, especially when one uses the Blend and Extend method.

Recipe and photo by The Brunette Baker.

Prep Time: 10 mins. | Cook Time: 20 mins.
Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 punnet white or crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder (Add more or less, depending on your heat tolerance)
1 pound cooked elbow macaroni
Directions

1. In a large saucepan, add olive oil and sauté onions and peppers for about 5 minutes. Add in ground beef, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until ground beef is thoroughly cooked.

2. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, and sugar; stir well. Allow sauce to boil for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer.

3. Add cooked macaroni to meat and mushroom sauce and stir to combine. Adjust salt and pepper and add in chill powder. Give a good stir to ensure all flavours have come together.

4. Serve hot. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve with garlic bread.

The immune system is the body’s first line of defense against disease and infection. A healthy immune system is important at every age. A strong immune system helps protect against infections from bacteria and viruses. It also helps protect against other health problems such as arthritis and certain types of cancer.1

There are many ways you can keep your immunity boosted. Getting enough sleep, keeping stress levels in check, exercising every day and being at a healthy weight will go a long way to maximize your wellness. Good nutrition is also essential for maintaining the immune system in top shape. Including a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods in your diet gives your body the nutrition it needs to help protect against illness and lower the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. That’s where mushrooms come in.
Fresh Mushrooms Can Help! Boosting Immunity

A 2006 study found that the beta-glucan, a polysaccharide that is part of the soluble fibre found in mushrooms, had potential anti-inflammatory activity, which may help protect the body against disease.2
Mushrooms extracts may also stimulate different cells of the immune system.(3,4)

Vitamins and Minerals

A 2000 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that elderly subjects who were deficient in vitamins and minerals, including selenium, zinc, vitamin B6 and folate, also had fewer and less effective natural killer cells.5
A ½ cup serving of uncooked, white button mushrooms is an excellent source of selenium, and a good source of niacin, copper, pantothenic acid and selenium. You’ll also get some vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate and zinc.6

Adding the Antioxidants

Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in mushrooms that may also help protect the body’s cells.7 Ergothioneine is found in both raw and cooked mushrooms.

Mushrooms Make a Difference8

Mix in ½ cup chopped shiitake mushrooms into clear broth or consommé. Benefit: add 18 micrograms of selenium (26% of the Daily Value)
Add ½ cup sliced fresh crimini mushrooms into egg dishes. Benefit: add 9 micrograms of selenium (13% of the Daily Value)
Top pasta with ½ cup grilled Portabella mushrooms. Benefit: add 11 micrograms of selenium (15% of the Daily Value).

Source: Mushrooms.ca

For the complete article, click here

According to mushroom quotation provided by Anhui Zhougudui Agricultural Products Wholesale Market, on April 2, White beech mushroom, Brown Shimeji mushroom, King oyster mushroom, Enoki mushroom, Seafood mushroom and Shiitake mushroom are 6 varieties that show price fall.

1.Price of White beech mushroom has dropped from 10.8 to 8.3 CNY per kg, indicating 23% of decline range.

2.Price of Brown Shimeji mushroom has dropped from 11.6 to 9.1 CNY per kg, indicating 21% of decline range.

3.Price of King oyster mushroom has dropped from 6.5 to 5 CNY per kg, indicating 23% of decline range.

4.Price of Enoki mushroom has dropped from 5.75 to 4.5 CNY per kg, indicating 21% of decline range.

5.Price of Seafood mushroom has dropped from 7.5 to 6.6 CNY per kg, indicating 12% of decline range.

6.Price of Shiitake mushroom has dropped from 14 to 13 CNY per kg, indicating 7% of decline range.

On the contrary, on April 2, Pleurotus geesteranus is the sole variety that shows price rise, from 10 CNY to 14 CNY per kg, indicating 40% of increase range.

“Price of Drumstick mushroom, Agrocybe cylindracea, Button mushroom and Black fungus is respectively at 10 CNY, 9 CNY, 9 CNY and 8 CNY per kg,” introduces manager of Anhui Zhougudui Agricultural Products Wholesale Market warmly.

We are all experiencing difficult and challenging times. Times we have never experienced before and hopefully we can all recover from it. Our health is the most important thing to focus on as well as taking care of eachother. Maybe we are even more closer than ever!

This corona virus has besides to our health, also a large impact on mushroom businesses, hopefully you all have found ways to cope with it. Maybe even accelerate your innovation roadmap!

We as Mushroom Matter haved asked ourselves the question how we can become more closer and more meaningful to people around the globe during this period. So we are going to focus on the health benefits of mushrooms and make sure that the mushroom finds it's way to the consumer even more.

We are starting a positive mushroom campaign on our website and social media channels #mushroomsmatterforyourhealth and would kindly appreciate your help by sending us information you have on mushrooms and why they are so important for our health and future*. Please send us your input to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

* information we are allowed to use in relation to GDPR and authorship

The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to protect the body against infection and maintain overall health. Mushrooms, like other fruits and vegetables, can play a positive role in supporting a healthy immune system.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans1 emphasizes the importance of creating a healthy eating pattern to maintain health and reduce the risk of disease. Suggestions include:

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Move to low-fat and fat-free milk or yogurt.
• Make half your grains whole grains. 
• Focus on whole fruits and vary your vegetables.
• Drink and eat less sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.
• Vary your protein routine.

Nutrients Important for Overall WellnessThere are a variety of micronutrients, as identified by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University2, that are important for supporting a healthy immune system including selenium and vitamins D and B6, which can be found in mushrooms.

Please read the full article here.

Source: Mushroomcouncil.com

As COVID-19 tightens its grip on the world, more and more of us are naturally looking for ways to help stave of contracting the virus, whether it’s for ourselves, or to protect those around us who might be at higher risk of developing serious complications.

But while there’s no vaccine to ward off coronavirus (though scientists around the world are working tirelessly on creating one) there are some easy, natural steps you can take to strengthen your immune system to help you fight of this virus, and illnesses like it.

Read the full article here.

In many systems steam is used for humidifying the grow rooms. It’s a good solution to keep the right climate in the grow rooms but just keep the amount of steam going into the grow room under control. Let me explain what I mean by that.

Especially on the moment just after cool down we get a lot of steam in the grow rooms for humidity to keep the right, set humidity level. That also brings in a lot more heat in the room and especially in summer period that will give extra demand on your cooling. After some time, you will see in the computer that not only the steam valve will keep opening but the cooling as well, one will bring in humidity, the other will bring it down. The result is loss of energy and not a pleasant climate in the room with a RH level variating from very high too low, due to a lot of steam used by the climate control unit. It will be more visible under the air bags, where the steam comes out, and the RH on the growing surface will be higher. The mycelium will continue to grow there, if you compare it with the rest of the room, and less pins will grow out on those spots.

By simply wetting the floor the first 3 days after cool down you can minimize the steam by bringing in the extra moisture with the wet floors. You can do that 3 times/day if needed. Watch the steam demand in your climate computer and that will tell you if you need to wet the floor.

Erik de Groot
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