Why men need mushrooms

Even though research continues to indicate that nutrient-rich, delicious mushrooms are potential allies in the fight against obesity, heart attacks and prostate cancer, three of the major health risks for men, they don’t always get the respect they deserve.

But take note; their meaty flavour and hearty texture is exactly what men want and what they need to stay lean and healthy.

Mushrooms are also a good source of essential minerals such as heart healthy potassium (helpful to offset the effects of sodium and lower blood pressure) and selenium (that may protect against prostate cancer).  These nutritional heavyweights are also rich in anti-oxidants and Vitamins B and D.

Here are the Mushrooms for Men 101 facts:

1. One cup of mushrooms contains a mere 18 calories and zero grams of fat making it a “must include ingredient” in any weightloss programme.

2. To lose weight but still gain muscle, all you have to do is to replace the meat on your plate with mushrooms: not only are they low in calories; they’re high in fibre and pack a powerful protein punch.
3. Selenium is a recognised ally against prostate cancer and a serving of Portabellini mushrooms (80-100gm) provides almost a ⅓ of your daily selenium.
4. Research studies show that diets rich in potassium and low in sodium can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the number one killer of men. A ⅔ cup of sliced, grilled portabella mushrooms contains as much potassium as a medium-sized banana. And, whilst a low salt diet allows 400-1000mg of sodium per day fresh mushrooms contain only 14mg of sodium per 100gm. Impressively healthy!
5. Finally, adding mushrooms to your diet could improve your sex-life! They inhibit estrogen production and contain enzymes that promote testosterone conversion making sure that testosterone levels remain high. And that’s never bad!

So many good reasons to throw a handful of mushrooms into every meal and the best news is that mushrooms are on supermarket shelves 365 days a year! And if you need a recipe or two, we’ve got you covered! (plus if you buy a punnet of mushrooms during June, you could win a Weber braai). Just saying!