Choice 

Porcini. The nutritional value of mushrooms What useful substance is especially rich in mushrooms

Man has included mushrooms in his diet since ancient times. Initially, they were eaten fresh, and when the fire appeared, they began to boil or bake. believed that eating mushrooms made a person immortal. In addition, this gift of nature was considered a holy food that only the pharaohs could afford.

Today, mushrooms are available to everyone. They can be purchased at any store fresh, frozen, pickled, sliced, etc. Customers appreciate this product for its special taste and aroma. In addition, this truly valuable gift of nature does not contain starch. In this regard, it can be eaten as a dietary product.

Mushrooms can be found on almost every holiday table. They are also used to conduct a course of getting rid of excess weight, since they consist of 90% water and have a low calorie content.

First of all, its nutritional properties. They contain fats and proteins, cellulose and glucose, various mineral elements (magnesium and sodium, iron and potassium, as well as calcium). Mushrooms are also rich in some vitamins - B, C. F. D and A.

What else are mushrooms good for? This product is a hybrid of animal and vegetable origin. The unique natural gift is rich in amino acids, mostly represented by glutamate. That is why mushrooms taste like meat, but do not contain cholesterol.

What are the health benefits of mushrooms? They help to strengthen the immune system, eliminate fatigue and asthenia. Eating this natural product is one of the preventive measures to prevent the development of vascular and heart diseases, as well as oncology. This action is due to the biologically active substances that make up its composition.

What is useful in mushrooms for the musculoskeletal system? It is the only plant food that contains vitamin D, which is typical of fish meat. That is why eating this gift of nature is important for the health of teeth, bones, as well as skin, hair and nails.

What else are mushrooms good for? Its anti-carcinogenic effect. Scientific research the antitumor activity of the substance lenitan, which is present in some of them, has been proven. It also counteracts AIDS.

What mushrooms are good for breast cancer prevention? These are well-known champignons. They contain special substances that can suppress the activity of enzymes that produce estrogen.

A unique natural product rich in selenium. This substance is an antioxidant that reduces the likelihood of developing prostate cancer. Mushrooms containing a large number of mineral salts and vitamins, are considered an excellent source of energy. They are recommended to use during the recovery period. According to some nutritionists, this product also has an anti-allergic effect. The inclusion of mushrooms in the diet allows you to balance metabolic processes body and stimulate memory. This becomes possible due to the presence of proteins in the composition of the product, the level of which is twice as high as in meat.

The nutritional value of mushrooms is determined by their chemical composition. Mushrooms are especially rich in proteins and amino acids, which puts them on the level of meat and fish in terms of consumer qualities.

It should be said that freshly picked mushrooms contain a significant amount, like vegetables, water. However, during cooking (frying, stewing) and especially during drying, the amount of water in mushrooms is significantly reduced.

As chemical studies show, mushrooms contain a significant amount of nitrogenous substances, including proteins, which are much more abundant here than in vegetables. The fat content in mushrooms is also slightly higher than in vegetables. However, the carbohydrate (sugar) content is on average lower than other plant foods.

Protein substances of fungi usually make up 50-80% of all nitrogenous compounds that make up fungi. The remaining nitrogenous compounds are products of protein metabolism, which include free amino acids, ammonium nitrogen, organic bases, fungin (mycetin), urea and purine compounds are possible.

In addition to proteins, mushrooms also contain carbohydrates, fats, vitamins (A, B, B, C, D, PP), minerals, including trace elements. As well as in other plant products, mushrooms also contain vitamins, although they are very poor in vitamin C (ascorbic acid). However, according to the content of vitamin B 1 (aneurine), mushrooms are not inferior to grain products, and individual mushrooms are not inferior even to baker's yeast. In addition, as established by research, mushrooms turned out to be a rich source of vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) necessary for a person,

And the amount is about the same as in yeast and liver. The content of vitamin D in edible mushrooms is not less than in summer butter. The amount of carbohydrates in various types mushrooms is very different - from 2 to 24% of dry matter. The amount of fat reaches 10% of dry matter.

Mushrooms contain a lot of minerals (on average up to 7.7% of dry matter), such as potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, and iron. In terms of the amount of minerals, mushrooms are similar to fruits, and a significant content of phosphorus brings them closer to several types of animal products, such as fish. Mushrooms generally have a peculiar chemical composition compared to other plants.

Along with chemicals characteristic of plants, they contain substances characteristic of animals, such as glycogen, chitin, etc.

Microelements include zinc, copper, arsenic, manganese, iodine, etc.

There is a lot of water in raw mushrooms, and the amount of water depends on the weather conditions at the time of harvest, because mushrooms absorb moisture very much. Under normal weather conditions raw mushrooms contain from 84 to 93% water.

In the porcini mushroom, there is approximately 87% of water, in champignons - 90%, in the motley umbrella mushroom - 84%, in the morel - 90%, camelina - 89%, autumn honey agaric - 86%, chanterelle - 91%, butterdish - 93%. For comparison: in beef - 72% water, pork - 48%, liver - 72%, cod - 82%, white cabbage - 92%, potatoes - 71%.

Considered chemical composition edible mushrooms indicates that they are a complete food.

Mushrooms suitable for consumption as a food product are divided into edible and conditionally edible.

Edible mushrooms do not contain bitterness, harmful substances, do not have bad smell. They can be boiled, fried, salted without pre-treatment.

Conditionally edible mushrooms may contain bitter or harmful substances, have an unpleasant odor. They can be eaten only after prolonged soaking (sometimes with a change of water), boiling, mandatory removal of the broth or after salting.

In domestic books about mushrooms and in accordance with the rules of procurement organizations, edible and conditionally edible mushrooms are divided into 4 categories according to value.

All other edible mushrooms belong to the fourth category.

The specified division into categories in different sources does not match. In the book by the author Mauri Korhonen, edible mushrooms are divided into simply edible, good edible and delicacy. At the same time, the assessment of the quality of individual mushrooms differs significantly from the characteristics of similar mushrooms in domestic publications. So, for example, in domestic book chanterelle and ringed cap belong respectively to mushrooms of the third and fourth category, while the above-named author considers chanterelle and ringed cap to be delicacy mushrooms, that is, mushrooms of the highest category, like porcini mushrooms.

Thus, the chemical composition of edible mushrooms shows that they contain a sufficient amount of nutrients, in any case, no less than vegetables, and even more of some nutrients in mushrooms.

The good digestibility of mushrooms is hindered by the significant content of fiber impregnated with chitin in them. Chitin is not only not digested in the human gastrointestinal tract, but also makes it difficult for digestive juices and digestible substances to access. The digestibility of mushrooms will deteriorate, in particular, also due to the fact that mushroom proteins mainly belong to hardly soluble substances.

Although mushrooms are a valuable food product rich in nitrogenous substances, it should be noted that they contain high fiber content, which includes chitin, which is poorly digested by humans. It should also be taken into account that the proteins contained in mushrooms are hardly soluble substances. Therefore, they are absorbed worse than animal proteins.

For comparison, we can say that mushroom proteins are digested on average by 70%, vegetable proteins by 68%, and animals by 90%.

In addition to proteins, mushrooms contain free amino acids, including essential ones, as well as extractive and aromatic substances, the so-called enzymes. These substances are stimulants of gastric secretion, stimulate appetite, promote better digestion and assimilation of food. Doctors regard mushrooms as a food that is not easily digested. Therefore, mushroom dishes are intended only for healthy people.

Thus, our modern knowledge gives grounds to consider mushrooms as a very valuable product, the consumption of which is still not widespread enough.

Table. Chemical composition and calorie content of edible mushrooms.

Type of mushroom

carbohydrates,%

fiber and fungin,%

minerals,%

Calorie content (per 100 g of product in kcal)

White fresh

White dried

Boletus fresh

Dried boletus

Boletus fresh

Dried boletus

Milk mushrooms fresh

Chanterelles fresh

Butterfish fresh

Honey mushrooms fresh

Fresh mushrooms

Morels fresh

Russula fresh

Fatty acid composition of salted mushroom lipids.

Composition of fatty acids

Average value, % of the sum

White mushrooms

after cooking

after cooking

Amount of saturated acids

Sum of monounsaturated

Sum of polyunsaturated

Truffle

Truffle is a marsupial mushroom with underground tuberous fleshy fruiting bodies. Most belong to the order of truffles (Tuberales). They grow in forests as saprophytes or form mycorrhiza with tree roots. Some fruiting bodies in the cut in the drawing resemble marble. Few truffles are edible. The most valuable is French black, or Perigord truffle. (Tuber brumale), very fragrant, black on the outside, warty, inside dark gray or reddish black with light streaks.
This truffle is a delicacy. It grows in oak and beech groves, mainly in southern France and northern Italy, where it is of great industrial importance. It has a taste of mushroom with a hint of deep-roasted seeds or walnuts. Water, if truffle is lowered into it and held, acquires the taste of soy sauce. It was not possible to cultivate truffles, unlike champignons. Truffles are searched in wild groves with the help of specially trained search dogs and pigs, which have a phenomenally fine sense of smell. On your own, under the foliage, you can find a truffle by noticing midges swarming over it. The number of harvested truffles is decreasing from year to year.
other truffles. White Polish, or Trinity, T. (Choiromyces meand-rirormis) has a fruiting body with light flesh, similar in appearance and sizes for potatoes; grows in the forests Western Europe, Ukraine, Belarus, is found even in the Moscow region.
Some truffles are classified as plectus truffles - the so-called steppe truffles, "tombolans" (Terfezia). Among these truffles there are also edible ones, but they are less valuable. Grow in Southern Europe, North Africa, Southwest Asia - in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Sometimes truffles are mistakenly referred to as inedible basidiomycetes from the genus Scleroderma (the order of Gasteromycetes), the fruiting bodies of which look like rounded and oblong yellowish tubers 3-10 cm long; found in forests, parks; fruiting bodies initially dense, blackish inside with light streaks, unpleasantly smelling; later their contents are sprayed.

Morels and lines

Morel mushrooms, a group of marsupial mushrooms. Fruiting bodies are voluminous, low-fleshy, fragile, consist of a cap and a stem. The surface of the cap, lined with a spore-bearing layer, is cellular, sinuous, wavy or smooth. A number of genera; the most famous are: morels (Morchella) - with a cellular-ribbed surface of the cap and edges adhering to the stem; caps (Verpa) - with a wrinkled, less often smooth cap surface and free edges; lines (Gyromitra) - with a medulla-winding surface of the cap and partially adherent edges. Sometimes all genera and species of morel mushrooms are called morels. Morel mushrooms grow more often in early spring in forests, parks and steppes.

The most common are real morel (M. esculenta), steppe morel (M. steppicola), morel cap (V. bohemica) and common line (G. esculenta), growing in pine forests. These types of morel mushrooms are used for food. However, the line contains a toxic substance that can cause severe poisoning, so the mushrooms should be finely chopped and boiled before cooking, after which the broth should be drained (with it the toxic substance, which is easily soluble in hot water). Dried stitches are considered harmless.

Lines (Gyromitra), a genus of hat poisonous mushrooms from the class of marsupials. They are suitable for food only after boiling in water and removing the decoction, otherwise they can cause severe poisoning.

Accumulation of harmful substances by fungi

Mushrooms have a selective feature for the accumulation of elements, in particular, hazardous to human health. The level of their content serves as an indicator of pollution environment. Of particular danger is the tendency of edible mushrooms to accumulate heavy metals in areas of industrial emissions, large cities, railways and highways.
This ability is much more pronounced in them than in higher plants and other organisms. That is why it is impossible to collect mushrooms in places polluted by industrial waste. This applies to absolutely all mushrooms, and not just pigs. In mushrooms, mercury can be 30-550 times more than in the soil under them. As the distance from the center of pollution decreases, the content of harmful substances decreases. The maximum content of mercury is established for representatives of the genus "champignon", a lot of it is also in the white fungus. The high content of heavy metals in edible mushrooms causes severe poisoning, like poisonous mushrooms.

Nature has given man a unique product - mushrooms. Organisms that are biologically different from plants and animals are not only an integral part of the nature around us, but also benefit human health. Mushrooms are similar in mineral composition to fruits, in terms of the amount of carbohydrates they are similar to vegetables. Mushrooms are superior to meat in terms of protein, which is why they are also called “forest meat”. However, it is worth remembering that mushrooms can cause irreparable harm to human health. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to collect and buy only fresh mushrooms and follow the rules for their preparation.

Mushrooms contain practically no fat and are 90% water, so they are low in calories - 34 kcal per 100 g, easily digestible and are considered a dietary product. Mushrooms have a rich and balanced composition of useful elements:

  • 18 amino acids;
  • vitamins: A, groups B, D, E;
  • nicotinic acid;
  • micro and macro elements: potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, sulfur, iron;
  • lecithin;
  • fatty acid glycerides;
  • unsaturated fatty acids: butyric, stearic, palmitic;
  • natural antibiotics;
  • fiber and chitin.

The protein content of mushrooms may increase if they are dried. Dried mushrooms are 75% protein compounds.

Beneficial features

The benefits of mushrooms for the human body are undeniable. Since ancient times, folk healers have treated people with forest mushrooms for many diseases. For example, porcini mushroom extract was applied to frostbitten areas of the skin, chanterelle tincture helped fight boils, morels soothed nerves, and boletus relieved migraines.

What is the value and miraculous power of mushrooms:

  1. Help the body get rid of excess fluid improve metabolism and promote weight loss.
  2. Strengthen immunity.
  3. They remove harmful cholesterol from the body, as well as toxins and heavy metals.
  4. Help to avoid mental exhaustion, prevent emotional disorders.
  5. Beneficial for healthy skin, bones, teeth, nails and hair.
  6. Improve blood formation.
  7. They have healing, anti-inflammatory properties.
  8. Normalize the work of the thyroid gland.

The most valuable in terms of nutritional and healing qualities are porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, boletus, chanterelles, mushrooms, russula.

For example, mushrooms such as milk mushrooms are most useful salted or fried in sour cream with onions. If you use them regularly, then after a while the extra pounds will begin to melt. And pickled or fried mushrooms are a source of energy, especially for those who are worried about diabetes. White mushroom can also be pickled, fried, dried or salted. This mushroom, on a par with boletus, has a mass of nutrients, in which it surpasses some types of mushrooms: milk mushrooms, champignons, honey agarics, boletus and others.

And at the same time, each mushroom has its own peculiarity, some contain more proteins and enzymes, others differ in taste and wonderful aroma, others help fight many diseases.

Who should use mushrooms with caution?

Pregnant and lactating women, as well as children, are primarily at risk. This group of people is the most vulnerable. They have a reduced immune system, a fragile body, and mushrooms, as you know, absorb a lot of chemicals that are found in the air. Before giving mushrooms to a child or a pregnant woman, it is worth considering that the environmental situation is changing for the worse every year. If earlier our grandmothers were not afraid to give children Forest mushrooms, then now you should think about the possible dangers of the product.

And yet, mushrooms are a nutritious food, and children, pregnant and lactating women should eat well every day. Therefore, it is better to give preference to cultivated mushrooms from the supermarket, grown for sale in compliance with certain technologies. Such mushrooms undergo quality control, the conditions of their transportation and storage are strictly observed.

As for children, parents themselves have the right to decide when to start giving mushrooms to their child. Many experts recommend starting to give oyster mushrooms or champignons to babies older than 5-7 years (no more than 1 time per week). Since it is quite difficult for a child's gastrointestinal tract to digest all the substances that mushrooms contain. This can lead to disturbances.

Contraindications and harm of mushrooms

Mushrooms should not be consumed by people with the following diseases:

  • gastrointestinal tract;
  • liver and kidneys;
  • gout;
  • eczema.

In addition, if you collect, cook and store mushrooms incorrectly, then their use can lead to sad consequences, even death.

Despite their low calorie content, mushrooms are considered a heavy food, even healthy people do not abuse them. It is also not necessary to exclude individual intolerance to mushrooms and the risk of possible allergic reactions, especially in children.

Mushrooms are loved in many countries for their unusual taste qualities, abundance of nutrients. The health benefits of mushrooms are undeniable. However, it is necessary to understand them well, collect them in areas with a clean environment, buy them in trusted places and not abuse them.

Mushrooms can be called the most amazing and unique organisms on the planet. In the old days, people called them "children of the gods" and there was a belief: where lightning strikes the ground, a mycelium is formed there. Old Russian cookbooks have been preserved, where you can find a wide variety of wonderful recipes for mushroom dishes.

Nature has balanced the minerals and vitamins in mushrooms in such a way that this gift of the forests, when properly eaten, brings not only benefits, but also a lot of pleasure. Perfectly prepared mushroom dishes can be served as a delicacy for any occasion.

How many vitamins and minerals are contained in 100 g of mushrooms

Each type of mushroom has a unique chemical composition, in which the indicators of vitamins and minerals differ significantly.

vitamins
Vitamin A 0,002-0,005 mg
Vitamin B1 0,003-0,14 mg
Vitamin B2 0,3-0,85 mg
Vitamin B3 4,8-8,5 mg
Vitamin B5 2,1-2,7 mg
Vitamin B6 0,007-0,3 mg
Vitamin B9 0,003-0,004 mg
Vitamin C 7-34 mg
Vitamin E 0,1-0,9 mg

Nutritional value of mushrooms

Mushrooms are valued for their excellent taste and aroma. With a large amount of protein, they contribute to the rapid saturation of the body, so nutritionists called them "forest meat". Mushrooms contain several times more protein than eggs and vegetables and 3 times more than meat products . The content of proteins depends on the variety of the given organism and its parts.


Due to the low content of fats and carbohydrates, they are considered a low-calorie product and are recommended to be used for cooking diet meals. In addition, mushrooms contain glycogen, dextrin and insulin, which increase the efficiency of many body functions. When cooking, a significant part of the fiber and carbohydrates are destroyed and converted into simple compounds that are easily absorbed by the body.

Mushrooms contain very useful substances beta-glucans, which have a positive effect on protective functions. human body. There is an opinion that in ancient times only eating mushrooms during strict fast in early spring, it saved people from an inevitable decrease in immunity. These valuable substances also have antitumor activity, but, unfortunately, they are hardly absorbed by the body.

Some types of mushrooms are able to purify the blood and reduce the percentage of cholesterol in the blood. For example, an infusion of chanterelles is used for abscesses, furunculosis and tonsillitis, and mushrooms are natural antibiotics. The resinous substance contained in the oils relieves severe headaches and gout, porcini is an effective tool with intestinal infections. There is a considerable amount of water in the fresh gifts of the forests, which is significantly reduced during cooking.

Vitamin and mineral composition

  • Mushrooms contain eighteen amino acids that increase mental activity and prevent the development of atherosclerosis, but only 10% of these substances are absorbed by the body;
  • They contain a considerable amount of trace elements that normalize the metabolism in the body. The manganese, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iodine and zinc contained in the composition prevent the occurrence of viral infections and the development of heart diseases;
  • Mushrooms contain B vitamins that support nervous system and helping to maintain normal hair, nails and skin. These products contain the equivalent of B3, which is indispensable in the process of blood circulation and strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
  • These gifts of nature have anti-cellulite properties due to the presence of a significant amount of potassium, which, removing excess fluid from the body, prevents the formation of an “orange peel”, the content of calcium and phosphorus makes them identical to fish;
  • In some species, there are vitamins A and C, which are present, although in small quantities, but bring tangible benefits to the human body. These organisms, unique in their composition, contain as much vitamin P as yeast, and in terms of the presence of vitamin D, they are similar to butter.

Harmful properties of mushrooms

The protein contained in mushrooms is difficult to digest by the body, so they are not recommended for use in diseases of the stomach and intestines, diseases of the kidneys and liver. So that mushrooms do not cause great harm, they should be properly collected and cooked. Any mushroom dishes are heavy food, with the exception of broths or dishes prepared on the basis of mushroom powder.


When picking mushrooms, you should know which of them can be eaten and which cannot, so as not to cause irreparable harm to the body. Even famous edible species should not be consumed without heat treatment, they should be boiled for at least 15 minutes, although boiling destroys many valuable elements contained in mushrooms.

These forest gifts can be deadly to humans due to the content of radioactive compounds and toxic substances that they are able to accumulate from polluted soil, due to the unfavorable ecological environment.

Mushrooms are considered difficult to digest food, as they contain a large amount of chitin, which is not absorbed by the body at all and is contraindicated for people with weak digestive system. The children's body is also not able to digest these gifts of the forest, so children under the age of 14 should not eat mushrooms.