Mushroom freepik
Interested mushroom freepik trying our FREE 7-day healthy diet plan? All mushrooms are fungi and they produce spores, similar to pollen or seeds, which allows them to spread or travel by the wind.
The rest of the mushroom then matures, typically living in soil or wood. There are many different types of mushrooms, some of which are edible including well-known species such as button, oyster, porcini and chanterelle. There are, however, many which are not edible and may cause stomach pains or vomiting if eaten, and in some cases may be fatal, such as the common death cap mushroom. Mushrooms are being increasingly researched and used for their important health benefits, with a number of varieties demonstrating medicinal properties. Discover our full range of health benefit guides and read our guide on 10 types of mushroom you need to try. Discover more in our infographic: What counts as five-a-day? Top 5 health benefits of mushrooms1.
Plant source of vitamin DMushrooms are one of the few non-animal sources of vitamin D. Mushrooms also contain B vitamins as well as a powerful antioxidant called selenium, which helps support the immune system and prevent damage to cells and tissues. Shop bought mushrooms are generally safe for most people, as long as you do not have an allergy to mushrooms or a mould allergy. However, with the popularity of wild food foraging comes more risk.
With so many varieties of mushroom not safe for human consumption, it’s important that you heed caution before dashing out to your nearest woodland. Certain mushrooms which contain a compound called psilocybin, commonly referred to as magic mushrooms, can cause hallucinations, sound and sight disturbance as well as muscle weakness, drowsiness and nausea. Categorised as a class A drug it’s illegal to possess these mushrooms for yourself, to give away or to sell in the UK. Get inspiration from our favourite mushroom recipes .
This article was last reviewed on 19 July 2021 by Kerry Torrens. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including BBC Good Food. Nicola Shubrook is a nutritional therapist and works with both private clients and the corporate sector. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.
This website is published by Immediate Media Company Limited under licence from BBC Studios Distribution. Edible mushrooms include many fungal species that are either harvested wild or cultivated. Before assuming that any wild mushroom is edible, it should be identified. Accurate determination and proper identification of a species is the only safe way to ensure edibility, and the only safeguard against possible accidents.
Despite long-term use in folk medicine, there is no scientific evidence that consuming “medicinal mushrooms” cures or lowers the risk of human diseases. Edible mushroom species have been found in association with 13,000-year-old archaeological sites in Chile. 3400 and 3100 BCE in Europe, was found with two types of mushroom. The Chinese value mushrooms for their supposed medicinal properties as well as for food.
