Mushrooms, the mysterious gift of Mother Nature. A focus on health benefits of beta glucan

After a hiatus of approximately 2 years, beta glucan recently came back in stock. Few people are aware of its benefits, which is a good reason to focus on this interesting ingredient which is mostly derived from mushrooms. Therefore I'd like to first introduce you to the general benefits of this down-to-earth edible fungus before explaining why beta glucan is so interesting.

Are mushrooms good for your health?

Mushrooms come in lots of different shapes, sizes, and colors. The ones that aren’t toxic are quite healthy and tasty, containing many important vitamins and minerals.

For many years they’ve been used for their unique ability to add flavor in lots of different cultures’ cuisines. Although they’re actually fungi, mushrooms are lumped in the vegetable category for cooking purposes. Mushrooms allow you to add extra taste without sodium or fat.

Poisonous mushrooms can be hard to identify in the wild, so you should always buy from a reliable grocery store or market. The most common types found in grocery stores are shiitake, portobello, crimini, button or white mushroom, oyster mushrooms, enoki, beech mushroom, and maitake.

They each have a unique look and taste.

When choosing your mushrooms, make sure they feel firm, aren’t moist to the touch, and are mold-free. They can be stored in a paper bag inside the fridge for about five days. Brush the dirt off and rinse them lightly when you’re ready to use them.

Nutritional benefits of eating mushrooms

You can’t go wrong with mushrooms. They’re fat-free, low-sodium, low-calorie, and cholesterol-free. They’re also packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Nutritional benefits vary depending on the type of mushroom. But overall, they are a good source of the following nutrients.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants help protect the body from damaging free radicals that can cause conditions like heart disease and cancer. They also protect you against damage from aging and boost your immune system. Mushrooms are rich in the antioxidant called selenium. In fact, they are the best source of the mineral in the produce aisle.

Beta glucan

Beta glucan is a form of soluble dietary fiber that’s been strongly linked to improving cholesterol and boosting heart health. It can also help your body regulate blood sugar, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Oyster and shiitake mushrooms are believed to have the most effective beta glucans.

B vitamins

Mushrooms are rich in the B vitamins: riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. The combination helps protect heart health. Riboflavin is good for red blood cells. Niacin is good for the digestive system and for maintaining healthy skin. Pantothenic acid is good for the nervous system and helps the body make the hormones it needs.

Copper

Copper helps your body make red blood cells, which are used to deliver oxygen all over the body. The mineral is also important to other processes in the body, like maintaining healthy bones and nerves. Even after being cooked, a 1-cup serving of mushrooms can provide about one-third of the daily recommended amount of copper.

Potassium

Potassium is extremely important when it comes to heart, muscle, and nerve function. There’s about as much potassium in 2/3 cup of cooked Portobello mushroom as there is in a medium-sized banana.

How to eat mushrooms

Mushrooms are incredibly versatile. You can prepare them in so many ways and pair them with tons of different ingredients. Slice them up raw and toss them in a salad, grill them, sauté them, or roast them. Add them to soups, sandwiches, wraps, casseroles, and Italian dishes. Mushrooms work well as a side dish, or as the main course for vegetarians. Portobello mushrooms are often served as “burgers” or “steaks” because of their meaty texture.

If you don’t eat a lot of mushrooms now, they’re definitely worth exploring. Experiment with different recipes and add extra nutrients into your meals.

A special focus on the health benefits of beta glucan

Good for the heart, beta glucan (β-glucans) foods and supplements help everything from brain function to cancer prevention. Beta glucan is found in plants such as oats and barley. It comes from the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, and lichens. Beta glucan can be taken orally as a supplement, or form part of a whole-foods diet. Studies show that beta glucan yeast products help lower cholesterol, especially "bad" low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

Fibers and polysaccharides from mushrooms, yeasts, and cereals are beta glucan nutrients with proven antitumor, anti-microbial, anti-allergic, and immune-modulating effects. They can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Beta glucan has shown significant antimicrobial (stops the growth of microorganisms), anticancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-hypercholesterolemic (controls cholesterol levels) properties in countless clinical trials.

Immune response

Beta glucan can act as an immune system activator and cell response modifier. The binding of beta glucan to specific receptors can cause a cellular response that’s especially helpful in chemo- and radiotherapy-induced immunosuppression and depleted hematopoiesis, the process through which the body manufactures blood cells.

Beta glucan also plays an important role in promoting the activity of lymphocytes, white blood cells known as Th1 and Th2 effectors. Th1 lymphocytes control immunity against intracellular parasites, while Th2 effectors control immunity against extracellular pathogens. Disruptions in the balance of these cells may cause an autoimmune response. Autoimmune responses occur when your immune system attacks healthy cells which can lead to serious problems.

Antitumor and cancer response

Extracted and/or purified β-glucans have been used in clinical cancer treatment. Beta glucan acts as an immunomodulating agent (helps fight disease) through the activation of innate immune cells. This activation sets off adaptive immune cell responses, inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis (when cancer spreads to a different body part from where it started).

Bone health

Beta glucan has demonstrated anti-osteoporotic activities in clinical trials. More studies into the effects on humans is needed. Osteoporotic fractures occur when people have osteoporosis, a disease in which bones are fragile due to low bone mass or deterioration.

β-glucans also mobilize murine progenitor cells from bone marrow and enhance murine hematopoietic recovery following bone marrow injury.

Blood pressure management

Beta glucan can reduce hypertension (high blood pressure). In a study in rats with spontaneous hypertension, a diet containing 5% shiitake (Lentinus edodes) or maitake (Grifola frondosa) mushroom caused a decrease in mean systemic blood pressure.

In addition, a clinical trial with foods containing oat β-glucans resulted in reduced blood pressure in subjects with a body mass index (BMI) above median (31.5 kg/m2).

Cholesterol management

Beta glucan’s cholesterol effects have been largely studied. Oat bran, which contains β-glucans, was the first-ever cholesterol-reducing food registered by the US Food and Drug Administration. When polysaccharide glucans are included in a meal, carbohydrate and lipid absorption slow down, modifying alimentary hormone and lipid responses. Along with carbohydrates and proteins, lipids are the main constituents of plant and animal cells.

Diabetes and weight control

The anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects of beta glucan have been proven in many animal- and human-based clinical trials.
With regard to weight management, the satiating capacity (ability to make you feel full after eating) of beta glucan is likely tied to short-chain fatty acid generation through colonic fermentation. Short-chain fatty acids control the release of appetite-regulating hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and ghrelin, a hormone in the gastrointestinal tract.

Health risks

There are possible gastrointestinal side effects to taking beta glucan, including bloating, flatulence (gas) and abdominal cramping

Beta glucan may also have adverse effects when combined with other medications. Consult your doctor if you are taking any other medicines. Avoid beta glucan if you take certain blood pressure medicines, drugs that suppress the immune system, or certain non-steroidal medicines, unless instructed by your doctor.

Studies on mice found that intestinal damage may result from a combination of beta-glucan and most non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including aspirin.

Amounts and dosage

Beta glucan is found in several edible plants. For example, oat or barley products containing 3.6 grams of soluble fiber can be included in your daily diet for heart disease prevention.

Dosages of beta glucan depend on several factors, including how they’re delivered and what you’re treating. Studies have shown that 3 to 250 milligrams of high-quality beta glucan is an effective biological response modified (substances that modify immune responses).

Short-term studies have used 3 to 15 grams of beta glucan daily to improve blood sugar control in patients with diabetes. Additional research on the long-term effects of beta glucan in diabetes management is needed.

Beta glucan therapy can cause some discomfort. To help relieve discomfort, it’s recommended that you take beta glucan at the start of your meal and split the daily recommended dosage across three meals a day.