# Benefits of Mushrooms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787 "2014-10-28T19:01:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/1 "2014-10-28T19:01:27Z")
I have a friend who’s way into mushrooms. He seems convinced Mushrooms have a lot of medical and mood benefits. What are the benefits of some species of mushrooms, if there are any? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/2 "2014-10-28T20:16:55Z")
_Psilocybin spp_ mushrooms have mild to moderate hallucinatory effects. I’ve been told. Oysters are tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/3 "2014-10-28T20:22:43Z")
Mushrooms are mostly water, with a little protein, carbohydrates and some minerals. I’d say that their chief benefit is the ability to add flavour and substance - to make healthy (i.e. low-calorie and/or vegetarian, etc) dishes more palatable. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/4 "2014-10-28T20:35:24Z")
There has been some interesting (to me) research on chemoprevention and immune system boosts from mushrooms.[Here’s one](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3369477/) I have a lot of Turkey Tail (_Trametes versicolor_) mushrooms that grow on my property and make a few bucks selling them. Maitake, or hen-of-the woods (_Grifula frondulosa_), also has been use in cancer research, and they taste great! I just found a 5lb specimen last week. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/5 "2014-10-28T20:38:20Z")
If you are collecting, it helps to keep a diary of what you find and when/where you find them. This year we were able to go back to sites that produced previously and we did mostly harvesting, instead of mostly hunting. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/6 "2014-10-28T20:47:19Z")
Shrooms are generally a good filler. Adding flavor, texture, & bulk with relatively few calories. Most varieties are around 20 calories per cup. Some do have clinically proven medicinal value when eaten. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/7 "2014-10-28T21:14:41Z")
So… nothing that helps with energy, cancer, stamina, ect… ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/8 "2014-10-28T21:57:13Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > So… nothing that helps with energy, cancer, stamina, ect… Uhhh, my post specifically mentions cancer. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/9 "2014-10-28T22:01:22Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Uhhh, my post specifically mentions cancer. Ooops. I definitely skipped your post by mistake. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/10 "2014-10-28T22:03:12Z")
Here’s another one that sort of freaked me out a little when I first read about it. You can place mushrooms, even after they’re harvested, in sunlight and they will transform the light into vitamin D. Do-it-yourself Vitamin D supplement! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/11 "2014-10-28T22:26:11Z")
Speaking of cancer, mushrooms in the genus _Agaricus_ contain agaratine, which has been shown to be a carcinogen in some animal studies. Cooking seems to alter this effect. [One general cite.](http://www.trailrunnermag.com/health/daily-nutrition/761-is-eating-raw-mushrooms-a-bad-idea) ---
**Author:** ![Fishtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ed655f/32.png) [@Fishtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishtar)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/12 "2014-10-28T22:40:03Z")
Agaratine is thought to have anti viral properties as well. So that might balance out the weak carcinogenic properties. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/13 "2014-10-28T22:49:47Z")
Sidebar: Before anyone goes out to find some mushrooms in nature, say, your backyard, or the woods just outside of town, please take extreme care - many kinds of mushrooms are poisonous and can kill you - you only get to make a mistake once. If you choose to gather, bring along a well-experienced shroom-hunter who can tell the difference between “good to eat” and “will kill you.” For us urban-dwellers, there is a great variety of farmed mushrooms that are sold in stores and are perfectly safe. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/14 "2014-10-29T01:31:21Z")
Not recalling which one right now, but one of those PBS filler shows where they’re hawking some health diet mentions mushrooms, along with onions and garlic, as a super food. IOW, nutrients that promote wellness. I’l see if I can find out which one that is. Which leads to the question… are any of the those PBS healthy diet shows any good? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/15 "2014-10-29T01:41:58Z")
I eat a ton of locally collected 'shrooms, always with positive ID, spore print, whatever is necessary. Found a huuuuge patch of chanterelles a few years ago, and collected them last year and this year as well. Consistently skunked on morels, but plenty of chicken shrooms, turkey tail, Dryad’s saddle, etc. I’ve grown various Oysters on straw in laundry baskets as well. Have had a few successful flushes of Psilocybes.😃 Anyway, if they were a health food I’d be in way better shape than I am today. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/16 "2014-10-29T13:51:11Z")
Hey **kayaker** , what you call Dryad’s saddle is what I call a pheasant back. I have two trees that produce them consistently but haven’t eaten them. How are they from a gustatory standpoint? Any favorite preparations? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/17 "2014-10-29T14:05:16Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Hey **kayaker** , what you call Dryad’s saddle is what I call a pheasant back. I have two trees that produce them consistently but haven’t eaten them. How are they from a gustatory standpoint? Any favorite preparations? Delicious if harvested early. We have used it in a sauce over pasta or just in general stir-fry. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/18 "2014-10-29T16:34:04Z")
Cool, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/19 "2014-10-29T16:37:32Z")
Venison stew was the other thing we’ve used Dryad’s in. It was fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787/20 "2014-10-29T18:01:00Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Ooops. I definitely skipped your post by mistake. mis-TA-ke. Lethal variant of the shi-TA-ke. Yay! Mushrooms! And fizz powder! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benefits-of-mushrooms/702787.md?page=2)