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Nutrition News About Mushrooms

Just Add Mushrooms: Making Meal More Nutritious
Researchers have identified another good reason to eat more mushrooms. New research1, published in the January 2021 issue of Food Science & Nutrition found that adding a mushroom serving to the diet increased the intake of several micronutrients, including shortfall nutrients such as vitamin D, without any increase in calories, sodium or fat.

Dr. Victor L. Fulgoni III and Dr. Sanjiv Agarwal modeled the addition of mushrooms to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)* 2011-2016 dietary data looking at a composite of white, crimini and portabella mushrooms at a 1:1:1 ratio; one scenario including UV-light exposed mushrooms; and one scenario including oyster mushrooms for both 9-18 years and 19+ years of age based on an 84g or ½ cup equivalent serving.
Key findings include:
  • Adding an 84g serving of mushrooms increased several shortfall nutrients including potassium and fiber. This was true for the white, crimini and portabella 1:1:1 mix and the oyster mushrooms.
  • The addition of a serving (84 g) of mushrooms to the diet resulted in an increase in dietary fiber (5%–6%), copper (24%–32%), phosphorus (6%), potassium (12%–14%), selenium (13%–14%), zinc (5%–6%), riboflavin (13%–15%), niacin (13%–14%), and choline (5%–6%) in both adolescents and adults; but had no impact on calories, carbohydrate, fat or sodium.
  • When commonly consumed mushrooms are exposed to UV-light to provide 5 mcg vitamin D per serving, vitamin D intake could meet and slightly exceed the recommended daily value (98% - 104%) for both the 9 -18 year and 19+ year groups as well as decrease inadequacy of this shortfall nutrient in the population.
    • A serving of UV-light exposed commonly consumed mushrooms decreased population inadequacy for vitamin D from 95.3% to 52.8% for age group 9–18 years and from 94.9% to 63.6% for age group 19+ years.
“This research validated what we already knew that adding mushrooms to your plate is an effective way to reach the dietary goals identified by the DGA2,” said Mary Jo Feeney, MS, RD, FADA and nutrition research coordinator to the Mushroom Council. “Data from surveys such as NHANES are used to assess nutritional status and its association with health promotion and disease prevention and assist with formulation of national standards and public health policy (CDC, 2020).”

Mushrooms are one of the best dietary sources of sulfur-containing antioxidant amino acid ergothioneine and tripeptide glutathione3 Ergothioneine and glutathione contents in mushrooms depend upon the mushroom varieties, and oyster mushrooms contain more amounts of these sulfur-containing antioxidants than commonly consumed mushrooms: white button, crimini, or portabella mushrooms3,4. The addition of a serving of commonly consumed mushrooms and oyster mushrooms would be expected to add 2.24 and 24.0 mg ergothioneine, respectively, and 3.53 and 12.3 mg glutathione, respectively, to the NHANES 2011–2016 diets based on published literature values3,4.

At this time, the USDA FoodData Central database does not include analytical data on ergothioneine. However, the Mushroom Council is currently supporting research to analyze mushrooms for bioactives/ergothioneine for possible inclusion in USDA FoodData Central database.

With mushrooms growing in awareness and consideration among consumers nationwide, in 2019, the Mushroom Council made a $1.5 million multi-year investment in research to help broaden understanding of the food’s nutritional qualities and overall health benefits.

In addition to the analysis of mushrooms for bioactives/ergothioneine for inclusion in USDA FoodData Central database, additional Mushroom Council research projects approved include:
  • Health promoting effects of including mushrooms as part of a healthy eating pattern. 
  • Mushrooms’ relationship with cognitive health in older adults.
  • Mushrooms’ impact on brain health in an animal model.
  • Nutritional impact of adding a serving of mushrooms to USDA Food Patterns.
*The intake data from NHANES are self-reported which rely on memory and are therefore subject to reporting bias. The results presented are based on modeling to evaluate the maximum effect of adding mushrooms and may not reflect actual individual dietary behavior; however, such modeling offers a technique to test potential nutritional impact of dietary guidance.
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Mushrooms Blend Perfectly into New Dietary Guidelines
Late last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) with the goal to “Make Every Bite Count.” Mushrooms, classified as a vegetable in the DGA, are uniquely positioned to reach this goal as they are a nutrient-dense food that is low in calories and sodium, have no fat and provide vitamins, minerals and other health-promoting components5.

The 2020-2025 DGA provides four overarching Guidelines that encourage healthy eating patterns at each stage of life and recognize that individuals will need to make shifts in their food choices to achieve a healthy pattern. The four tenets include:
  1. Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage.
  2. Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions and budgetary considerations.
  3. Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages and stay within calorie limits.
  4. Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages.
Food and nutrition play a crucial role in health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Every five years since 1980, HHS and USDA publish the DGA, the U.S. go-to source for nutrition guidance. The latest edition of the DGA reflects the current body of nutrition science, helps health professionals and policymakers guide Americans to make healthy food and beverage choices, and serves as the science-based foundation for vital nutrition policies and programs across the United States.

Throughout the multi-year process to develop the DGA, the Mushroom Council and mushroom growers have submitted written comments, given oral testimony and shared information with the staff at the HHS and USDA.

Making Every Bite Count with Mushrooms
New research6 from the Mushroom Council supports the DGA in increasing vegetable consumption by adding more mushrooms to the diet. Similar to the study noted in the previous article, Drs. Fulgoni and Agarwal examined the addition of mushrooms to USDA Food Patterns which resulted in the increase of several micronutrients including shortfall nutrients, while having a minimal to zero impact on overall calories, sodium or saturated fat.

The study looked at the nutritional effect of substituting a serving of various foods recommended to be moderated in the diet by the previous U.S. Dietary Guidelines or Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020 with an 84 g serving of mushrooms (five medium white button mushrooms) on nutrient profiles in USDA's Healthy U.S.-Style, Mediterranean and Vegetarian Eating Patterns. This is a similar approach that the USDA used for determining its Guidelines.

Simply adding five medium mushrooms, or one 84-gram serving, to USDA Food Patterns increased several shortfall nutrients including potassium (8% DV) and fiber (3% DV) as well as other B vitamins and minerals and had minimal to no impact on overall calories, sodium or saturated fat. This discovery falls in line with USDA’s “Make Every Bite Count” campaign to support the 2020-2025 DGA.
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Feed Your Immune System
Consumer concern for immune health is on the rise7 and, with the pandemic converging with peak cold and flu season, this winter the Mushroom Council® launched the “Feed Your Immune System” education and promotion initiative. Based at FeedYourImmuneSystem.com, the campaign informs consumers about the micronutrients found in select foods including mushrooms that play a key role in supporting the immune system8, outlining how individuals can get the recommended daily allowances9 of these nutrients.

Additional programmatic elements include new RD-developed recipes, updated fact sheets and retail dietitian engagement. If you are interested in more information on the Feed Your Immune System program, please contact the Mushroom Council at info@mushroomcouncil.com.
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References:
1Fulgoni VL III, Agarwal S. Nutritional impact of adding a serving of mushrooms on usual intakes and nutrient adequacy using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2016 data. Food Sci Nutr. 2021;00:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2120
2U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.
3Dubost, N.J., et al. (2006). Identification and quantification of ergothioneine in cultivated mushrooms by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 2006. 8;3. pg 221. Table 3. 
4Kalaras, M. D., Richie, J. P., Calcagnotto, A., & Beelman, R. B. (2017).Mushrooms: A rich source of the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione.Food Chemistry, 233, 429–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodc hem.2017.04.109Mattila, P. H., Lampi, A.-M., R
5U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.
6Agarwal S, Fulgoni III V, Nutritional impact of adding a serving of mushrooms to USDA Food Patterns – a dietary modeling analysis, Food & Nutrition Research 2021, 65: 5618 - http://dx.doi.org/10.29219/fnr.v65.5618
7https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2020/september/columns/nutraceuticals-focus-on-immune-health
8https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/immunity. Written in March 2016 by: Giana Angelo, Ph.D. Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. Reviewed in February 2017 by: Catherine Field, Ph.D. Professor of Nutrition, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta. This link leads to a website provided by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. The Mushroom Council is not affiliated or endorsed by the Linus Pauling Institute or Oregon State University.
9https://www.fda.gov/media/99069/download, Accessed November 20, 2020
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