Mushrooms and malnutrition | Medicinal & Edible mushrooms | Biobritte mushrooms.
Mushrooms and malnutrition.
Humans need a wide range of nutrients to lead a healthy and active life, which could only be derived from a well-balanced diet.
Amongst several essential nutrients, proteins are regarded important as the body’s building blocks which also stimulate several vital metabolic processes.
Proteins could be sourced through several dietary ingredients like pulses, grains, milk, eggs, fish, and meat.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which is the minimum amount required to be healthy is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
That means around 48
grams (6 hardboiled eggs/ 2 cups of lentils/ 8 cups of soy milk) for an average adult weighing 60 kgs.
According to a report by National Institute of Nutrition and UNICEF, 46% of preschool children and 30% of adults in India suffer from moderate and severe grades of protein-calorie malnutrition as judged by anthropometric indicators.
Given the
ever-escalating prices of pulses, dairy items, and meat, it is difficult for an
average family to consume the daily recommended nutrient values leading to
serious malnutrition in both rural and urban areas.
In this regard cultivation and consumption of mushrooms is recommended for a developing country like India due to its high nutritive value and ease of cultivation on a variety of substrates like waste paddy straw, cotton and soy waste, husk, and banana leaf litter which is available in plenty.
Mushroom is a vegetarian source of
protein and hence the vegans and vegetarians could also consume it to meet
their daily protein requirements.
Mushroom cultivation
has provided livelihood opportunities to rural youth and women while also
adding a nutritive food source to their platter.
Mushroom - A superfood
Mushrooms are considered the third food kingdom in the world and are a good substitute for vegetables. They are widely consumed for their consistency and umami flavor making them a potential substitute for meat.
Mushrooms are rich in fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, all the essential amino acids, and dietary fiber, but are less in fats and are good sources of B vitamins including B6, riboflavin, thiamin, folate, and niacin.
They are also rich in many bioactive metabolites of high medicinal value such as lectins, polysaccharides, phenolics, and polyphenolics, terpenoids, ergosterols, and volatile organic compounds.
Moreover, they provide important minerals such as selenium, copper, and potassium.
Mushrooms are also sources of vitamin D, which is converted to vitamin D2 when exposed to sunlight.
Mushrooms show potential antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor,
antiallergic, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic,
hypoglycemic, and hepatoprotective abilities. Thus, mushrooms are proven sources of
dietary supplements that can tackle undernutrition.
|
Table
No. 1: Nutrient Contribution |
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|
Nutrient Contribution per 100 gms |
||||||
|
Food
type |
Under
consumed Nutrients |
Other
values |
||||
|
Potassium, |
Fiber |
Vitamin D, |
Calcium |
Protein |
Calories |
|
|
Fungi
(Mushrooms) |
||||||
|
Raw Mushrooms,
portabella |
484 |
1.5 |
0 |
8 |
2.5 |
109 |
|
Raw Oyster Mushroom |
420 |
2.3 |
0 |
3 |
3.3 |
180 |
|
Plant
origin |
||||||
|
Raw Baby Carrots |
237 |
2.9 |
0 |
32 |
0.6 |
147 |
|
Raw Broccoli |
316 |
2.6 |
0 |
47 |
2.8 |
142 |
|
Raw Potato |
421 |
2.2 |
0 |
12 |
2 |
322 |
|
Raw Bananas |
358 |
2.6 |
0 |
5 |
1.1 |
373 |
|
Animal
origin |
||||||
|
Raw Chicken |
217 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
18.8 |
980 |
|
Indian buffalo Milk |
178 |
0 |
0 |
169 |
3.7 |
406 |
|
Raw Egg yolk |
109 |
0 |
107 |
129 |
15.9 |
1327 |
