Grown and usually served in groups, enoki mushrooms have a unique taste compared to other mushrooms that we usually eat. With a taste that is quite unique, enoki mushrooms also have high nutritional content and compounds that can fight cancer and increase the body’s immunity level. So, without a doubt, enoki mushrooms are not only delicious to eat once – once in a while, we can include them in the daily menu as a choice of diet menu and improve body health.
But, what exactly are enoki mushrooms?
In the country of origin, enoki mushrooms are known as golden needle mushrooms, lily mushrooms or futu mushrooms. Usually, we often encounter enoki mushrooms in some Asian dishes. Unlike the mushrooms we usually eat, enoki mushrooms have a long, slender shape with a small white hat at the end that makes it look so adorable.
The unique taste of enoki mushrooms actually makes this mushroom very suitable to be included in various dishes. The content is also considered to have extraordinary health benefits, starting from a variety of important nutritional content, rich in anti-oxidants, high fiber to vitamin B. Not only served as dishes with high nutritional content, enoki mushrooms can also be used as medicinal ingredients. Since ancient times, enoki mushrooms have long been used as ingredients in traditional medicine to treat stomach pain, balance blood pressure and improve liver health.
Nutritional content of Enoki Mushroom
Although it looks cute and adorable, enoki mushrooms contain a variety of high nutrients such as high vitamins, fiber and important minerals such as niacin, thiamine to riboflavin. And best of all, you can taste all of them with a low calorie count. As an illustration of Pins, in one glass of enoki mushrooms, there are:
– 24 calories
– 5 grams carbohydrates
– 1.7 grams protein
– 0.2 grams fat
– 1.8 grams vegetable fiber
– 4.6 milligrams niacin (29%)
– 0.15 milligrams thiamine (12%)
– 0.1 milligrams riboflavin (10%)
– 31 micrograms of folic acid (8%)
– 0.07 milligrams of vitamin B6 (4%)
In order for Pins to better understand the virtues, here are some health benefits that Pins can enjoy from Enoki Mushrooms:
1. Bunch of nutrients – high nutrients
As previously mentioned, although enoki mushrooms are very low in calories but in fact enoki mushrooms are very high in various vitamins, minerals and important anti-oxidants. Enoki mushrooms specialize in B vitamins consisting of niacin, thiamine and riboflavin, which are very useful for improving brain performance, efficient use of energy and improving DNA synthesis function.
In addition to vitamins, enoki mushrooms are also very high in anti-oxidants. As we all know with Pins, anti-oxidants will really help to neutralize various harmful free radical particles and protect our bodies from the dangers of other chronic diseases. According to one study from BioMed Research International, enoki mushrooms are one of the most important sources of high-benefit oxidants such as quercetin, catechins, gallic acid and caffeic acid.
2. Improve heart health
One of the best benefits of enoki mushroom is that it can improve the health and performance of our heart. Still according to research from BioMed Research International, those who consumed extracts from enoki mushrooms had significantly lower cholesterol levels. Enoki mushrooms can also lower triglycerides to LDL as bad cholesterol and eliminate the risk of heart disease.
3. Helps fight harmful cancer cells
Based on research in the Journal of Oncology Reports, enoki mushrooms can prevent the growth of cancer-affected cells in the human body, especially in the breast body. This is supported by research from BioMed Research International which also explains that enoki mushrooms can fight the growth and spread of cancer cells. They found that there is a unique protein compound from enoki mushrooms that has been shown to reduce tumor cell activity in cancer cells found in the liver.
4. Contains high fiber
As previously mentioned, each serving of enoki mushrooms contains many important nutrients, Pins. Not only are enoki mushrooms able to provide important vitamins and minerals, they are also very high in fiber, up to 1.8 grams alone in one serving. Fiber itself is very important for the health of our bodies, especially digestive health. One study says that eating more fiber can prevent us from constipation, hernia, intestinal disorders to GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease).
5. Improve immune function in the body
Some studies say that enoki mushrooms contain proteins that can increase immunity. One study in Taiwan said that the protein in enoki mushrooms can strengthen the natural immunity level of our body.
Risk of Listeria outbreak from Enoki mushroom
In March 2020 recently, Enoki Mushroom was suspected to be the cause of the Listeria outbreak because the causative bacteria were found in the fungus which caused 4 people to die and 30 people to be hospitalized intensively.
Pins, actually this enoki mushroom is not the sole cause of the Listeria outbreak. The bacteria that causes Listeria can be hidden in a variety of foods, from cheese, meat, sprouts to melons!
There is a surefire way to keep Pins from getting Listeria. Always make sure the cleanliness of every food that will be eaten, make sure to immediately put the food ingredients into the refrigerator after everything is cleaned and lastly, make sure Pins has cooked the food ingredients in the best way so that it can kill the possibility of bad bacteria in the food.
The risks and side effects of Enoki mushrooms
Like many other foods, although they contain various benefits for our health, Enoki mushrooms may cause allergic reactions for some people. Especially for Pins who do suffer from allergies to mushrooms. If Pins feels symptoms of swelling, itching sensation or discomfort in the body when eating enoki mushrooms, even in small amounts, don’t hesitate to stop consuming enoki mushrooms and contact the hospital immediately.
If Pins is out in nature and finds a mushroom that looks like an enoki mushroom, make sure it’s an enoki mushroom and not a Galerina Marginata, a poisonous mushroom that looks very much like an enoki mushroom.