NUTRITIONAL VALUE The nutritional value of mushrooms typically comes from high protein, low fat, high fiber, and diverse vitamin and mineral content. Notably, mushrooms are abundant in essential amino acids leucine, valine, glutamine, and glutamic and aspartic acids. Fatty acids found in mushrooms are predominantly linoleic, oleic, and palmitic fatty acids. Carbohydrates include chitin, glycogen, trehalose, and mannitol, as well as fiber enriched sources, β-glucans, hemicelluloses, and pectic substances. Minerals found in high quantities in mushrooms include potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, selenium, and zinc. Abundant vitamins include riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin, folates, and traces of vitamins C, B1, B12, D, and E. Mushrooms are the only non-animal food source of vitamin D and therefore the only food-based vitamin D source for vegetarians.
Medicinal Mushrooms in the 21st Century 9
