The Benefits of Eating Mushrooms

Eating mushrooms is beneficial because this food is rich in minerals such as zinc, selenium, phosphorus, and potassium.
The Benefits of Eating Mushrooms
Elisa Morales Lupayante

Reviewed and approved by the pedagogue in physical education and nutritionist Elisa Morales Lupayante.

Written by Okairy Zuñiga

Last update: 26 May, 2022

Believe it or not, mushrooms are very nutritious. After all, people who don’t eat meat often use mushrooms to enrich their dishes and also to enjoy a food with a similar texture to chicken.

Mushrooms are often added to risottos and omelets. However, you can enjoy them in many other ways and combine them with various types of ingredients. In fact, they go very well with various spices and condiments. They can be eaten hot or cold.

The Benefits of Eating Mushrooms

Do you like mushrooms? Do you think you eat them often enough? If you’re in doubt, take a look at some of their benefits below. Various studies highlight that mushrooms are an exceptional food.

Once you learn all the benefits that eating mushrooms offers, you won’t hesitate to include them to your diet more often!

1. They’re a great source of antioxidants.

Mushrooms have many essential nutrients. One of them is selenium, a mineral with antioxidant properties that help maintain the skin’s elasticity, strengthen the immune system, and counteract the toxicity of heavy metals found in the environment due to pollution.

Therefore, we can say that, generally speaking, mushrooms help keep your skin healthy, especially when it comes to preventing premature aging.

2. They contain potassium and phosphorus.

Mushrooms are also rich in two essential minerals: potassium and phosphorus. The former helps the body have a regular neurological and muscular function, maintain normal blood pressure, and conduct electricity (which is essential for heart function and muscle contraction). It also plays a part in osmotic balance and protein production (from its amino acids).

Meanwhile, the body needs phosphorus to produce protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues. Therefore, it plays a part in bone and tooth formation and also helps keep your hair and skin healthy. In addition, phosphorus contributes to healthy kidney, nerve signal, and muscle contraction functioning.

Stuffed mushrooms.

3. Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins.

Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins, substances that play a part in cellular metabolism so that the body can get the energy it needs.

They’re also rich in niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), and cobalamin (vitamin B12).

4. They help keep you feeling full.

Another benefit of eating mushrooms is that they provide a good amount of fiber and, therefore, help curb your appetite. A good trick to avoid overeating and snacking between meals without starving yourself is to add a small portion of fiber-rich foods to your dishes.

A good alternative to enhance this effect are salads. Try to combine the mushrooms with green vegetables and whole grains. You’ll see that this will help you prevent binge eating.

Read more here: Oyster Mushrooms Strengthen Your Immune System

Enjoy the Benefits of Eating Mushrooms

Overall, eating mushrooms helps complete a balanced diet and also helps you prevent snacking between meals. They’re healthy, easy to make, and very versatile.

Consume them as much as possible in different recipes to enjoy the benefits of a very healthy food.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Wasser SP. Medicinal Mushrooms in Human Clinical Studies. Part I. Anticancer, Oncoimmunological, and Immunomodulatory Activities: A Review. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2017;19(4):279-317.
  • Fernández Falcón L, Figueras Savón A, Carnet García C, Valls Alvarez M, Rodríguez Carballo A. Niacina. Aspectos esenciales. Rev Inf Cient [Internet]. 2015 [citado 29 Ene 2021];, 90(2):[aprox. 13 p.].
  • Warrilow A, Mellor D, McKune A, Pumpa K. Dietary fat, fibre, satiation, and satiety-a systematic review of acute studies. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019 Mar;73(3):333-344.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.