Is it true that mushrooms are not digested?

It is common that the human body can not digest, so the product is considered useless. We decided to check if this is really so.

Information that mushrooms are not digested can be found on portals questions And answers, V Blogs, Media And even on sites healthcare institutions. There writethat no beneficial substances do not get into the body from mushrooms, so there are use them (Used Even the wording “Delicious foam” and “ballast food”). Some set question, is it necessary to use a product that our body cannot digest.

In order to understand whether the human body can digest mushrooms, you should first deal with their composition. Up to 90% of the mass of fresh mushrooms are water, and only 10% are various organic and inorganic substances. If we talk about dried mushrooms, then their compound Depending on the species, it will be approximately this: from 35% to 70% falls on a lot of carbohydrates, less than 50% of proteins and no more than 5% fat (the rest of the mass - vitamins, amino acids, IELENES and other substances).

At the same time, most of these carbohydrates are not familiar to us, received, for example, from sweets, heap products or cereals, as the so -called Structural polysaccharides. These high molecular weight carbohydrates are given to cells, organs and whole organisms of mechanical strength. The most common structural polysaccharides are cellulose and chitin. Such carbohydrates are really almost not digested, as they are resistant to digestive enzymes produced by a person. For example, for digesting one of the structural polysaccharides, cellulose, the enzyme is responsible Cellulose -Mammals are unable to produce it, but insects that feed on wood (insects-cylophages, shipworms) can. 

Inability to digest structural polysaccharides makes mushrooms not the most energetically valuable product for humans. Their food value is really low - from 19 kcal for champignons up to 37 kcal for Enoki for 100 g for comparison, in a similar amount celery contains 15 kcal, in cucumbers And Radis - 16 kcal, in tomatoes - 22 kcal. At the same time, none of these products, unlike mushrooms, are considered indigestible and useless. 

At the same time, structural polysaccharides of mushrooms can fulfill The same function as the fiber, namely, to accelerate the passage of food along the gastrointestinal tract and normalize digestion, protecting the body from constipation. Inclusion of a portion of mushrooms in the diet replaces 25% of the daily fiber need. Adding mushrooms to food with a high starch content (for example, in spaghetti) reduces The general glycemic index of the dish, which allows you to control the level of cholesterol and glucose and feel satiety longer. 

Separately note benefit Beta-Glyukans, which are part of the mushrooms of structural polysaccharides. This is a substance possesses immunomodulatory and anticandogenic properties. In particular, inclusion into the diet of champignons Maybe Reduce the risk of breast cancer. Also rich in mushrooms diet facilitates Side effects in chemotherapy and increases the overall survival of patients with oncology compared to a diet that does not contain mushrooms.

Mushrooms also have in their composition a significant amount of vitamins and biologically significant elements. For example, in 100 g of champignons, possessing the smallest among mushrooms with energy value, Contained 0.444 mg of vitamin B2 (with daytime needs in 1.1–1.3 mg) and 3.88 mg of vitamin B3 (daily need - 14–16 mg). At the same time, Enoki (7.03 mg of vitamin B3 per 100 g) is even more useful, because one portion Provides Almost half of the daily norm. Mushrooms rich vitamin D: for example, in 100 g of chanterelles - before Two daily norms of this substance (1200 IU).

The mushrooms contain a significant amount of potassium - macroelent, necessary For the normal functioning of the heart, kidneys and transmission of nerve impulses through neurons. All 100 g mushrooms It will provide the female body by 16%, and the male body - by 11% of the daily potassium. Also mushrooms - source phosphorus, zinc, copper, magnesium and other elements.

Moreover, mushrooms are by no means the only product, some of which are not digested by the human body. The dietary fiber, represented by soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, people also do not know how to digest. However, no one is in a hurry to declare useless those products that contain a significant amount (for example, legumes - up to 15%, and nuts - at least 10%). On the contrary, doctors advise to monitor the amount of fiber in the diet: women need to up to 25 g per day, and men up to 38 g.

Thus, some of the mushrooms (from 3.5% to 7% for fresh and from 35% to 70% for dried) the human body really cannot digest. However, according to this logic, all products with a high fiber content (legumes, nuts) should be attributed to the undigested. In addition, in addition to undigested substances, mushrooms contain a significant amount of vitamins and biologically significant elements. Moreover, mushrooms cannot be considered useless food and, from the point of view of obtaining calories, the energy value of 100 g of this product exceeds the indicator of celery, radishes or cucumber. Interesting fibers, although they are not split by our body, are extremely important for digestion, so it is definitely not worth abandoning mushrooms in the diet.

Image on the cover: MedicalNewstuday

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