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' s h r m s Flavorful fungi are better for you than dietitians previously thought By Jen Motl The Free Lance-Star u

September 17, 2006 12:50 am

NEARTHLY MUSHROOMS kept sprouting in mulch in our suburban backyard when I was a child. The ugly fungi looked like brown lumps, honeycombed with shallow holes. And my parents kept uprooting and throwing them away, fearing they were poisonous.

Then one day, an Eastern European friend saw them and begged to pick the mushrooms for his dinner. He was horrified by our ignorance--the mushrooms were morels, a gourmet treat that sells for more than $15 to $20 per pound. Usually, they're hunted deep in the forest.

Strange morels and more familiar (and less expensive) varieties of mushrooms are rich in nutrients. And scientists are studying mushrooms to see what their ability may be to prevent or treat cancer, to produce low-cost vitamin D, and to boost defenses against colds and the flu.

Recently, researchers discovered mushrooms are loaded with antioxidants. This is good news because mushrooms were previously relegated to the back of the vegetable bin by dietitians--considered not a bad vegetable, but not a stellar source of vitamins, either.

Now, Penn State researchers say white button mushrooms, the mild-flavored American favorite, have 12 times more of the antioxidant ergothioneine than wheat germ. Darker mushrooms like crimini and shiitake have even more.

With the weather turning cooler, the time is right to weave more mushrooms into your diet. Mushrooms are good all year, but their hearty, rich flavor makes them especially tasty in fall and winter.

Just remember, unless you're an experienced mushroom hunter, it's best to buy them at the store, not pick them.

Even the most common white button mushrooms are a good buy nutritionally. Not only are they and other mushrooms tasty, they're also low in calories and fat. You can indulge without worrying about your weight.

A half-cup of cooked mushrooms has only 20 calories, while supplying the B-vitamins niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms also have minerals such as selenium and copper.

Sun-dried shiitake mushrooms also are unusually high in vitamin D. That's important because the sunshine vitamin is notoriously hard to find, usually only in animal-based foods like egg yolks, fortified milk and fatty fish. And research shows many Americans need more vitamin D for cancer prevention and strong bones.

Mushrooms that are sun-dried or exposed to ultraviolet light produce vitamin D, just as we humans do through our skins. Sun-dried shiitake mushrooms are popular in Asia, but not found as often here in the U.S., where the familiar white mushroom rules supermarket shelves.

It's possible to get a day's worth of vitamin D from a half-cup of specially light-treated button mushrooms, according to the industry group, the Mushroom Council. But no word yet if or when the special white mushrooms will be on the market.

White button mushrooms have another selling point: They may block aromatase, a natural chemical involved in hormonal changes leading to breast and prostate cancer. That's according to California research done in test tubes and on mice, not humans.

It's likely that other mushrooms have this ability, too, although more tests need to be done.

Japanese researchers are using a shiitake mushroom extract to treat stomach cancer. Other scientists are studying how mushrooms might stimulate the immune system to fight diseases.

The research is too early for me to recommend mushrooms instead of medicine, but it can't hurt to eat more mushrooms as part of a varied diet.

Everyone has heard of sweet, sour, bitter and salty tastes. But mushrooms and some other foods have a fifth taste, which the Japanese call "unami," or savory deliciousness.

This savory flavor is why mushrooms can stand alone in hearty vegetarian dishes. If you substitute a grilled Portobello mushroom for a hamburger patty, you cut calories, fat, cholesterol and add B vitamins, copper and selenium--great choices for anyone looking to lower their cholesterol level or their weight.

More than just a pizza topping, try sauteed mushrooms other ways: with spinach salad, in creamy mushroom soup, tossed into chicken or vegetable soup, served with cheese tortellini and basil, stirred into spaghetti sauce, added to fajitas, or folded into omelets.

Stuffed mushroom caps are a delectable appetizer at parties. As a side dish or topper for bruschetta, mushrooms sauteed in a small amount of butter and thyme, then glazed with red wine, are just short of heaven.

Mushrooms are hearty enough to flavor a main meal, as in grilled Portobello mushroom sandwiches, and gravies or stroganoffs based on mushrooms rather than beef.

The average American eats 3 pounds of mushrooms a year, mostly the white button variety. But there are many more to try, especially in autumn:

Crimini mushrooms look like the white ones, but with a tan, and are sometimes called "Italian brown."

Shiitake mushrooms, prized in Asia, are brown and have a wider, flatter cap, like a silver-dollar sized sombrero. The caps are delicious cooked any way, but the stems can be chewy and are best used in soups.

Portobello mushrooms, delicious grilled, are the size of the palm of your hand.

If you get lucky, during fall you can find more exotic mushrooms at gourmet markets:

Golden ruffled chanterelles are said to taste slightly of apricots, nuts and pepper.

Black trumpet mushrooms are richly flavored.

Tiny enoki mushrooms look like white alfalfa sprouts but taste mild.

Beige oyster mushrooms are said to taste of seafood.

Porcini mushrooms, known in France as cepes , are intensely buttery and nutty, and are one of my favorites, whether fresh or dried.

Morels, the ones my parents thought were poisonous, have an earthy, nutty flavor that's difficult to describe.

A final reminder about mushrooms:

Don't try to pick wild mushrooms unless you are an expert. Rare poisonous mushrooms look like edible ones and can be deadly.

Buy fresh mushrooms that are dry, not moist, and refrigerate until you're ready to cook them. Use a soft brush or running water to clean; do not soak or you may end up with a watery flavor.

With so many varieties to choose from, eating mushrooms can be adventurous, and healthy, too.

JENNIFER MOTL, a registered dietitian, welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.