Aug 16, 2006 – Cultivated mushrooms are believed to be a good source of antioxidants, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, who reported on their findings1 at a recent Institute of Food Technologists conference.
According to the results of the analyzes carried out on the mushrooms which are commonly sold in commerce, portobello and cremini (coffee-colored mushrooms) have an antioxidant action comparable to that of red peppers. Using the ORAC method (for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), the researchers established that portobello had an antioxidant value of 9.7 while that of cremini amounted to 9.5.
In comparison, the ORAC value of red peppers is about 10, that of broccoli about 12, and that of carrots is 5. The ORAC value of white mushroom, the most consumed in North America, is 6.9. .
Researchers attribute the antioxidant action of mushrooms2 to the polyphenols they contain. They report that ergothionein, an amino acid produced by fungi, may also contribute to this action. Note that mushrooms contain 12 times more ergothionein than wheat germ, and 4 times more than chicken liver, the two other most important food sources of ergothionein to have been discovered. It is estimated that about 90 g of portobello mushrooms or cremini (3/8 cup or a handful) provides approximately 5 mg of ergothionein.
Exotic mushrooms such as shiitake3, maitake or oyster mushroom contain 2.6 times more ergothioneine than portobello and cremini.
These results indicate that the regular consumption of various varieties of mushrooms could contribute to ensuring an interesting intake of antioxidant substances which are attributed to preventive virtues against several degenerative diseases (cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disorders).
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to Penn State News, Nutraingredients.com and FoodNavigator-USA.com.
1. Dubost NJ. Quantification of Polyphenols and Ergothioneine in Cultivated Mushrooms and Correlation to Total Antioxidant Capacity Using the ORAC and HORAC Assays, presentation at the Institute of Food Technologists conference, June 26, 2006, United States.
2. See our fact sheet on the mushroom.
3. See our fact sheet on shiitake.
