The Mushroom Is Becoming a Nutritional Star

The culinary treat has been overlooked for its healthy qualities, but that may be changing

The downside of a mushroom. The upside is that it may contain an amino acid that does a lot of important work in your body. basel101658/Shutterstock.com

Mushrooms are often considered only for their culinary use because they are packed with flavor-enhancers and have gourmet appeal. That is probably why they are the second most popular pizza topping, next to pepperoni.

In the past, food scientists like me often praised mushrooms as healthy because of what they don’t contribute to the diet; they contain no cholesterol or gluten and are low in fat, sugars, sodium, and calories.