Are you a mushroom lover? Finally, the humble mushroom is getting its day in the sun. Chefs and home cooks have longed enjoyed adding a little culinary magic to dishes with mushrooms. But equally intriguing are the health benefits these versatile fungi offer. Beyond being nutritional superstars, mushrooms could help you manage your blood sugar. Scientists are discovering bioactive compounds in mushrooms that could boost your wellness routine.
The Diabetes Challenge
Before exploring the health and nutritional benefits of mushrooms, let’s review why blood sugar management is so important. Diabetes is a condition where blood sugar is too high. This health condition that affects millions of people around the world is a silent killer that, when untreated, can damage every organ in your body. Plus, one in four people don’t know they have it. The most common type is type 2 diabetes, which may or may not require medications or insulin, while type 1 diabetes requires insulin for survival. In this article, we’ll focus on type 2 diabetes, which makes up 90% of all cases.
Blood Sugar Management and The Mushroom Connection
Mushrooms meet the criteria for a blood-sugar friendly food. Having a high-water content, they’re low in calories and packed with blood-sugar lowering fiber. But most intriguing are the bioactive compounds in mushrooms that are beneficial for healthy people and those with type 2 diabetes. These bioactive compounds work in various ways to help with insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control.
The Science Behind the Magic
You might wonder what the bioactive compounds in mushrooms explain these findings. Researchers have identified several key contenders. Let’s take a closer look at each.
Beta-Glucans
Beta glucans are a type of polysaccharide, a non-digestible carbohydrate that’s like fiber. When you consume foods rich in beta-glucan, it forms a gel-like substance that slows how quickly food moves out of your stomach and into your intestines. This slower movement helps reduce blood glucose spikes. Bonus: beta-glucan also feeds healthy gut bacteria, by acting as a prebiotic, for a more balanced gut microbiome. By doing this, it helps reduce inflammation.
Terpenoids
Terpenoids are natural compounds from plant sources, including mushrooms. As research in Phytonutrients points out, certain terpenoids in mushrooms, including oleanolic acid, lupeol, and beta-caryophyllene help with blood sugar management by improving insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose, and reducing inflammation. They also reduce the activity of enzymes that break down carbohydrates, slowing down absorption of carbs from the gut.
Antioxidants
Mushrooms of all types have antioxidants. We know that antioxidants help protect cells against free radical damage and that includes insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. By protecting these cells, you better preserve the ability to produce blood-sugar lowering insulin.
Fiber
Along with polysaccharides, like beta-glucan, mushrooms contain other forms of dietary fiber that:
- Slows down sugar absorption
- Helps prevent blood sugar spikes
- Supports healthy gut bacteria
Mushroom Types that Benefit Diabetics
With so many types of mushrooms, you might wonder whether they’re all beneficial. All non-poisonous mushrooms have nutritional characteristics that help with blood sugar management, including a high fiber content. They also have compounds called terpenes and polysaccharides that help with blood sugar control and support gut health. But let’s look at specific types of mushrooms that stand out.
Reishi Mushrooms
At the top of any list of edible mushrooms is the Reishi mushroom, a type of mushroom popular in traditional Chinese medicine. Studies suggest that Reishi mushrooms may:
- Lower blood sugar levels
- Improve insulin sensitivity
- Reduce inflammation (which can be a factor in Type 2 diabetes)
Maitake Mushrooms
These “dancing mushrooms” (that’s what their Japanese name means!) have been found to contain compounds that might help regulate glucose levels. Some studies suggest they could:
- Enhance insulin sensitivity
- Lower blood sugar levels naturally
- Potentially reduce the need for insulin in some cases
Shiitake Mushrooms
These popular cooking mushrooms aren’t just delicious – they’re packed with beneficial compounds that might:
- Help regulate blood sugar levels
- Improve insulin resistance
- Provide important minerals that support overall metabolic health
Other mushrooms with known anti-diabetic benefits include Cordyceps and the common button mushroom. Yes, even the humble white button mushroom you can find at any grocery store contains bioactive compounds that help regulate your blood sugar.
Tasty and Practical Ways to Include Mushrooms in Your Diet
Are you excited about the prospect of adding mushrooms to your diet? Let’s look at some practical ways to introduce more of these healthy fungi into your diet.
Start with Culinary Varieties:
- Stir-Fries & Sautés: Combine mushrooms, like Shiitake, with vegetables, tofu, or lean proteins like chicken or fish. You’ll end up with a balanced meal that helps regulate blood sugar.
- Salads & Sandwiches: Toss button mushrooms into your salads or add them to sandwiches or wraps. Portobello mushrooms are a tasty replacement for meat in a sandwich or burger.
- Soups & Stews: Use Shiitake or Maitake mushrooms to add depth and richness to soups and stews. Don’t forget to add mushrooms to your next batch of veggie soup!
- Mushroom Pizza: Make your next slice of pizza a little healthier by adding mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, and shiitake. Their earthy flavors pair wonderfully with a tomato-based sauce or a light olive oil drizzle.
- Grilled Mushrooms: Grilling mushrooms caramelize, and enhance the natural flavors of mushrooms. Use large portobello caps as “steaks” or grill smaller varieties like cremini and serve them as a side dish.
Explore Medicinal Mushroom Supplements:
- Consider mushroom extracts (after consulting your healthcare provider)
- Try mushroom teas or coffee alternatives
- Look for quality supplements from reputable sources
Other Tips
Mushrooms are a healthy food and one that has a place in a blood-sugar-lowering diet. But we all respond differently to foods based on our genetics and gut microbiome. So, don’t take a mushroom supplement or consume large quantities of mushrooms without talking to your health care provider first. In most cases, mushrooms should complement a holistic lifestyle plan and medications, if prescribed, for managing blood sugar.
Conclusion
Whether you enjoy mushrooms for their culinary versatility or for their potential health benefits, you’re supplying your body with whole foods, a powerful tool for managing your health. And they could offer a way to better manage your blood sugar and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. They’re not a miracle cure but a healthy food to add to your culinary arsenal. As always, focus on the big picture – regular physical activity, nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods, stress management and quality sleep. So, next time you’re at the grocery store or farmers market, why not pick up some mushrooms? Your blood sugar levels might thank you for it!
References:
- Shamim MZ, Mishra AK, Kausar T, Mahanta S, Sarma B, Kumar V, Mishra PK, Panda J, Baek KH, Mohanta YK. Exploring Edible Mushrooms for Diabetes: Unveiling Their Role in Prevention and Treatment. Molecules. 2023 Mar 21;28(6):2837. doi: 10.3390/molecules28062837. PMID: 36985818; PMCID: PMC10058372.
- Roy, Sukanta, Arya Ghosh, Ankit Majie, Varnita Karmakar, Sourav Das, Subas Chandra Dinda, Anirbandeep Bose, and Bapi Gorain. “Terpenoids as Potential Phytoconstituent in the Treatment of Diabetes: From Preclinical to Clinical Advancement.” Phytomedicine 129 (April 16, 2024): 155638–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155638.
- Tran N, Pham B, Le L. Bioactive Compounds in Anti-Diabetic Plants: From Herbal Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery. Biology (Basel). 2020 Aug 28;9(9):252. doi: 10.3390/biology9090252. PMID: 32872226; PMCID: PMC7563488.
- Shamim MZ, Mishra AK, Kausar T, Mahanta S, Sarma B, Kumar V, Mishra PK, Panda J, Baek KH, Mohanta YK. Exploring Edible Mushrooms for Diabetes: Unveiling Their Role in Prevention and Treatment. Molecules. 2023 Mar 21;28(6):2837. doi: 10.3390/molecules28062837. PMID: 36985818; PMCID: PMC10058372.
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