Mushrooms

Nutrition and Sustainability

A portabella mushroom contains more potassium than one medium banana. Mushrooms are also low in calories, sodium, fat, and cholesterol, and they are naturally gluten-free. Researchers at City of Hope were among the first to show that mushrooms may help suppress the growth of breast and prostate cancer cells in laboratory and animal studies, and they have also conducted a small clinical trial involving prostate cancer patients. Mushrooms are the leading source of selenium in the produce section, offering antioxidant support that helps protect cells from damage and supports immune health. They also provide ergothioneine, a naturally occurring antioxidant that may further protect the body’s cells.

Mushrooms are the only produce item and one of the few non-fortified foods that naturally contain vitamin D. While all mushrooms have some vitamin D potential, exposure to sunlight or UV light can significantly increase their levels as ergosterol converts to vitamin D.

Mushroom growers are often called the “ultimate recyclers” because they turn agricultural byproducts and waste into the compost or growing medium used to produce mushrooms. This recycling process gives mushroom farms a smaller environmental footprint than most other farms. Today’s growers use efficient methods that require less than 2 gallons of water to produce one pound of button mushrooms—far less than the average 50 gallons needed for one pound of many other fresh produce items. Mushroom production is also energy efficient, using about 1 kilowatt hour of electricity per pound, and generates just 0.7 pounds of CO2 equivalents per pound of mushrooms produced.

Mushrooms are grown year-round and require very little land. On average, one square foot of mushroom bed space can produce 6.55 pounds of mushrooms. In fact, one acre can yield up to 1 million pounds of mushrooms annually. With annual U.S. production reaching more than 900 million pounds of Agaricus mushrooms, the scale is enormous—enough to circle the globe many times if lined up cap to cap.

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