Starting the day with mushrooms could help you shed pounds from your waistline, new research has found.
The fungi makes you feel fuller after breakfast than bacon or sausages – even when the same amount of calories are consumed.
Researchers claim mushrooms, perhaps on toast or in an omelette, stave off hunger pangs and lead to a greater feeling of fullness.
The study, carried out by the University of Minnesota and funded by the Mushroom Council, follows research earlier this year which suggested the fungi could combat dementia.
Mushrooms makes you feel fuller after breakfast than bacon or sausages – even when the same amount of calories are consumed
Lead author Professor Joanne Slavin said: ‘Previous studies on mushrooms suggest that they can be more satiating than meat
‘But this effect had not been studied with protein-matched amounts until now.
‘This study indicates there may be both a nutritional and satiating benefit to either substituting mushrooms for meat in some meals.’
How was the study carried out?
The study, published in Appetite, matched the mushroom and meat by their amount of protein – the most satiating macronutrient – as well as calories.
Differences in fullness of 32 volunteers were assessed over a period of 10 days.
They either ate 8oz (226g) of white button mushrooms or 1oz (28g) of lean ground beef twice a day.
Results showed a significant difference on feelings of being full between the mushroom and meat consumption.
A growing body of evidence
Mary Jo Feeney, of the Mushroom Council, said the findings add to a growing body of evidence highlighting the health benefits of mushrooms.
She added: ‘Mushrooms may aid weight management and satiety, and thus contribute to overall wellness.
‘Consumers are interested in the benefits of protein food choices, so it’s important for them to know that plant-based sources of protein, such as mushrooms, can be satisfying.’
Mushrooms: The facts
One serving of five, white, raw, medium sized mushrooms contains 20 calories, zero fat, 3g of protein and almost no sodium.
Mushrooms are unique in that they are the only food in the supermarket aisle that contain natural vitamin D.
They are said to have similar flavours to meat, bringing an intensely savoury ‘umami’ character to a dish.
Previous evidence has proven that mushrooms exhibit antioxidant, antitumor, antivirus, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic activities.