Mushrooms: benefits and harms, in what age can children eat them? Exclusive

Currently, mushrooms (champignons) are considered the most widespread mushroom on the planet, accounting for almost 80% of global mushroom production. These mushrooms have been unofficially classified as "white vegetables," described as a "forgotten source of nutrients."

Victoria Stelmakh, founder of the largest Ukrainian-language Facebook group on feeding, and baby food expert, tells FoodOboz about their benefits and harms, as well as from how old children can eat mushrooms .

Champignons are used in the cuisines of many nations and in the signature dishes of famous chefs from different countries. They are one of the few mushrooms that can be grown in special conditions, on mushroom farms or even at home.

Champignons are a real storehouse of trace elements and vitamins. As a dietary product, it has no equal, allowing you to get the necessary nutrients and not overload the body with calories.

What are the harms and benefits of mushrooms?

Raw mushrooms can contain a toxin called agaritin. This is usually not a problem in small doses, but some experts believe that consuming large amounts of agaritin over the course of a lifetime can increase the risk of cancer.

Agaritin is destroyed by cooking. For this reason, some experts recommend that you always cook mushrooms before eating them (while others say they are fine to eat raw).

Mushrooms are a source of:

- potassium (for lowering blood pressure);

- fiber (for healthy digestion);

- antioxidants (help protect the body from free radical damage that can cause diseases such as heart disease and cancer)

- beta-glucan (a form of soluble dietary fiber that is closely linked to lowering cholesterol and promoting heart health);

- B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid). The combination helps protect heart health. Riboflavin is good for red blood cells. Niacin is useful for the digestive system and for maintaining skin health. Pantothenic acid is beneficial for the nervous system and helps the body produce essential hormones;

- copper (helps your body produce red blood cells, which are used to deliver oxygen throughout the body).

Many people, not knowing the facts, say that mushrooms are a "heavy" product, although there is no such thing at all. The average digestion time for champignons is about 150 minutes. Rice takes the same amount of time to digest in the body.

Can children eat mushrooms?

In cooking, this delicious mushroom is used to prepare dishes in various ways: they are fried, stewed, boiled, pickled, dried, made into pates and spreads, and used for baby food in many countries around the world.

Champignons and other industrial mushrooms are allowed for children from the beginning of complementary foods (from 6 months). Do not confuse them with wild, forest mushrooms. We are not talking about them! Today we are going to talk about industrial mushrooms!

There are no strict recommendations from medical organizations or the government against eating industrial mushrooms as soon as children start eating solid foods (the beginning of complementary foods). Many websites about organic, healthy eating, and parenting suggest waiting until children are about 10-12 months old, but they are not official sources. For example, the NHS (UK National Health Service) recommends offering industrial mushrooms to a child from about 6 months of age. On their official website, there are many recipes with champignons for children from 6 months. Also, their regional guides – the Starting Foods Cookbook – have a large number of dishes for babies with mushrooms as an ingredient.

Researchers have found a number of benefits of including mushrooms in their diets, and this also applies to infants. Some mushrooms contain more potassium than a banana. They are also a good source of iron, fiber, and selenium, an important mineral. If the mushrooms have been exposed to light while growing, several varieties are among the best plant sources of vitamin D you can eat. Vitamin D helps build strong bones and may help fight colon cancer.

Before offering mushrooms, pediatricians and natural nutrition experts recommend always cooking them before eating, especially to children. But in order for them to retain their benefits, the cooking time should not exceed 10-15 minutes.

Can I be allergic to mushrooms?

Although mushrooms are not on the list of major allergens, individual reactions are still possible. Therefore, for the first time, a child should be offered industrial mushrooms in small quantities.

Since there are many varieties of commercial mushrooms (champignons, oyster mushrooms, eringi, enoki, portobello mushrooms, king mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms), it is worth offering them to your child as a new product. Each species is different. Mushrooms are considered "antigenically rich," which means they may contain more than one allergen. However, mushrooms rarely cause an IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction.

A small percentage of people may be allergic to mushrooms. The risk is particularly low when eating mushrooms, but because mushrooms are mushrooms, they release spores into the air. These spores can cause allergies similar to those caused by pollen or mold.

What types of mushrooms should not be given to children?

Of course, forest (wild) mushrooms are never safe for anyone, as they can potentially make you "sick," so they are definitely not suitable for babies. Most international sources do not recommend their consumption at all, even for adults. It is better to eat mushrooms bought in a supermarket.

The information was verified by Dr. Viktor Lytvynenko.

In the next article, you will find an explanation of how best to choose, process, and freeze and defrost mushrooms.