As a child growing up in the foothills of the Appalachians, I was taught many natural remedies, cures, and preventative measures. Many were authentic and based on scientific proof. Many more were based on nothing more than the fact that they had been passed on for generations, and were generally accepted as fact. One thing that I was taught was not to eat wild mushrooms. In Alabama, there were wild mushrooms everywhere. While it was sound advice to give a child, it caused me to miss out on years of some of the best natural foods I could have found.

In my early 20s, I became obsessed with herbs, natural foods, and medicinal plants. It wasn't until my late 30s, though, that I really became interested in mushrooms. Oh, I ate plenty of the little button caps, Porcinis and Portabellas from the produce aisle, yet I still knew nothing of wild mushrooms, save what I had been taught as a youngster.

One day, I happened onto a Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis crispa), while hunting. I brought part of it home with me, and started web-surfing. What I found was amazing, and kept me at the keyboard for hours. Jumping from one website to another, I followed links for mushrooms that I had never heard of, as well as many that I knew of. That one wild mushroom started a love affair that will live until the day I leave this earth.

Mushrooms are Healthy and Vegetarian Friendly

Mushrooms have a fairly high protein content, typically 20-30% crude protein as a percentage of dry weight. This, of course, varies between species, but for the most part, mushrooms are a very protein rich food. High protein content makes them ideal, in that they contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition. There are about eight amino acids that the human body can not manufacture on its own. Since these are needed on a daily basis, mushrooms can be a valuable part of any diet. In fact, mushrooms may be one of the better additions to a vegetarian diet, since many vegetarians don't get enough protein in their daily intake.

Mushrooms contain, on average, about 4% carbohydrates, but the way they are stored in the cellular walls of the mushroom, makes them difficult for the human digestive system to break down. Most of the available carbs pass through our system as fibrous roughage. This is a good thing, since the western diet is normally rich in fats and carbohydrates. This also makes mushrooms a great addition even to those on low carb diets, such as the Atkins program, or those on low calorie and diabetic diets.

There are many essential vitamins required daily in the diet. The fruit body of a mushroom is an excellent source of B-complex vitamins, including riboflavin (B2) niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamin (B1) biotin, folate and vitamin B12. Mushrooms are a particularly rich source of riboflavin. One portabella mushroom takes care of nearly one-third our daily value. Vegetarians should also be aware that mushrooms are one of the best plant-based sources of niacin around: about 3.5 ounces of fresh mushrooms provide more than a quarter of the adult daily requirement of this vitamin. The fact that mushrooms contain B12 is amazing, since vegetables can't produce it at all. Vegetarians may find this helpful in filling their need for this important vitamin.

Mushrooms Help Combat Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Allergies, and Boost Immune Function

Maitake (Grifola frondosa), shiitake (Lentinula edodes), and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) are, considered by some researchers, the Holy Trinity of wild mushrooms. This stems from the fact that these three have many over-lapping medicinal properties. All three species support cardio-vascular health, boost immune function, and show promising results in lowering the risk of, or treating, cancer. Maitake has shown to be effective in treating stomach and intestinal troubles, as well as regulating blood sugar levels. Reishi has been used to promote respiratory health. Shiitake has been shown to help in treating nutritional deficiencies and liver troubles.