Nutritional and medicinal attributes of edible mushrooms in human health

Abstract

Global food production faces many challenges, including climate change, a water crisis, land degradation, and desertification. These challenges require research into non-traditional sources of human foods. Edible mushrooms as a component of farming system as well as an independent venture to address the issues of diversification in agriculture, quality food, health and environment by collaborative and coordinated efforts of farmers, entrepreneurs, marketers, agro-industry. Hence, there is a need to shift towards controlled agriculture and secondary agriculture. Mushroom cultivation is one such vocation, in which agro wastes utilized for production of quality food having nutritional and medicinal values. Mushroom is considered as health food that has quality protein, low sodium, high amount of fibre, medicinal benefits as described in the next section. Mushroom is efficient means for conversion of agricultural wastes into valuable protein and presents huge potential for generating additional income and employment. Creating awareness among the farmers about the benefits of mushroom production and nutritional and health benefits among the consumers and imparting training to the farmers may go a long way in promoting mushroom production. Considering the above mentioned facts, the present study was undertaken to determine the role of mushroom in human life.