Wood ear mushroom is a beloved ingredient that often sparks controversy. Among the many legendary 'health benefits' and food taboos associated with it, which are true and which are false? Is it true that eating wood ear mushrooms soaked for too long is poisonous? Let's uncover the real benefits of wood ear mushrooms.
Can wood ear mushrooms cleanse the lungs?
When air pollution or smog is severe, articles often recommend eating wood ear mushrooms to cleanse the lungs.
In fact, in traditional Chinese medicine, the 'lung' that is 'cleansed' is not the lung organ as commonly understood today. Furthermore, what ancient practitioners meant by 'cleansing the lung' was clearing 'lung heat,' not 'harmful particles deposited in the lungs from the air'.
PM2.5 enters the lungs through respiration and can cause respiratory symptoms. However, wood ear mushrooms enter our bodies through the digestive tract. The two never meet, let alone 'cleanse' each other.
If we must force a connection, it's this: if you eat more wood ear mushrooms while maintaining a balanced diet, appropriate exercise, and sufficient sleep, your body's immunity can indeed be improved. But then, it's hard to attribute the 'anti-smog' effect solely to the mushrooms.
Can wood ear mushrooms lower blood sugar and blood lipids?
Current research suggests that wood ear mushroom polysaccharides have potential in lowering blood lipids, blood sugar, and preventing cardiovascular diseases, but these effects are observed at experimental concentrations.
Eating wood ear mushrooms alone cannot guarantee a reduction in blood sugar or lipids. Individuals with related chronic diseases should follow their doctor's treatment plan and must not stop their medication or replace it with wood ear mushrooms to avoid worsening their condition.
However, it is highly encouraged and recommended to treat wood ear mushrooms as a common vegetable and an essential part of a balanced diet.
Are wood ear mushrooms poisonous if soaked for too long?
In July 2015, Mr. Chen from Zhejiang province was poisoned after eating black wood ear mushrooms that had been soaked for three days, leading to multiple organ failure and a week in the hospital before he was out of danger.
Do toxins form when wood ear mushrooms are soaked for a long time? In fact, wood ear mushrooms themselves are not toxic and do not produce toxins.
If food poisoning occurs after soaking wood ear mushrooms for a long time on a single occasion, it is more likely that bacteria, molds, or other microorganisms contaminated the mushrooms during the soaking process and produced the toxins.
Especially during hot summer weather, it is advisable to shorten the soaking time for wood ear mushrooms. You can also cover them with plastic wrap and soak them in the refrigerator. If the mushrooms develop an off odor or become slimy, do not eat them.
Can patients with a tendency to bleeding not eat wood ear mushrooms?
Wood ear mushrooms have a blood-activating effect, so they are not suitable for patients with a tendency to bleed.
This claim likely originates from the 'anticoagulant' effect of the polysaccharide components in wood ear mushrooms.
However, there are currently no reports of wood ear mushrooms causing bleeding, so there is no need to worry. The anticoagulant effect is observed with purified and concentrated wood ear mushroom polysaccharides, which is not equivalent to the soaked mushrooms we eat daily.
If you are concerned about the remote possibility of bleeding, it is perfectly fine to avoid eating wood ear mushrooms during special times and instead eat more other vegetables, fruits, or fungi.
Spicy and Sour Wood Ear Mushrooms
Can people with poor digestion not eat wood ear mushrooms?
Wood ear mushrooms are rich in dietary fiber, so people who are prone to diarrhea or have poor digestion should eat them sparingly, as it may cause bloating and diarrhea.
In reality, dried wood ear mushrooms, before being soaked, do have an exceptionally high content of dietary fiber. However, the content in fresh or soaked mushrooms decreases significantly, to about 2.6 grams per 100 grams. This is slightly higher than some vegetables and fruits, but cannot be compared to whole grains and coarse grains.
Therefore, even for those with poor digestion, eating wood ear mushrooms as a normal vegetable is completely fine and does not require刻意 avoiding them.
Can wood ear mushrooms help with weight loss and relieve constipation?
Similarly, losing weight by just eating wood ear mushrooms is not possible. However, consuming more dietary fiber can indeed be helpful for weight loss and relieving constipation.
Dietary fiber has a strong water-absorbing capacity. In the stomach, it increases the volume of contents, promotes satiety, and reduces food intake. In the intestines, it increases the volume of stool, shortens the time it stays in the intestines, and thus relieves constipation.
Whole grains, coarse grains, vegetables, fruits, and fungi are all sources of dietary fiber. Among them, wood ear mushrooms have a very low calorie count, which is a significant advantage. By eating more wood ear mushrooms and other high-fiber foods to increase satiety, control appetite, and reduce other junk foods, it can be helpful.
Cold-dressed Wood Ear Mushrooms
Consumption Recommendations:
1. Increase salads with wood ear mushrooms as the main ingredient in your meals, especially breakfast. Examples include wood ear mushrooms with shredded bamboo shoots, sliced meat, or a three-shredded salad.
2. Use wood ear mushrooms as a side dish in light vegetable dishes, such as Stir-fried Lotus Root and Stems or Stir-fried Gai Lan.
3. For a daytime snack, you can make a red date and wood ear mushroom soup or a goji berry and tremella soup. It tastes better after being chilled.