What You Need To Know: The common white button mushroom is far more than just an easy salad add-in, it is actually a widely researched therapeutic agent! Rich in selenium, B vitamins, copper, potassium and even – depending on the growing conditions – B12, these little white mushrooms, also known as agaricus bisporus, can do a lot for your health, ranging from prostate cancer prevention to fighting off nasty bacteria and viruses. Maybe that is why they represent 90% of all the mushrooms we consume!

Why You Should Try It: So, while these little white buttons contain a range of nutrients, the star player is actually conjugated linolenic acid (CLA). CLA is a unique type of fatty acid, which gets research leaders like those at City of Hope Hospital & Research Center (they have a super foods research department!) excited. CLA effects so many mechanisms in the body – from boosting the metabolism to increasing lean muscle tissue. Beyond just getting you lean and trim, CLA has fascinating therapeutic uses as well.

CLA lessens the production of estrogen, making it protective against breast cancer. It reduces damage to the aorta of the heart, making it protective against cardiovascular disease and reduces inflammation in the body. In City of Hope’s research they’ve even experienced clinical success lowering PSA counts in certain men with prostate cancer – just by using therapeutic doses of mushrooms. Need we say more?

Let’s Get Together: Lucky for us, incorporating white button mushrooms presents a far lesser task than their pungent-tasting family members, so think about using them in salads and soups – or break out of the box with this gluten-free recipe for spaghetti squash ‘pasta’ with broccoli and mushrooms. Bon appetit!