I've just learned that common edible mushrooms contain amounts of carcinogenic toxins (hydrazine derivatives such as agaritine and gyromitrin).

So it looks like I might have to exclude them from the diet. Is there a substitute for mushrooms one may use, purely texture/taste substitute?

>Banana ice-cream rocks!<

chat,

The amount of carcinogens in raw button mushrooms is negligible. Most mushrooms, including these, have anti-cancerous properties, and they are high in Vit D, B12, minerals and anti-oxidants. Are you eating tons of these? if so, that may require caution, but no one knows for sure.

You could favor wild medicinal ones, like hen-of- the-woods, but these have been traditionally eaten cook because their cell walls resist mastication.

I eat raw button mushrooms when I feel like, and gently cook most mushrooms otherwise. Splits the difference, I assume

dehydrated eggplant maybe?

I think first, you have to look at the whole food, not just particular constituents unless those constiuents contaminate the whole food. It's true about raw mushrooms containing agaratine and hydrazine derivatives. And cooking does completely destroy these. Raw mushroom consumption is not advised. But if you are not 100 percent, your rewards for including these in your 10 percent cooked could be tremendous. Mushrooms are potent anti cancer foods as a whole. They contain aromatase inhibitors (aromatase is an enzyme that breast cancer cells use to synthesize estrogen when endogenous estrogen isn't present, basically converts testosterone and other hormones into estrogen so it can live; mushrooms block that!), and angiogenesis inhibitors.

It's true mushrooms contain a few problematic constituents but Davis & Melina has proffered that a marinated mushroom mix may destroy agaratine as well. I advise reading Becoming Raw and making an informed decision. One of the reasons I'm 80 percent and not 100 percent raw.

paul

Thanks all! I guess I'll give up eating them raw, it's still toxin even if small amounts so better not put any into my body. I'll certainly have them cooked occasionally.

Eggplant is a great idea!! Seems it's exactly what I've been looking for, as it can be used as pizza base too, and has similar texture. Bought one today to try raw for the first time. Didnt dehydrate it, but mashed in a zucchini hummus - will see tomorrow how it tastes

>Banana ice-cream rocks!<

My landlord pulls Shaggy Manes out of the yard and leaves them on the hood of my car.

Mushrooms are one of those foods you legitimately have to cook to make some of the good stuff bioavailable and destroy the nasty stuff (unlike the tomatoes and lycopene argument... jeez ). So, some lightly cooked mushrooms on top of an otherwise raw salad from time to time... really does it for me.

I've actually felt significantly better since adding them to my diet, and I've been raw for 4.5 years now.