Sandy writes:
“Have you studied whether raw mushrooms are safe to eat? I’ve heard a few well-known doctors say there are toxic compounds in them that are destroyed by cooking. I’ve been avoiding raw mushrooms at the salad bar for some time now. What say you?”
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Prior to getting Sandy’s email, I was eating raw mushrooms in blissful ignorance, completely unaware of their toxic potential. Having now educated myself, I’m ready to answer Sandy’s question and let you know whether you have anything to fear from eating raw mushrooms.
What’s in Raw White Mushrooms?
A few clicks on Google led me to articles from the well-known doctors Sandy mentioned, all of whom warned that raw mushrooms contain a compound which is toxic to humans. And we’re not talking about exotic wild mushrooms either. We’re talking about the common white button mushroom.
This little fungus just never ceases to surprise me. Years ago, I was taken aback to learn that the plain white button mushroom beat out more brightly colored vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, zucchini, carrots, and green beans as a source of antioxidants. Who would have thought?