MUSHROOMS RAISE IN EXCESS OF R1 000 000 FOR REACH FOR RECOVERY TO ADD SOME REAL MUSCLE TO THE BREAST CANCER FIGHT

Mushrooms in South Africa first turned pink on supermarket shelves in October 2010 when SAMFA joined forces with Pick ‘n Pay and Yucca Packaging to help raise national awareness of breast cancer during October’s Breast Cancer awareness month. In total over the past 36 months, mushrooms have raised over R1 000 000.00 for breast cancer support group Reach for Recovery. (R232 524.00 in 2010; R380 620.00 in 2011 and R570 668.00 in 2012)

SAMFA’s motivation to support Breast Cancer month stems from the many international research studies which continue to support the positive link between mushroom consumption and the reduction of breast cancer. It is also an initiative that is supported by Mushroom councils around the globe as more and more breast cancer research studies become available.

“It is an extraordinary industry achievement,” says SAMFA’s, chairperson Ross Richardson, “and we are immensely proud of the efforts our members made to make this initiative the success that it is. We can proudly say that the mushroom industry is making a real difference to the well-being of breast cancer survivors.”

But the beauty of SAMFA’s involvement in the breast cancer fundraising initiative does not only benefit those who have been affected by cancer. It actually creates an awareness of the disease protective qualities of mushrooms.  Research has shown that women who eat an average of 1 mushroom per day (around 10g) have half the risk of breast cancer.

“Our awareness campaign has become so much more than fighting the disease; mushrooms offer active protection against the disease and we are looking forward to expanding this SAMFA initiative to an even broader audience during 2013.” concludes Richardson.

So watch this space…. Mushrooms will go even bigger in 2013 with their Pink Punnet drive!

SO, WHAT’S THE BUZZ AROUND LOW GI FOODS?

Eating low-GI foods means you avoid those spikes and dramatic falls in blood-glucose so you get a much steadier stream of energy. You, therefore, reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases that are implicated by those blood-glucose fluctuations.

Additionally, by eating low GI foods you feel fuller for longer and are, therefore, not as likely to go searching for snacks every two hours!

High GI foods have a glycemic index of more than 70, low GI foods have a glycemic index of less than 55 and medium GI foods are in between.

The GI of mushrooms stands at a miniscule 10 making fresh mushrooms not  just a good, but an excellent nutritional choice when embarking on a healthy lifestyle!

 

Health Flash - Flu-fighting fungi

We all know that viruses spread and affect people far more severely in the winter but what we don’t always realize is that there are many things we can do to improve our ability to fight the impact of these viruses.

One of the simplest is to increase our intake of mushrooms:

1. Vitamin D increases our ability to fight infections by increasing the production of antimicrobial peptides which can destroy viruses, bacteria and fungi. Mushrooms are the only vegetable that contains Vitamin D, naturally. A 100g of white button mushrooms contains 4% of the daily requirement of Vitamin D.
2. A Selenium deficiency appears to enhance the virulence or progression of some viral infections. Mushrooms contain significant amounts of Selenium: A serving of Portabellini mushrooms (between 80 and 100gm) provides almost a 1/3 of our daily value for selenium.
3. Copper is known to play an important role in the development and maintenance of immune system function. A cup of stir-fried white button mushrooms provides 0.3 milligram of copper, which is about one-third of the recommended daily intake for adults.
4. Low vitamin B6 intake has been associated with impaired immune function, especially in the elderly. Mushrooms are packed with B vitamins: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6)
5. What's more, mushrooms are one of the highest antioxidant vegetables in the world, in the same league as the red pepper and spinach. A handful of white button mushrooms have about 12 times more antioxidants than wheat germ and four times more than chicken liver. Brown mushrooms contain even more

With so many reasons to buy delicious, affordable, versatile mushrooms, be sure to make mushrooms a part of your winter arsenal against colds and flu. Your immune system will be boosted to combat infections and viruses keeping you fighting fit throughout the sniffle period!