Studies of mushrooms have shown that their nutritional value is low. Although there are many useful substances in mushrooms, the human body is not able to fully assimilate them. It is for this reason that mushrooms are considered a heavy food.
Instructions
Step 1
The heavy digestion of mushrooms is due to the polymer chitin, which is found in mushrooms. The percentage of chitin in mushrooms can be up to 60%. Chitin in combination with proteins is the basis for the formation of fibrils, which serve as a scaffold for the fungus.
Step 2
Chitin is not only found in mushrooms. Crustaceans and beetles contain chitin in their covers. Therefore, this natural polymer was called “chitin”, which in Greek means “clothing, skin, shell”.
Step 3
For the first time, chitin was isolated by the scientist Henry Bracon in 1821. He named the new substance "fungin". The polymer, previously unknown to science, was not dissolved in sulfuric acid. Since the source of the polymer was a mushroom, this substance also got its name from the Latin word fungus (mushroom). After some time, the French naturalist A. Odier isolated pure chitin from the outer shells of tarantulas. Since then, this name has been assigned to the natural polymer.
Step 4
The chemical structure of chitin differs from the structure of cellulose only in that in chitin, instead of one of the hydroxyl groups, there is a group containing nitrogen. It is because of this difference that the properties of chitin and cellulose are so different. Chitin is many times stronger and more chemically stable than cellulose. Chitin does not dissolve in acids and alkalis. The strength of chitin is a great gift for scientists, because the wings of insects preserved in coal are millions of years old.
Step 5
Chitin is used to obtain healing dressings for wounds and burns, drug sheaths and sorbents. The list of chitin derivatives is expanding annually.
Step 6
Despite the content of this polymer, mushrooms can and should be consumed, but in reasonable quantities. We must not forget that picking mushrooms near industrial highways is strictly prohibited. Chitin in mushrooms acts as a sorbent and accumulates heavy metals.
Step 7
To facilitate the digestion of mushrooms, they need to be cooked for a long time - at least one and a half hours. It is better to boil the mushrooms not whole, but finely chop them. Mushroom dishes are recommended to be consumed only by healthy people, without problems with the digestive tract. Small children should also not be given mushrooms. Even when cooked well, they can cause digestive upset in children.
