A smooth bowel movement in the morning, as seamless as a banana, takes just three minutes to bring a whole day of good mood. Those who have long battled constipation know that if you can easily finish your morning bowel routine, the whole person becomes especially relaxed and refreshed. I’ve been fighting against constipation for 20 years, trying countless methods, from enemas to drinking herbal medicine, to now “eating the right food”.
Over time, I have developed a set of effective “Defecation Manuals”:
Consume at least half a kilogram of vegetables daily, drink a cup of black coffee in the morning, and regardless of need, squat on the toilet at eight o’clock every morning punctually. To enrich my defecation recipes, I’ve recently discovered a new ingredient—black fungus.
Many people may not know the amazing aspects of black fungus. Previously, I only saw it as an occasional garnish. But after my in-depth research, I have found two significant and lesser-known benefits of black fungus:
1. Black fungus is rich in dietary fiber
After comparative studies, I found that the average dietary fiber content of dried black fungus is as high as 55%, and in extreme cases, it can reach up to 71%. This means that there are 50 to 70 grams of dietary fiber in 100 grams of dry black fungus. Even if we rehydrate it to a fresh weight of 40 grams, every 100 grams of fresh black fungus still contains about 7 grams of dietary fiber. Typically, vegetables known for their high fiber content are far behind black fungus. The fiber in black fungus is mainly insoluble dietary fiber, which promotes intestinal motility, increases stool bulk, and the polysaccharides in fungus are also high-quality soluble dietary fiber. If you consume 100 grams of black fungus, you can easily meet 30% of the recommended daily intake.
2. Black fungus is low in calories and does not commonly cause bloating, with versatile ways to eat
High fiber often leads to concerns about bloating, but black fungus is a food that does not have this problem. Its low caloric content, easy digestibility, and versatile pairing possibilities make it an ideal choice to add dietary fiber to a diet without increasing the burden.
For those suffering from constipation, increasing dietary fiber intake is undoubtedly an important solution. As a high-quality source of fiber, black fungus not only helps with better stool formation but is also very suitable for integration into daily meals, letting you embrace the morning’s first task each day with ease and joy.
Black fungus, a nutrient-rich but low-calorie ingredient, has won the hearts of many health food enthusiasts with its low calorie and high dietary fiber content. The calorie content of 100 grams of black fungus is about 20-30 kcal, equivalent to the calories in two bites of an apple, so eating black fungus almost does not burden the body.
Moreover, black fungus is considered a friendly choice for the small intestine and stomach because of its trait of not causing bloating, which is particularly important in the face of foods such as sweet potatoes and broccoli that can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. In addition, the ways to eat black fungus are diverse; it can be used as a side dish in stir-fry for added texture, mixed with other ingredients like eggs in cold dishes, or simply thrown into soups to simplify the cooking process with boiling, making black fungus a convenient choice in daily diets.
Preparing black fungus is also easy. Soak dried black fungus in hot or boiling water for 10 minutes or heat it in a microwave for 2 minutes. However, it should be noted that long-term soaking of black fungus may pose certain risks, such as citric acid intoxication events. Nonetheless, as long as you control the amount consumed each time and adopt the “soak-and-eat” approach, such issues can be effectively avoided.
Of course, a reasonable diet should not be limited to a single ingredient. A balanced intake of various foods is the correct way to live healthily. For example, consuming black fungus several times a week or adding a proper amount when cooking can achieve good dietary effects.
Additionally, for those who are not keen on the appearance of black fungus, other fungi in the mushroom family are also quality ingredients not to be overlooked. For instance, white fungus, whose dietary fiber content is slightly lower than black fungus but still significant, with dry white fungus dietary fiber making up about 40%-60%; rehydrating 10 grams can meet the daily dietary fiber intake requirements.
Beyond white fungus, there are also shiitake mushrooms, crab-flavored mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms, etc. They not only are rich in dietary fiber but also provide a wealth of essential amino acids, playing an indispensable role in enhancing the flavor of food. Notably, the dietary fiber content of mushroom foods is much higher than that of ordinary leafy vegetables and should be utilized more in daily diets.
Careful observation reveals that a particular category of ingredients often appears in weight loss recipes, mainly because they not only diversify dietary choices but are also tasty, low in fat, and low in calories. These ingredients are high in dietary fiber, and abound in phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, iron, selenium, making them ideal side dishes for weight loss.
In everyday life, we should remember to eat mushroom ingredients several times a week, and the amount per serving doesn’t need to be much (within 100 grams). Coupled with a moderate amount of sweet treats like white fungus, one can both supplement a sufficient amount of dietary fiber and effectively maintain the health of the intestinal flora.
Today’s sharing comes to an end here, I hope everyone can gain new knowledge from it. Speaking of which, as someone who has struggled with bowel issues for a long time, I would like to nag a little more: there are no shortcuts to improve this issue, only by slowly adjusting your dietary habits will lead you to the right path.
Ultimately, I wish everyone can achieve the goal of “smooth bowel movements.” For those interested in dietary fiber in food ingredients and its health benefits, you can consult related research materials to get more scientific information and suggestions.
