This Diabetes Awareness Month, make every meal a step towards better health with mushrooms

More than four million South Africans live with diabetes — that’s one in nine of us. And yet, while we tend to glaze over at the word, diabetes is one of the most serious health challenges facing the country today.

However, there are small daily choices you make can make to help manage or even prevent it. One of those surprisingly powerful choices? Mushrooms.

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Leading cause of death

“Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how the body turns food into energy,” explains Dr Patrick Ngassa Piotie, Chairperson of the Diabetes Alliance South Africa and Co-founder of the University of Pretoria Diabetes Research Centre. It’s also now the leading cause of death among women in South Africa.

Changing diets, sedentary lifestyles and rising obesity levels are all key culprits. “People are consuming more processed foods, sugary drinks and high-calorie meals,” says Dr Piotie.

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Eat smarter

That’s where mushrooms come in — a simple, affordable and flavour-packed way to eat smarter.

A 2023 study, Exploring Edible Mushrooms for Diabetes: Unveiling Their Role in Prevention and Treatment, found that mushrooms can help lower blood glucose levels and alleviate diabetes symptoms.

The everyday varieties on supermarket shelves — button, portabellini and portobello (Agaricus bisporus) — are all included.

“Mushrooms are high in protein, vitamins and minerals, and low in fat and cholesterol,” the study notes. They’re rich in magnesium, selenium, vitamin D and essential amino acids — all while being low-calorie, low-carb, low-GI and low-GL, meaning they don’t spike blood sugar.

Mushrooms tick all the right boxes for a diabetic-friendly diet:

1. Low-GI and low-GL, meaning they don’t cause blood sugar spikes.
2. Naturally low in carbs, fat and calories — ideal for weight and glucose control.
3. Contain beta-glucans and polysaccharides that may help improve insulin sensitivity.
4. Packed with antioxidants like selenium and ergothioneine, which help reduce inflammation linked to diabetes complications.
5. Provide B-vitamins that support energy metabolism and help the body use glucose efficiently.
6. High in fibre, which helps slow glucose absorption and promote steady energy release.

That makes them a must-have ingredient for anyone looking to eat for better health — and they’re as versatile as they are nutritious. Toss them into stir-fries, grill them whole, or feature them in festive dishes that everyone — diabetic or not — will love.