White Button Mushroom

What is white button mushroom?

White button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, is the most commonly eaten mushroom in the United States. Cremini and portobello are the same species at later stages of growth. It is low in calories and provides protein, fiber including beta-glucans, B vitamins, potassium, selenium and the antioxidant ergothioneine. When exposed to ultraviolet light, it can also produce vitamin D.

What the research says

Satiety and diet quality

In a randomized crossover study, 32 healthy adults ate either about 226 grams of white button mushrooms or a small, protein-matched serving of meat at meals for ten days. After the mushroom breakfast, people reported less hunger and more fullness (Hess et al., 2017). This supports mushrooms as a filling food swap, not a supplement effect.

Prostate cancer research

A phase I trial at City of Hope gave white button mushroom powder (up to 14 grams a day) to 36 men with rising PSA after prostate cancer treatment. It was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicity, and a minority of men had PSA declines (Twardowski et al., 2015). Phase I trials are designed to test safety, not effectiveness, and these doses are many times higher than what appears in mushroom blends.

Cholesterol

Claims that white button mushroom beta-glucans lower cholesterol rely mainly on animal studies and on extrapolation from other beta-glucan sources such as oats. We found no human trials showing that white button mushroom extract in supplement amounts lowers LDL cholesterol. That does not mean mushrooms are unhelpful for heart health; replacing fatty meat with mushrooms in meals reduces saturated fat and adds fiber, which fits standard heart-healthy eating advice.

Nutrition highlights

A serving of white button mushrooms is very low in calories and fat while supplying B vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin, along with potassium and selenium. Mushrooms exposed to UV light during production can be a meaningful food source of vitamin D, something a small capsule of extract cannot replicate. For most people, a cup of sliced mushrooms in a meal does more nutritionally than a capsule blend.

How it’s used in supplements

White button mushroom is mostly eaten as food. In supplements, it appears in powders, vitamin D mushroom products and multi-mushroom blends, usually in small or undisclosed amounts. Swapping some meat for mushrooms is an easy, evidence-friendly way to add fiber and cut calories. People with mushroom allergies should avoid it. Concentrated supplements have not been studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding.