Why is Flammulina enoki called "See you tomorrow"? It turns out that I have always misunderstood it...

Expert of this article: Pa Lize, Chief Physician of Nutrition, Science Popularization Committee Member of Chinese Nutrition Society

Flammulina velutipes is an essential ingredient in hot pot. It is tender, smooth and delicious. It also has a famous name in the world - "see you tomorrow". It means that after eating Flammulina velutipes, you will see it "as is" when you go to the toilet the next day.

Someone asked: "What happens when you eat Flammulina velutipes? What happens when you excrete it? Can the nutrients be absorbed? Is it a waste of food?"

Why are the enoki mushrooms excreted intact? Are they really eaten in vain? Today, we will tell you everything you want to know.

Why do we excrete Enoki mushrooms as they are eaten?

Every bite of food we eat to satisfy our appetite and physiological needs, including enoki mushrooms, is chewed and mixed with saliva by our teeth and tongue. The starch in it begins to be broken down first and then pushed into the stomach after swallowing.

The protein in most foods will be initially digested because of the weak acidity of gastric juice and the presence of enzymes, which can unwind the protein in the food and cut the polypeptide chains into pieces. The food in the stomach is then turned into chyme and then enters the small intestine. The indigestible part will naturally reach the large intestine and be naturally excreted from the body after a certain period of time.

Flammulina velutipes contains chitin, which is difficult to be decomposed and digested by gastric acid. This substance is only soluble in strong acids, such as concentrated hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid and acetic acid, but is very stable in weak acid, water and alkaline environments. The pharmaceutical and food industries also use the tough strength of chitin, and use refined and synthesized chitin products in surgical sutures, thickeners, adhesives, etc.

From this, we can imagine and be sure that when we eat hot pot and our brain dopamine levels soar and our appetite increases, if we fail to chew our food slowly or eat voraciously without realizing it, it is inevitable that the enoki mushrooms containing chitosan in our stomachs will be excreted as is.

See you tomorrow, Enoki mushrooms, will the nutrients be lost?

In fact, the seemingly "complete" enoki mushrooms that we excrete are not so complete. After all, after experiencing the magical and powerful "journey" in the digestive tract, the nutrients such as water, amino acids, vitamins and trace elements contained in the enoki mushrooms are absorbed and utilized by the digestive system and have become a part of our body.

In addition, it is very important that we can obtain the above nutrients from eating Enoki mushrooms, and we can also obtain additional health benefits, that is, increased dietary fiber intake. Dietary fiber is a very important nutrient related to health. Although it cannot be digested and absorbed, it has at least four health benefits in the body by promoting excretion:

1. Maintain cholesterol levels in the body to reduce the risk of heart and artery disease;

2. Lower blood sugar concentration to reduce the risk of diabetes;

3. Maintain healthy intestinal function to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer;

4. Maintain a healthy weight.

Therefore, even if we eat enoki mushrooms until tomorrow, they have already provided us with nutrients and also brought us many health benefits. There is no need to worry about eating them in vain.

How to eat Enoki mushrooms better?

At present, although the enoki mushrooms on the market are basically artificially cultivated varieties, the mature cultivation technology and strict strain standards still ensure the sweet aroma and better taste of the enoki mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms are still a popular food ingredient.

However, many people have a wrong understanding of Flammulina velutipes, and there are also unhealthy ways to eat it:

Some people "cannot tell the difference between Flammulina velutipes and Enoki mushrooms" and mistakenly believe that Flammulina velutipes, like Enoki mushrooms, also contain colchicine. They believe that the Flammulina velutipes must be cooked at high temperature for a long time to remove the toxin, resulting in the loss of vitamin C and vitamins B1 and B2 contained in the mushrooms.

Some people pursue the "taste of seafood" and like to eat braised enoki mushrooms. However, they do not know that braising in oil not only greatly reduces the nutritional characteristics of enoki mushrooms, which are "high protein, low fat, and beneficial for weight control", but more importantly, the cooking method with heavy oil and red sauce will bring health problems such as high oil, high salt and high energy.

Enoki mushrooms are sweet and delicious, but they secrete mucus. If you want to make delicious and healthy Enoki mushrooms, you can first heat them in boiling water for 20 seconds or bake them for 1 minute in advance and then place them in a suitable container to spread and cool. This will allow the Enoki mushrooms to retain nutrients to the greatest extent and make the flavor more mellow. Blanched Enoki mushrooms can be eaten cold with shredded chicken breast, green leafy vegetables, etc., and can also be used in hot pots, soups, stews, etc.

Every 100 grams of Flammulina velutipes contains 2.4 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 0.4 grams of fat, 0 cholesterol, and only 31.8 kcal of energy. From the perspective of food ingredients, it is a food with high nutritional value and low glycemic index, which is very suitable for people who want to control blood sugar and blood lipids and maintain a healthy weight. However, because it is rich in dietary fiber, it is not suitable for people suffering from diarrhea.

The purine content of Flammulina velutipes is 59.0 mg/100 g, which can be classified as a low-purine food. After blanching, the purine content will drop again. In view of the nutritional value and health benefits of Flammulina velutipes, people with gout or high uric acid can choose to eat it.

After eating Enoki mushrooms

Although it will be discharged "as is"

But its nutrients have been absorbed by the digestive system

Not only will it not cause nutrient loss

Increased dietary fiber intake

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