According to researchers, some types of mushrooms produce toxins to avoid being eaten and to ensure their propagation.
You can easily find mushrooms growing in your yard or in parks after a rain, but they usually do not last long. Mushrooms primarily exist in a filamentous structure underground or in materials like wood. To reproduce, mushrooms must emerge above the ground.
Xylaria hypoxylon mushrooms releasing spores.
Mushrooms thrive when the environment has suitable temperatures and sufficient moisture. They typically consist of a cap and a stem. On the underside of the cap, mushrooms produce spores, similar to seeds in plants, which help generate new mushrooms.
If you look under various types of mushroom caps, you will notice they are not the same. Some mushrooms resemble crumpled paper, while others have pores like a sponge. Some have structures that look like teeth. All these surfaces produce spores.
To create a new generation of mushrooms, the spores need to reach new areas, and there are many ways for mushrooms to achieve this.
Omphalotus nidiformis mushrooms at night on a road in Australia.
For some mushroom species, spores simply fall from the cap and are carried by the air to new homes. Meanwhile, other types of mushrooms attract insects by glowing at night. The light from mushrooms in the forest at night can be quite strong. Insects are attracted to the light, inadvertently picking up mushroom spores while exploring the glow and carrying them elsewhere as they move.
Some types of mushrooms never form structures above ground. Instead, they remain underground and are consumed by squirrels and mice; these animals disperse spores by carrying them around and through their droppings.
Since mushrooms do not last long, it is crucial for them to disperse spores quickly. Mushrooms are quite appealing to snails, certain insects, beetles, squirrels, deer, and even humans. If an animal eats a mushroom, the spores are often lost unless they are enclosed in a protective layer to be carried elsewhere through droppings.
Scientists have found evidence that insects and snails avoid mushrooms containing toxins. Some poisonous mushrooms make the animals that consume them ill and subsequently keep their distance, while others can be deadly.
There are many different mushroom toxins. One type belongs to a group of very beautiful mushrooms called amanitas, also known as “death cap” due to their attractive appearance and lethal effects. Amanitas are often mistaken for edible mushrooms and each year they are responsible for several fatalities worldwide.
Scientists also exploit certain mushroom toxins in medicine. For example, the toxin from ergot mushrooms has been developed into a medication to prevent migraines.
About 1-2% of mushrooms contain toxins harmful to humans. The popular term for such mushrooms is “toadstools,” but there is no easy way to distinguish a toxic mushroom from an edible one. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat any unfamiliar mushroom you find, as it is very difficult to determine if they are toxic or not.
Important Notes on Mushroom Preparation
Professor Dr. Trinh Tam Kiet, Chairman of the Vietnam Mycology Society, stated that the method of preparing mushrooms can also lead to poisoning if not cooked thoroughly or if utensils used for cooking or holding cooked food come into contact with raw mushrooms, as this can also cause poisoning.
Some mushrooms that are typically non-toxic can become harmful if they grow in contaminated areas or in soil layers containing harmful minerals like phosphorus; consuming them can lead to poisoning.
When preparing wild mushrooms, just like with regular mushrooms, the best practice is to boil them before sautéing to reduce toxicity.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Chinh, former Deputy Head of the Microbiology Department at the Faculty of Biology, University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, noted that mushroom poisoning occurs only when consuming wild mushrooms; there have been no serious poisoning cases reported from cultivated mushrooms harvested according to proper procedures.
A common characteristic of toxic mushrooms is that they do not have a distinct smell, and may even smell sweet and pleasant. However, inside, they contain extremely toxic compounds, and for some species, just two mushrooms can be fatal.
Never eat uncooked mushrooms, or place cooked mushrooms in containers that held raw mushrooms, as they may be contaminated with toxins from the raw mushrooms, leading to poisoning.
Additionally, when eating mushrooms, avoid consuming alcohol. Some types of wild mushrooms are non-toxic but contain components that react chemically with alcohol, causing poisoning.
