Leading researchers and health professionals to explore health benefits of mushrooms at summit

Leading researchers, scientists and government, industry and health professionals will gather in the nation's capital for a groundbreaking, two-day exploration of the research supporting the health benefits of mushrooms - one of the most popular items found in the produce aisle and often thought of as a vegetable though technically belonging to the unique Fungi kingdom.

The Mushrooms and Health Summit, held at the Mayflower Renaissance hotel in Washington, D.C. September 9-10, 2013, will provide a comprehensive examination of the existing global research on mushrooms and health and also focus on future research needs.

"Engaging the world's top scientists, researchers and nutrition experts in this dialogue is a critical step forward in our efforts to fully understand mushrooms' impact and role in today's unprecedented health challenges," said Mushrooms and Health Summit Steering Committee Chair John Milner, PhD, Director, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA Agriculture Research Service.

Over the past decade, the mushroom industry has dedicated resources to better understand the nutrition properties and health benefits of mushrooms. From weight management to immunity to vitamin D, scientists have already published research regarding the effects of mushroom dietary components. Engaging the scientific community directly will help identify future areas of research potentially funded by the federal government and the mushroom industry.