Gut-friendly bacteria have become a diet staple, so today I will make the case for fungi. Not just any fungi but the long neglected and often odd-looking mushroom. It's no wonder mushrooms are overlooked as health food staples, since they grow on dead and rotting wood or compost, not lush farmland.

Growing up, I heard that mushrooms were tasty but nutritionally worthless. Wrong on both counts. Start cooking with exotic mushrooms and simply tasty turns to rich and delicious. And the research on health benefits keeps growing.

Mushrooms, like many plant foods, are excellent sources of antioxidants. Mushrooms are the best for ergothioneine, an antioxidant that is thought to protect the skin from oxidative and DNA damage. That alone should make mushrooms a regular for the summer sun worshipers of South Florida.

Mushrooms are low in carbs and sodium and have no fat and cholesterol. They are loaded with beta glucan, a fiber similar to the cholesterol-lowering fiber in oatmeal. Besides cholesterol lowering mushrooms are being studied for anti- diabetic and immune boosting properties.

The most surprising mushroom fact is that after picking and being exposed to sunlight, their vitamin D content rises. That is a unique quality in the plant kingdom, and a nutrient most of us need more of.

Portobello is a familiar and versatile ''meaty'' mushroom that can be grilled, filled or smothered with vegetables. Portobello and crimini mushrooms are rich in B vitamins, folate and also contain selenium, zinc, copper and iron.

Shitake, enoki and oyster mushrooms are also familiar and rich in nutrients.

I've been turning simple grilled fish into gourmet dining with exotic varieties such as king trumpets, hen in the woods and shimeji. They have a richer, nuttier flavor and a much more curious shape than a white button mushroom. Unique mushrooms can be found in Asian markets and specialty supermarkets.

Soak dried mushrooms in warm water for 20-30 minutes before using and save the liquid for use in soups and sauces.

Sheah Rarback is a registered dietitian and on the faculty of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. Her column runs every other week.

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