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Working even a small amount of mushrooms into a diet could potentially lower risk of mild cognitive impairment – a typical precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the finding of a new observational study that tracked outcomes in a group of seniors 60 and older for six years.
Mushrooms are a long-time target of health research, with nutritional profiles brimming with antioxidants and other compounds thought to play roles in protecting cell health. Finding links with brain health is tricky, however, since so many other factors are in play aside from what’s on someone’s plate.
The latest study addressed the topic with more rigor than typical of observational research, and even attempted to identify the amount of mushrooms linked to the benefits.
Researchers tracked data across a group of 663 seniors in Singapore, 60 and older, between 2011 and 2017. All of the participants underwent tests and in-depth interviews to assess their cognitive health and determine relative levels of mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, a condition characterized by poor memory and language difficulties that aren’t yet impairing daily functioning. Escalating MCI symptoms often precede the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Over the course of the study, the researchers say they found a link between eating “more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly” and reduced risk of developing MCI in the group. A standard portion was defined as “a cup of cooked mushrooms with an average weight of 150 grams.” Two of these portions fill about half of an average-sized dinner plate.
The seniors who regularly ate two or more portions had a 50% lower risk of developing MCI, according to the researchers, and even those eating just one portion experienced some benefits when other factors like “demographic information, medical history, psychological factors, and dietary habits” were taken into account.
As to the kinds of mushrooms, the study included four of the most commonly eaten varieties: golden, oyster, shiitake and white button.
Even with the checks built into this research, it’s still observational, not clinical. The results are a correlation and fall well short of proving mushroom consumption lowers risk of MCI. It is, however, an intriguing link, worthy of randomized controlled studies to plumb the connection more deeply.
The researchers say they have a chemical in mushrooms already targeted for further research. Members of this same research team found in a previous study that an amino acid called ergothioneine was significantly lower in the blood plasma of seniors living in Singapore with MCI when compared to age-matched healthy individuals.
Mushrooms are rich in ergothioneine, which the human body can’t produce on its own, so it’s at least plausible that this compound is part of the story. And since mushrooms are already well-studied for their nutrient profiles and possible links to supporting immunity, there’s plenty to dig into here and no doubt more findings to come.
The latest study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
You can find David DiSalvo on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, and at his website, daviddisalvo.org.