New research out of the National University of Singapore is confirming exciting health information for people who love and regularly consume culinary mushrooms.

According to the new study people who regularly consume over 300 grams of mushrooms per week (150 grams twice per week in 2 divided doses) had lower incidences of mild cognitive impairment than those that did not. Mild Cognitive Impairment or MCI is the early warning sign of dementia. The study tracked 663 Chinese adults over the age of 60, over the course of 6 years.

The participants ate six different types of mushrooms in the study: oyster, shiitake, white button, dried, golden and tinned.

Mushrooms contain a whole host of beneficial compounds that researchers are beginning to prove work on a variety of systems in the body. In this particularly study the scientists believe that a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory compound found in culinary mushrooms called ergothioneine was providing the bulk of the beneficial cognitive effects.

Dementia is one of the top 10 causes of death in elderly Americans. Dr James Pickett, head of research at the National Alzheimer's Society, says: "There are lots of factors that contribute to the development of dementia and it's estimated that up to a third of the cases could be prevented by changes in lifestyle, including diet.” Regularly including mushrooms in your diet may be a positive step towards lowering your risk of developing this deadly disease.

Reference:

Lei Feng, Irwin Kee-Mun Cheah, Maisie Mei-Xi Ng, Jialiang Li, Sue Mei Chan, Su Lin Lim, Rathi Mahendran, Ee-Heok Kua, Barry Halliwell. The Association between Mushroom Consumption and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Singapore. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2019; 1 DOI: 10.3233/JAD-180959