Mushrooms are fascinating. Grocery stores sell them in their “vegetable” aisles, although some are edible they aren’t actually vegetables. Alongside those of plants and animals in biological classifications, they are actually fungi with a kingdom all of its own.

Mushrooms are a much-cherished ingredient in all cuisines worldwide.

Integrating mushrooms to your meals and to your diet more frequently may help sharpen your brainpower. It was discovered that seniors who consume two portions of mushrooms per week are half as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment. “MCI is normally classified as the stage between the cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia.

Eating mushrooms may significantly reduce the risk of cognitive decline, according to a six-year-old study from the National University of Singapore (NUS) that was done thru independent of physical activity, age, education, gender, hypertension, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and social activities. This six-year research which was conducted from 2011 to 2017, collected data from more than 600 Chinese seniors over the age of 60 living in Singapore.

May still be beneficial to reduce the chances of MCI’ even if we are eating one small portion of mushrooms a week. Experts also found that consuming two portions (150g) of common fungi weekly reduced chances of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by 50 percent. Variety of referenced are golden, oyster, shiitake, and white button mushrooms, though researchers believe other varieties of fungi will hold the same benefits to MCI. For those seniors distressed with MCI often shows some form of memory loss or forgetfulness and may also show a deficit on other cognitive functions such as language, attention and visuospatial abilities.

It was also believed the reason for the minimized prevalence of MCI in those that consumed mushroom weekly could be due to a compound called ergothioneine (ET) a naturally occurring amino acid found in mushrooms.  Ergothioneine is a unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which humans are unable to synthesize on their own. But it can be found from dietary sources, one of the main ones being mushrooms.”

Other compounds in mushrooms which are hericenones, erinacines, scabronines, and dictyophorines may as well promote the synthesis of nerve growth factors researchers stated. They also point to bioactive compounds which could also shield the brain from neurodegeneration by slowing the production of beta-amyloid, which can build up and cause cognitive degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease.

For this, extensive interviews and tests conducted with the senior citizens to determine an exact diagnosis using demographic information, medical history, psychological factors, and dietary habits. Along with a dementia rating, a two-hour standard neuropsychological assessment was performed after this.

After all this information the team is to perform a randomized controlled trial of other plant-based ingredients, such as L-theanine and catechins from tea leaves, with the pure compound of ET in order to determine the efficacy of such phytonutrients in delaying cognitive decline. Using these studies will come up to a more strong conclusion on causal relationship. In addition, the research team also hope to identify and discover other dietary factors that could be associated with healthy brain aging and reduced risk of age-related conditions in the future.

Reference:

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinseatonjefferson/2019/03/21/maybe-theyre-all-magic-researchers-now-say-mushrooms-may-reduce-risk-of-cognitive-decline/
2. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/910668
3. https://www.foxnews.com/health/eating-mushrooms-can-cut-cognitive-decline-risk-study-finds
4. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/theyre-magic-eating-mushrooms-could-slash-risk-of-cognitive-decline-by-50-2019-03-22
5. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190312103702.htm