The antioxidants in mushrooms likely help to prevent against various mental illnesses.
Mushrooms could reduce the risk of depression substantially, a study suggests.
People who eat around 5 g per day of mushrooms, on average, have a 31 percent lower risk of developing depression symptoms.
A portion of mushrooms is around 80 g, suggesting that eating them once a week is all that is required to gain the benefit.
The researchers found no additional benefit to depression in eating more than a moderate amount of mushrooms.
Dr Djibril Ba, the study’s first author, said:
“Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of the amino acid ergothioneine — an anti-inflammatory which cannot be synthesized by humans.
Having high levels of this may lower the risk of oxidative stress, which could also reduce the symptoms of depression.”
Other studies have shown that antioxidants help to prevent mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
The study included over 24,000 people in the U.S. whose diet and mental health was tracked over more than a decade.
The study did not differentiate between the benefits of different types of mushrooms.
However, white button mushrooms, one of the most common types eaten in the U.S., have previously been linked to lower levels of anxiety.
Professor Joshua Muscat, study co-author, said:
“The study adds to the growing list of possible health benefits of eating mushrooms.”
The humble mushroom, now known as a ‘superfood’, has already been linked to weight loss and lowering the risk of both cancer and premature death.
Mushrooms halve risk of memory loss
Another recent study found that two portions of mushrooms a week halve the risk of memory loss (Feng et al., 2019).
Mild cognitive impairment, as it is known, is frequently a precursor to dementia.
It involves forgetfulness, along with problems with language and attention.
Older people eating around half a plate of mushrooms per week, though, were at half the risk of developing the condition.
Even one small portion of mushrooms a week may be enough to have a meaningful effect.
The study was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders (Ba et al., 2021).
