Low consumption of fruits and vegetables coupled with high sodium, saturated fat, and sugar intake contributes to development of chronic diseases, health complications, and death. In fact, a healthy diet would prevent 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States. Although technically neither a fruit nor veggie, edible fungi contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In modern science, the effects of mushroom consumption have not been thoroughly studied. This study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) published in 2021, found a non-statistically significant association between mushroom consumption and lowered risk of all-cause mortality.
One of the antioxidants found in mushrooms is ergothioneine. Since animals and plants do not produce ergothioneine, it can only be obtained from food sources and mushrooms have the highest levels of ergothioneine compared to other sources. Although it is difficult to measure overall mushroom consumption, evidence suggests its nutrients lower risk of chronic diseases and cognitive impairment. This study had the most comprehensive meta-analysis of prospective studies for examining mushroom health benefits.
The survey took place for 11 years starting in 2003. Participants described what they ate in the past 24 hours and if they didn’t provide reliable dietary intake data they were excluded from the analysis. Other independent variables that influence mortality (covariates) were considered such as age, sex, ethnicity/race, education, marital status, BMI, smoking status, physical activity, alcohol intake, total energy intake, and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI: a tool for assessing diet quality by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans). Of 30,378 participants, the mean HEI was higher among individuals who consumed mushrooms compared to those who did not. It is possible that those who eat mushrooms eat a well-balanced diet overall and that decreases their mortality risk, but all things considered, mushrooms are definitely a valuable dietary source. Mushrooms are an amazing addition to quesadillas, fried rice, risotto, eggs, and pizza!
Read the full article here: Prospective study of dietary mushroom intake and risk of mortality: results from continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
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