Mild cognitive impairment can have a significant impact on your quality of life and may increase your risk of dementia. Mushrooms may be a simple way of protecting your brain and reducing your risk.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Eating more than two portions of mushrooms a week reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in study subjects by 50%. Data show people with MCI over age 60 have lower levels of ergothioneine, an antioxidant found in mushrooms
- Mushrooms contain ergothioneine and glutathione, also known as the “master antioxidant.” These may help protect against age-related diseases like cancer, heart disease and dementia; countries with the highest levels of ergothioneine in the diet have the lowest risk of neurodegenerative diseases and vice versa
- Robert Beelman, professor of food science at Penn State, believes the mushroom’s mycelium releases ergothioneine into the soil and holds the key to the link from healthy soil to healthy crops and human health; this link is severely disrupted using traditional farming techniques and can be reestablished with regenerative farming practices
- Mushrooms also contain beta-glucans, which play a beneficial role in immune health and viral protection, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and obesity. Choose organic mushrooms or grow your own since the fungi easily absorb air and soil contaminants
MCI is a slight decline in cognitive ability that increases the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, although it is not a guarantee. According to the Alzheimer’s Association,[1] up to 18% of people aged 60 or older are living with mild cognitive impairment. Additionally, up to 15% of those people will develop dementia within one year.
