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Eating mushrooms may cut your chances of dementia in half: Study
Phirrgus
Posts: 1,894 Member
in Debate Club
I'm making zero claims here: This caught my eye because I've lost several family members to dementia and wanted to put it up for discussion. I mean, this would be great news if true, and not woo.
https://nypost.com/2019/03/13/eating-mushrooms-may-cut-your-chances-of-dementia-in-half-study/
The study being cited:
http://news.nus.edu.sg/research/mushrooms-reduce-cognitive-decline
https://nypost.com/2019/03/13/eating-mushrooms-may-cut-your-chances-of-dementia-in-half-study/
The study being cited:
http://news.nus.edu.sg/research/mushrooms-reduce-cognitive-decline
A team from the Department of Psychological Medicine and Department of Biochemistry at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has found that seniors who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly may have 50 per cent reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms with an average weight of around 150 grams. Two portions would be equivalent to approximately half a plate. While the portion sizes act as a guideline, it was shown that even one small portion of mushrooms a week may still be beneficial to reduce chances of MCI.
“This correlation is surprising and encouraging. It seems that a commonly available single ingredient could have a dramatic effect on cognitive decline,” said Assistant Professor Feng Lei, who is from NUS Psychological Medicine, and the lead author of this work.
The six-year study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2017, collected data from more than 600 Chinese seniors over the age of 60 living in Singapore. The study was carried out with support from the Life Sciences Institute and the Mind Science Centre at NUS, as well as the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council. The results were published online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on 12 March 2019.
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Replies
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SHOOT ... I gotta remember to eat mushrooms ... while I still CAN remember 😳19
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jls1leather9497 wrote: »SHOOT ... I gotta remember to eat mushrooms ... while I still CAN remember 😳
Good first reply lol. Me too. 5 -
I've read other things about how good mushrooms are for you and I always have good intentions to eat them, (I buy 1-2 packages every time I get groceries), but I forget about them more times than I remember them for some reason? It's like they become invisible once they enter my home
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Interesting! I see that they want to do a randomized trial next where they will be giving the pure compound they think is responsible.2
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So does not getting married... 6
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From a nutrition nerd perspective this is interesting and definitely not woo, but studies like this can lead to "superfood" status, and that's where the woo often creeps in.
You take a healthful food like mushrooms (blueberries, beets, kale etc.), compare people who eat it to people who don't, and study a resulting health benefit.
The nutrient in question here, ergothioneine, is highest in some varieties of mushroom, however black beans and oat bran are also good sources. A person with a healthful, varied diet could conceivably reap the same benefit without eating a single mushroom. That's good news for people who don't like mushrooms (or blueberries, beets, kale etc.).
It's wonderful that we're learning more about the benefits of different nutrients found in healthful foods and why they're so good for us, but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that our diet as a whole matters a whole lot more than whether or not we consume the superfood of the moment.22 -
Ate a lot of mushrooms back in the 70's. Gave me temporary dementia.47
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anthocyanina wrote: »From a nutrition nerd perspective this is interesting and definitely not woo, but studies like this can lead to "superfood" status, and that's where the woo often creeps in.
You take a healthful food like mushrooms (blueberries, beets, kale etc.), compare people who eat it to people who don't, and study a resulting health benefit.
The nutrient in question here, ergothioneine, is highest in some varieties of mushroom, however black beans and oat bran are also good sources. A person with a healthful, varied diet could conceivably reap the same benefit without eating a single mushroom. That's good news for people who don't like mushrooms (or blueberries, beets, kale etc.).
It's wonderful that we're learning more about the benefits of different nutrients found in healthful foods and why they're so good for us, but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that our diet as a whole matters a whole lot more than whether or not we consume the superfood of the moment.
Not woo is good to hear, and that's an excellent point regarding the superfood status. Thank you 🙂1 -
I'm making zero claims here: This caught my eye because I've lost several family members to dementia and wanted to put it up for discussion. I mean, this would be great news if true, and not woo.
https://nypost.com/2019/03/13/eating-mushrooms-may-cut-your-chances-of-dementia-in-half-study/
The study being cited:
http://news.nus.edu.sg/research/mushrooms-reduce-cognitive-declineA team from the Department of Psychological Medicine and Department of Biochemistry at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has found that seniors who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly may have 50 per cent reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms with an average weight of around 150 grams. Two portions would be equivalent to approximately half a plate. While the portion sizes act as a guideline, it was shown that even one small portion of mushrooms a week may still be beneficial to reduce chances of MCI.
“This correlation is surprising and encouraging. It seems that a commonly available single ingredient could have a dramatic effect on cognitive decline,” said Assistant Professor Feng Lei, who is from NUS Psychological Medicine, and the lead author of this work.
The six-year study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2017, collected data from more than 600 Chinese seniors over the age of 60 living in Singapore. The study was carried out with support from the Life Sciences Institute and the Mind Science Centre at NUS, as well as the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council. The results were published online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on 12 March 2019.
Depending on the specifics of the study, might just be correlation. Those consuming a lot of mushrooms are probably eating a high-vegetable, varied diet. Mushrooms are often in things like stir fry and soup where lots of healthy, nutritious ingredients tend to be agglomerated together. Higher mushroom consumption might just tend to correlate to a healthier, varied, more nutritious diet in general.6 -
i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea2 -
I'm making zero claims here: This caught my eye because I've lost several family members to dementia and wanted to put it up for discussion. I mean, this would be great news if true, and not woo.
https://nypost.com/2019/03/13/eating-mushrooms-may-cut-your-chances-of-dementia-in-half-study/
The study being cited:
http://news.nus.edu.sg/research/mushrooms-reduce-cognitive-declineA team from the Department of Psychological Medicine and Department of Biochemistry at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has found that seniors who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly may have 50 per cent reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms with an average weight of around 150 grams. Two portions would be equivalent to approximately half a plate. While the portion sizes act as a guideline, it was shown that even one small portion of mushrooms a week may still be beneficial to reduce chances of MCI.
“This correlation is surprising and encouraging. It seems that a commonly available single ingredient could have a dramatic effect on cognitive decline,” said Assistant Professor Feng Lei, who is from NUS Psychological Medicine, and the lead author of this work.
The six-year study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2017, collected data from more than 600 Chinese seniors over the age of 60 living in Singapore. The study was carried out with support from the Life Sciences Institute and the Mind Science Centre at NUS, as well as the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council. The results were published online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on 12 March 2019.
Depending on the specifics of the study, might just be correlation. Those consuming a lot of mushrooms are probably eating a high-vegetable, varied diet. Mushrooms are often in things like stir fry and soup where lots of healthy, nutritious ingredients tend to be agglomerated together. Higher mushroom consumption might just tend to correlate to a healthier, varied, more nutritious diet in general.
Quite possible. If that's the case I need to up my veggie intake, not to mention there is never a bad reason to have more mushrooms
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i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea
Mushrooms have a taste?6 -
magnusthenerd wrote: »i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea
Mushrooms have a taste?
slimy and weird7 -
I'll be following this with interest. I love mushrooms and I'm old, so...
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Okay, let me be the first to coin the phrase, "Magic Mushrooms."
Oh, wait...11 -
i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea
Someone around here (Amusedmonkey, maybe? Not sure.) suggested putting ground, dried mushrooms and lentils in tomato sauce, for use as a pasta sauce or the like. The lentils are perceivable texurally, but the ground up dried mushrooms just add sort of a subtle heartiness to it, and I don't think there could possibly be sliminess from powder. (Not sure, though, because I like mushrooms. But I don't notice mushroom-texture in it, even with a good jolt of mushrooms used. You just put regular dried mushrooms in a food processor, and grind them to dust.)
So, consider trying ground, dried mushrooms in soups, stews, sauces. Start with a little and work up, maybe?
Personally, I hope this study is true. I like mushrooms a lot, and have been buying a big ol' 24-oz box of them (white or cremini/baby bella) every couple of weeks when I got to Costco, which is maybe 25-30 mushrooms, I call it two servings. They have few calories, good volume, a rich flavor, and some protein (incomplete). I also like keeping a bag or two of the chewier types (Shiitake and the like) in the freezer, for stir-fry use.
In addition to the useful point @anthocyanina made about the risks/limitations of a rush to define "superfoods", it seems like we also (as a society) seem to have a tendency to identify a health benefit from food, then zero in quickly on a key ingredient (in this case the ergothioneine), extract or synthesize it, and put it in meal replacement powders, supplement powders, etc., where it may or may not have the benefits it has in a real-food context.5 -
magnusthenerd wrote: »i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea
Mushrooms have a taste?
slimy and weird
I generally put slimy into the texture category, and I don't know what weird is as a taste besides times I've licked myself.
Might be the preparation of the mushrooms. I could see canned as being slimy, but fresh, I think of them as being more rubbery and dry in texture.
I seriously just don't notice any real flavor to them, just the texture aspect.0 -
TheRoadDog wrote: »Ate a lot of mushrooms back in the 70's. Gave me temporary dementia.
Life changing stuff.3 -
I love mushrooms and have them a few times a week so hopefully there is some truth in it
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magnusthenerd wrote: »i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea
Mushrooms have a taste?
To me, they taste kind of earthy, savory, and rich. I'm a fan of the taste, but I can see how people could dislike it.4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »magnusthenerd wrote: »i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea
Mushrooms have a taste?
To me, they taste kind of earthy, savory, and rich. I'm a fan of the taste, but I can see how people could dislike it.
Yes please. Sauteed in olive oil, butter and garlic....I want some now.6 -
I read that article the other day and was intrigued as well (being old and all ) Ignoring the "Eat mushrooms to reduce your chance of dementia!" hype I thought it was an encouraging exploratory study and am delighted that they are following up with other studies to narrow down the source of the apparent benefit. I think they'd be able to start human trial fairly soon (probobly as soon as funding is available) since it just involves food (or derivitives) that we already know is safe and doesn't supplant any regular treatment patients would be receiving. 3
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I use them in my mock liver every week. 340 grams mushrooms, 227 grams green beans, and an onion sauted on medium-high heat for 10 minutes in a teaspoon of oil. Into the food processor with 1/4 cup walnut pieces and 1/4 cup water plus salt and pepper to taste. Process to desired consistency.
I'll also throw them into stir-fries and there's the end of a package sitting in my slow-cooker stew right now.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »magnusthenerd wrote: »i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea
Mushrooms have a taste?
To me, they taste kind of earthy, savory, and rich. I'm a fan of the taste, but I can see how people could dislike it.
Yes please. Sauteed in olive oil, butter and garlic....I want some now.
eating some right now. Sauteed with butter-flavored oil spray, some sesame oil, garlic, onion, zucchini, collard greens, canned chicken, black olives, and water chestnuts.4 -
Here's great recipe for mushrooms. Sautee them in Butter. When they are done, add red wine and reduce. Once reduced add Bleu Cheese. Serve over steak.8
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the renaissance fair by us has portabella burgers and butter and garlic button mushrooms and they all smell wonderful but nope. they go in my mouth and then come right back out. can't even force a swallow
but that's an interesting idea about ground mushroom
Do you have actual gagging / retching reactions to them? I had issues like as a child towards most vegetables, even something I'd call similarly low in flavor like lettuce. Overtime I just powered through it so that it took more to elicit a reaction until at this point in my life I usually have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables as part of lunch.1 -
magnusthenerd wrote: »the renaissance fair by us has portabella burgers and butter and garlic button mushrooms and they all smell wonderful but nope. they go in my mouth and then come right back out. can't even force a swallow
but that's an interesting idea about ground mushroom
Do you have actual gagging / retching reactions to them? I had issues like as a child towards most vegetables, even something I'd call similarly low in flavor like lettuce. Overtime I just powered through it so that it took more to elicit a reaction until at this point in my life I usually have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables as part of lunch.
depends on the day. somedays brain won't swallow. other days, the brains says the whole stomach is infected with mushrooms and a system flush is needed
i want to like mushrooms 1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »magnusthenerd wrote: »i don't do mushrooms. i want to. but i just not a fan of taste and/or texture
but i like cooking and so many wonderful dishes include mushrooms
one more reason for me to try to acclimate my tastebuds if this study and studies like it continue to support the idea
Mushrooms have a taste?
To me, they taste kind of earthy, savory, and rich. I'm a fan of the taste, but I can see how people could dislike it.
Yes please. Sauteed in olive oil, butter and garlic....I want some now.
It's almost morel season here.
I rarely get some, but possibly the best food on earth, in my world. Yes to "earthy, savory and rich", and then some. Plus, if you're not careful, you have an opportunity to eat your RDA of tiny ants. (As a veggie, I avoid this.)
(NB the commercial morels are OK, the usually-fresher wild ones much better, richer. Maybe the commercial ones would be as good if I could ever find properly fresh ones: The ones sold as "fresh" are kind of dried-out, because that happens fairly fast. I've only had home-dried wild ones once that I can recall, and remember them as richer than dried ones that are commercially available.)
I completely can't relate to thinking mushrooms don't have much flavor, in general. They're a classic umami flavor. Some are more flavorful than others, usually the darker ones richer; the flavor comes out better cooked, in most, IMO. But most of them, full of delicious flavor. (The canned ones don't have much, and that not very good IMO.)
I don't think of the texture as slimy, but I can kind of see how someone could.3
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