Mushrooms contain antioxidants that protect themselves from damage.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Besides being delicious, eat it mold been found to contribute to lowering the risk of depression. This refers to a study published in Journal of Affective Disorders.
Researchers used data on diet and mental health collected from 24,000 U.S. adults between 2005 and 2016, and found that people who ate mushrooms had a lower chance of developing depression.
According to researchers, mushrooms contain ergothioneine namely antioxidants that can protect against cell and tissue damage in the body. Antioxidants also help prevent some mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.
“Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of the amino acid ergothioneine, an anti-inflammatory that cannot be synthesized by humans, which can lower the risk of oxidative stress, which can also reduce symptoms of depression,” said study leader Djibril Ba, who recently graduated from a doctoral program in epidemiology. at the College of Medicine at Penn State.
White button mushrooms, the most commonly consumed type of mushroom in the US, contain potassium, which is believed to reduce anxiety. In addition, certain other fungal species, notably Hericium erinaceus, also known as Lion’s Mane, can stimulate the expression of neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor synthesis, which may have an impact on the prevention of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression.
According to the researchers, non-Hispanic white women with college education were more likely to eat mushrooms. The median age of the participants surveyed was 45, and the majority (66 percent) were non-Hispanic whites.
The researchers observed a significant association between mushroom consumption and a lower likelihood of depression after taking into account sociodemography, other major risk factors, lifestyle and diet. However, they said that there was no clear added benefit with the relatively high intake of mushrooms.
“This study adds to the list of possible health benefits of eating mushrooms,” said Joshua Muscat, professor of public health sciences and a researcher at the Penn State Cancer Institute. Futurity, Wednesday (13/10).
The team conducted a secondary analysis to see if replacing one serving of red or processed meat with one daily serving of mushrooms lowered the risk of depression. However, the findings suggest that this substitution is not associated with a lower likelihood of depression.
Prior to this study, there were few studies examining the association between mushroom consumption and depression, and most were clinical trials with fewer than 100 participants. The researchers say that the study highlights the potential clinical and public health importance of mushroom consumption as a means to reduce depression and prevent other illnesses.
However, the researchers noted several limitations for this study, one of which was related to the data on mushroom species that were not yet detailed. As a result, the researchers were unable to determine the effect of certain types of mushrooms on depression.
The researchers also stated there was no conflict of interest or specific funding support.
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