Eating mushrooms can reduce the risk of depression

Mushrooms made headlines because of their many health advantages

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University used the diet and mental health data of more than 24,000 American adults collected from 2005 to 2016

Researchers say that mushrooms contain lysergic acid, which is an antioxidant that protects human cells and tissues from damage

"Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of the amino acid ergothionine, which is an anti-inflammatory substance that humans cannot synthesize," said lead researcher Jibril Ba, who recently graduated from the medical school's doctoral program in epidemiology

White button mushroom is the most commonly eaten mushroom species in the United States.

Researchers say that non-Hispanic white women with college education prefer to eat mushrooms

Joshua Muscat, a researcher at the Cancer Institute of Pennsylvania State University and a professor of public health sciences, said: "The health benefits that may be brought by eating mushrooms are increasing, and this study adds one more

The research team conducted a second analysis to see if replacing a portion of red or processed meat with a portion of mushrooms per day can reduce the risk of depression

Prior to this study, few studies examined the relationship between edible fungi and depression, and most were clinical trials with less than 100 participants

The researchers pointed out some limitations that may be addressed in future studies

DOI

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