Higher Mushroom Intake Associated with Lower Risk of Cognitive Decline

by | Jun 10, 2022 | 2022, Brain Health, Cognitive Health

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Participants in the highest mushroom intake group had reduced odds of cognitive decline, scoring higher on the CERAD-WL test (assesses new verbal learning) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (evaluates attention and processing speed). 

fruits and vegetables - mushroomsDementia, a serious form of cognitive impairment, is one of the most prevalent causes of disability in the elderly, affecting around 50 million people globally 1. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a state of cognition in between normal aging and dementia and is often the earliest detectable symptom of dementia 2. MCI is described as a subjective and objective decline in cognitive abilities from a previous level, with compensatory behavior being necessary in order to maintain proper functioning 3. Most modern treatments for dementia are symptomatic rather than disease-modifying, making novel therapeutic interventions an urgent need to curve the large increase in dementia-related cases worldwide 4.

One approach to the prevention of cognitive decline is through diet. In particular, mushrooms have been historically used to treat a variety of ailments 5. Mushrooms contain a robust variety of micronutrients and are rich in bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides such as β-glucans, fiber, vitamins, and the sulfur-containing antioxidants ergothioneines and glutathione which are crucial for proper detox 6. L-Ergothioneine (EGT) is known for its powerful antioxidant abilities and has been used to treat a variety of oxidative-stress related diseases 7. In animal studies, the active compounds in mushrooms has been shown to enhance the brain through neurological growth, along with having the ability to delay neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases 8.

Ba et al. conducted a study to examine the potential association between mushroom intake and cognitive abilities using data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey, assessing information gained from two cycles among older US adults: 2011-2012 and 2013-2014. Participants aged ≥60 years were included based on completion of two 24-h dietary recall from NHANES 2011-2014, with the additional completion of ≥1 of 4 cognitive assessments (n=2840). Cognitive assessment tests included the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Delayed Recall (CERAD-DR) and Word Learning (CERAD-WL) which examines new verbal learning and memory ability, the Animal Fluency (AF) to assess executive functioning, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) to evaluate attention and processing speed.

A variety of covariates were included in the analysis, including age, sex, ethnicity/race, education, smoking status, physical activity, history of chronic diseases, and diet assessment. Statistical analyses were performed using the SAS surveylogistic procedure to observe the association between mushroom consumption and low cognitive function using the cutoff scores of <14 for AF, <34 for DSST, <17 for CERAD-WL and <5 for CERAD-DR, adjusting for the covariates mentioned above. Mushroom consumptions was grouped into three categories: lowest (0g/4184 KJ (1000 kcal)/d, n 2737), middle (median intake=13.4 g/4184 KJ (1000kcal)/d, range=5.1, n 51) and highest (median intake=13.4 g/4184 KJ (1000 kcal)/d, range=92.4, n 52). Significant associations from the surveys are as follows:

  • Compared with the lowest intake group, participants in the highest group had higher scores for DSST (β=3.87; 95% CI 0.30, 7.45; P for trend = 0.03) and CERAD-WL (β=1.05; 95% CI 0.003, 2.10; P for trend = 0.04).
  • Using the multivariable logistic regression analysis, compared with the lowest intake group, those in the highest group of mushroom consumption had lower odds of scoring low on the DSST (adjusted OR = 0.29; 95% CI 0.11, 0.76; P for trend = 0.06) and on the CERAD-WL (adjusted OR = 0.43; 95% CI 0.18, 0.99; P for trend = 0.04).
  • Compared with the lowest mushroom intake group, those in the middle group had lower odds of scoring low on the CERAD-DR (adjusted OR = 0.36; 95% CI 0.14, 0.95) but not for the highest intake group (adjusted OR =1.41; 95% CI 0.58, 3.38) (P for trend = 0.61).

Analyses observed from the NHANES survey data of older US adults from 2011-2014 shows a significant association between higher mushroom intake and cognitive performance for DSST and CERAD-WL, suggesting that greater mushroom consumption may reduce the occurrence of cognitive impairment in adults ≥60 years. Limitations of the study include the potential for recall bias from the two 24-h recalls, the lack of information on specific types of mushrooms consumed, and the lack of information on the amount of ergothioneine and glutathione intake to better understand the potential association between antioxidant levels and cognitive decline.

Source: Ba, Djibril M., Xiang Gao, Laila Al-Shaar, Joshua Muscat, Vernon M. Chinchilli, Paddy Ssentongo, Robert B. Beelman, and John Richie. “Mushroom intake and cognitive performance among US older adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014.” British Journal of Nutrition (2022): 1-8.

© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

Click here to read the full text study.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

  1. Li W, Yue L, Xiao S. Association Between Internet Use, Cognitive Function, and Globus Pallidus Volumes: A Study Among the Elderly in Chinese Communities. Front Public Health. 2022;10:886974. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.886974
  2. Lin SY, Lin PC, Lin YC, et al. The Clinical Course of Early and Late Mild Cognitive Impairment. Front Neurol. 2022;13:685636. doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.685636
  3. Lanzi AM, Ellison JM, Cohen ML. The “Counseling+” Roles of the Speech-Language Pathologist Serving Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia From Alzheimer’s Disease. Perspect ASHA Spec Interest Groups. Oct 2021;6(5):987-1002. doi:10.1044/2021_persp-20-00295
  4. Budgett RF, Bakker G, Sergeev E, Bennett KA, Bradley SJ. Targeting the Type 5 Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor: A Potential Therapeutic Strategy for Neurodegenerative Diseases? Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:893422. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.893422
  5. Ba DM, Gao X, Al-Shaar L, et al. Prospective study of dietary mushroom intake and risk of mortality: results from continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2014 and a meta-analysis. Nutr J. Sep 21 2021;20(1):80. doi:10.1186/s12937-021-00738-w
  6. Ba DM, Gao X, Muscat J, et al. Association of mushroom consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among American adults: prospective cohort study findings from NHANES III. Nutr J. Apr 22 2021;20(1):38. doi:10.1186/s12937-021-00691-8
  7. Fu TT, Shen L. Ergothioneine as a Natural Antioxidant Against Oxidative Stress-Related Diseases. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:850813. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.850813
  8. Lewis JE, Poles J, Shaw DP, et al. The effects of twenty-one nutrients and phytonutrients on cognitive function: A narrative review. J Clin Transl Res. Aug 26 2021;7(4):575-620.