A recent study by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that older adults who consume more mushrooms in their diet have a significantly lower risk of mild cognitive impairment than those who don’t.
Mild cognitive impairment is a condition defined by experts as the stage between the expected cognitive decline that occurs with age and the more serious decline caused by dementia. While mild cognitive impairment could increase an adult’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, this condition can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle adjustments and dietary interventions.
According to research, there is no single cause of mild cognitive impairment, but certain changes in the structure of the brain are often observed in people with this condition. These same changes can also be seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, albeit in a worse degree. Suffering from diabetes, stroke or depression is said to increase a person’s likelihood of developing mild cognitive impairment.
Although the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment are not as severe as those of Alzheimer’s or dementia, the condition can still impact quality of life. Common signs of mild cognitive impairment include being forgetful, having trouble coming up with words and losing things often. But unlike people with Alzheimer’s, those suffering from mild cognitive impairment do not experience personality changes and can still perform their daily activities by themselves.
A mushroom-rich diet can help prevent mild cognitive impairment
To understand how mushroom intake can affect brain function, the NUS researchers analyzed data from 663 Singaporeans aged 60 and above. This six-year study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, was conducted from 2011 to 2017 and looked in particular at the amount of mushrooms the participants consumed in a week.
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