School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights Road, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 6ES, UK.
Nutrients. 2024 Jan 25;16(3):353. doi: 10.3390/nu16030353.
The previous literature suggests that regular consumption of edible mushrooms may confer neuroprotective cognitive health benefits. To further investigate the possible association between mushrooms and brain function during ageing, data from a population-based study of diet and chronic disease (EPIC-Norfolk cohort) were analysed. Changes in mushroom intake were measured using a food frequency questionnaire at three health check (HC) points over an 18-year period, with participants categorised based on their consumption frequency. Cognitive performance was assessed at the final health check (3HC) via a battery of validated tests assessing a range of different cognitive domains. The findings revealed a significant reduction in mushroom intake over time, with 4.12% of the cohort giving up mushrooms after previously consuming them. At 3HC, mushroom consumers displayed better cognitive performance than non-consumers across multiple cognitive domains. This relationship was observed to be dose-dependent, with those consuming 1 or more portions per week showing the highest cognitive scores. These findings suggest that regular mushroom consumption may be beneficial for cognitive function during aging. Further randomised controlled trials will be needed to confirm any potential benefits of mushrooms on long-term cognitive health, alongside public health initiatives to promote mushroom consumption in this older-adult demographic.
先前的文献表明，经常食用食用蘑菇可能对认知健康具有神经保护作用。为了进一步研究蘑菇与衰老过程中大脑功能之间的可能关联，对基于人群的饮食与慢性病研究（EPIC-Norfolk 队列）的数据进行了分析。在 18 年的时间里，通过三次健康检查（HC）使用食物频率问卷来测量蘑菇摄入量的变化，参与者根据其消费频率进行分类。在最后一次健康检查（3HC）中，通过一系列评估不同认知领域的经过验证的测试来评估认知表现。研究结果显示，蘑菇摄入量随着时间的推移呈显著下降趋势，在之前食用蘑菇的人群中，有 4.12%的人放弃了食用蘑菇。在 3HC，蘑菇消费者在多个认知领域的认知表现优于非消费者。这种关系呈剂量依赖性，每周食用 1 份或多份蘑菇的人表现出最高的认知评分。这些发现表明，经常食用蘑菇可能对衰老过程中的认知功能有益。还需要进行随机对照试验，以确认蘑菇对长期认知健康的任何潜在益处，并采取公共卫生措施，促进这一年龄段的老年人食用蘑菇。
