Are Common Edible Mushrooms an Answer to Healthier Diets for Global Nutrition Given their Sustainability, Nutrient Density, and Health-Promoting Bioactives?

Introduction

Mushrooms, a fairly uncommon food source in the US belonging to the Fungi kingdom, share characteristics with both plants and animals, making them a unique source of critical nutrients and quality protein. They also contain significant amounts of bioactive compounds and, when exposed to UV light, vitamin D2. Adaptable to many climate conditions and grown globally year-round indoors at low costs, mushrooms are a useful crop in low-income countries. Herein, we looked for evidence that mushrooms may be a promising food source worldwide for future healthier diets.

Methodology

A non-exhaustive literature search of PubMed was performed to find recent epidemiological and dietary intervention studies examining health outcomes related to mushroom bioactive components: Ergothioneine, Beta-glucans, Glutathione, and Vitamin D2.

Results

Several epidemiology studies, but not all, showed positive health outcomes associated with mushroom consumption. A Korean study found that an individual's level of mushroom consumption was correlated with their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Other US and Chinese studies showed a decrease in all-cause mortality linked to mushroom intake. Greater mushroom consumption was associated with lower serum CRP and triglycerides, attributed to beta-glucans, while some dietary interventions showed benefits from reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, but others showed no cardiovascular benefits. Correlations between mushroom consumption and lower rates of lung and prostate cancer and cognitive decline were also reported.

Conclusions

Recent studies have shown correlations between mushroom intake and positive health outcomes, highlighting the potential of mushrooms as a healthy food source; however, some studies do not support definitive conclusions about the link between mushroom intake and reduced disease risk, a subject requiring further study. Moreover, mushrooms have a clear potential to improve nutritional intake even in times of climate crisis disrupting traditional agriculture, since they can be sustainably grown without irrigation and valuable land use.