New Research Ties Mushrooms to Potential Health Outcomes

24 Apr 2013 --- New research published as abstracts in The FASEB Journal and presented at Experimental Biology 2013 (EB 2013) ties mushrooms to potential health outcomes – demonstrating that mushrooms provide more to a dish than just flavor.

Nine mushroom research abstracts were presented at Experimental Biology this week, which found:

• Weight Loss and Maintenance: A one-year, randomized clinical trial found that substituting white button mushrooms for red meat can be a useful strategy for enhancing and maintaining weight loss.1 (Lawrence Cheskin, M.D., F.A.C.P., Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD)

• Better Diet Quality: Mushroom consumption is associated with better diet quality and increased intake of some nutrients according to an analysis of adult participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2001-2010).2 (Carol O'Neil, Ph.D., R.D., Louisiana State University, Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA)
 
• Vitamin D levels: Randomized studies of healthy adults show that eating dried white button mushroom extract containing vitamin D2 can be as effective at increasing and maintaining vitamin D levels (25–hydroxyvitamin D) as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or vitamin D3.3,4,5 (Michael F. Holick PhD., M.D. Department of Medicine, Section Endocrinology, Nutrition And Diabetes, Boston University Medical Center)
 
• Impact on Immunity: Results from a human nutrition intervention show that supplementing the diet with one or two servings of dried shiitake mushrooms is immuno-modulatory and suggests positive impact on human immunity.6,7 Additional research presented establishes further need for sharing widely the health benefits, including immunity, of consuming mushrooms.8 (Susan Percival, Ph.D., Food Science & Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL)
 
Dietary supplementation of white button mushrooms in mice may enhance the adaptive immunity response to salmonella, at least in part.9 (Dayong Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA)
 
1 Poddar K.H., Ames M., Chen H., et al., (2013) Positive effect of white button mushrooms when substituted for meat on body weight and composition changes during weight loss and weight maintenance – A one-year randomized clinical trial. FASEB J. 27, 852.4.
 
2 O'Neil C.E., Nicklas T.A., Fulgoni III V.L., (2013) Mushroom consumption is associated with increased nutrient intakes and better diet quality in adult participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001–2010). FASEB J. 27, Ib350.

3 Willams J., Lu Z., and Holick M.F., (2013) Mushrooms not only Produce Vitamin D2 but can also Produce Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D4. FASEB J. 27, 794.6.
 
4 Keegan R., and Holick M.F., (2013) Isolation and identification of vitamin D2 and photobyproducts. FASEB J. 27, 794.5.
 
5 Bogusz J., Pagonis G., and Holick M.F., (2013) Evaluation of the bioavailability of vitamin D2 in mushrooms in healthy adults. FASEB J. 27, 794.4.
 
6 Dai X., Stanilka J.M., Rowe C.A., et al., (2013) Consumption of Lentinula edodes modulates human immune function by altering cytokine secretion of PBMC ex vivo. FASEB J. 27, 643.15.
 
7 Stanilka J.M., Rowe C.A., Creasy R. A., et al., (2013) Lentinula edodes Consumption: Proliferation, Activation and Modification of Memory and Naive Innate Immune Cell Populations. FASEB J. 27, 643.17.
 
8 Tejera C., House L.A., and Percival S.S., (2013) Consumer knowledge, attitudes and behaviors about foods that have immune benefits: focus on mushrooms. FASEB J. 27, 643.14.
 
9 Wang, J., Niu X., Du X., et al., (2013) Dietary supplementation with white button mushroom augments the protective immune response to Salmonella vaccine in mice