Analysis of a large proportion of people who eat mushrooms suggests that they have a lower risk of developing depression.
Encounter is still a mystery, and for now, authors say the details should be interpreted with caution. There is always the possibility that the effects are simply related, especially since eating too many mushrooms did not seem to reduce the risk of depression.
That being said, this is one of the first major lessons on looking at common mushroom use and depression. Includes dietary data and mental health of over 24,000 adults across the United States from 2005 to 2016.
The findings do not differentiate between different types of mushrooms, but it is consistent with a few clinical trials of small lion mushrooms (Hericium Erinaceus), which found that eating certain types of fungi can help reduce depression and anxiety.
"This study adds to the growing list of potential health benefits of eating mushrooms," said public health scientist Joshua Muscat of Pennsylvania State University.
What especially about other mushrooms that make them look good in our lives remains a mystery.
White-buttoned mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) are the most widely consumed fungi in the US and are high in potassium, thought to help reduce anxiety. Some edible mushrooms like the four lions are known to contain neurotrophic properties associated with brain health, as well as anti-inflammatory agents, which are thought to help alleviate symptoms of depression.
But food science is a deceptive business. Mushrooms contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can contribute to their obvious anti-depressant effects. Criticizing what features are playing will require more molecular, clinical, and epidemiological studies.
However, there is a powerful antioxidant known as ergothioneine contained in the fungi scientists are targeting. People can only get it by eating, and mushrooms have it at the highest level of any fresh food we eat.
In recent animal models, this antioxidant has been found to cross the blood-brain barrier throughout the body, suggesting that ergothioneine may have some effect on neurological health.
Some animal models suggest that this antioxidant plays a role in intestinal health, and, in some cases, neurons may also affect the human condition. Whether the same can be said of people is yet to be investigated.
"Mushrooms are an excellent source of food for the amino acid ergothioneine - an anti-inflammatory that can be made by humans," said Penn State epidemiologist Djibril Ba.
"Having high levels of this may reduce the risk of oxidative stress, which may also reduce symptoms of depression."
Still, that is a possible explanation. Further research into larger groups will require learning what is different about certain mushrooms and how those differences ultimately affect human health.
The data, in this case, came from the US Health and Nutrition Survey, in which participants across the country were asked to recall how many mushrooms they had eaten in the past two days. Their depression was then measured using a standard patient health questionnaire.
The observed association between mushroom use and low levels of depression was not due to other confusing factors, such as social status, economic status, risk factors for lifestyle, chronic disease, and medication use.
The people who are most likely to eat mushrooms are educated white women, who are not Spanish, according to the authors. But the link between depression became clear only when they compared mushroom eaters with non-eaters.
Among the group of mushroom eaters, those who ate the most did not appear to show any additional benefits.
In a further analysis of the data, the authors compared those who ate mushrooms per day with those who ate red or minced meat. Interestingly, a replacement was not associated with a lower risk of depression.
Obviously, there is still much we do not know about the relationship between mushrooms and mental health. But in view of how often relationships occur in studies, it is worthwhile to explore further.
"These findings highlight the potential importance of clinics and public health in the use of mushrooms as a means of reducing stress and preventing disease," the authors conclude.
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