Accessibility navigation


The relationship between mushroom intake and cognitive performance: an epidemiological study in the European Investigation of Cancer—Norfolk Cohort (EPIC-Norfolk)

Cha, S., Bell, L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0677-021X and Williams, C. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4452-671X (2024) The relationship between mushroom intake and cognitive performance: an epidemiological study in the European Investigation of Cancer—Norfolk Cohort (EPIC-Norfolk). Nutrients, 16 (3). 353. ISSN 2072-6643

[img]
Preview
Text (Open Access) - Published Version
· Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
· Please see our End User Agreement before downloading.

18MB

It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing.

To link to this item DOI: 10.3390/nu16030353

Abstract/Summary

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.

Item Type:Article
Refereed:Yes
Divisions:Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IDRCs) > Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN)
Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology
Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Neuroscience
Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Nutrition and Health
ID Code:115048
Uncontrolled Keywords:Epidemiological, older adults, mushroom intake, cognitive performance, global memory
Publisher:MDPI

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

University Staff: Request a correction | Centaur Editors: Update this record

Page navigation