by Mushrooms could unknowingly strengthen your heart.
Professors from Purdue University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences published a review of 22 original studies Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Earlier this month I analyzed the health effects of eating mushrooms.
Researchers analyzed how consuming mushrooms, whether as part of a self-selected diet or as part of a health improvement plan, may affect the risk of cardiometabolic diseases – a group of diseases that include heart disease and stroke.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, research found that regular consumption of mushrooms lowered triglycerides, a common fat in the body. High triglyceride levels can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Those who consumed mushrooms either as a result of a healthy eating plan or a self-selected diet had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. It was also found that consuming mushrooms as part of a self-selected diet was associated with reduced diastolic blood pressure.
“Given the association between elevated triglycerides and blood pressure, as well as the risk of cardiovascular disease, these results underscore the healthiness of including mushrooms in the usual diet,” the review states.
According to the report, mushroom consumption is low in the United States. Nevertheless, “both regular and gradual consumption of mushrooms as part of a self-selected diet” could reduce the deficiency of essential nutrients in our daily diet and reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
While it’s not clear from research how many mushrooms we need to eat daily to reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke, the Mayo Clinic suggested that including just two medium-sized mushrooms in meals per day can help reduce the risk of cancer by 45 percent.
Mushrooms are also a good source of B vitamins, which contribute to heart and brain health, as well as vitamin D, which “helps the body absorb calcium and strengthen bones and teeth.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States, and “every 34 seconds, a person dies from cardiovascular disease. In 2023 alone, 919,032 people died from cardiovascular disease.”
Of course, mushrooms aren’t the only foods that can be eaten for health reasons. A recent study published in the Molecular nutrition and food research found that increased orange juice consumption could improve heart health.
By studying 20 healthy people who drank two cups of 100 percent orange juice daily for 60 days, researchers tracked changes in 1,705 genes in the participants’ immune cells and found changes in gene expression linked to blood pressure, inflammation and metabolism. The study “thus reinforces the therapeutic potential of OJ.”
“It suggests that it may improve blood pressure regulation, lipid metabolism and inflammation, among other things, by modulating gene expression, contributing to cardiovascular health benefits.”
The results showed that drinking orange juice daily for two months helped regulate blood pressure and reduce inflammation, especially in healthy individuals.
