Replacing Red and Processed Meat With Mushrooms Linked to a Lower Risk of Early Death

Replacing a daily serving of red or processed meat with one serving of mushrooms lowers the risk of dying from any cause, according to a study published in Nutrition Journal. Researchers compared mushroom intake with all-cause and cause-specific mortality data from participants of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) extant data (1988–1994). Those who consumed more mushrooms had a lower risk for all-cause mortality when compared to those who did not eat mushrooms. Results also showed replacing one daily serving of red or processed meat with mushrooms was associated with a lower risk of death. A possible mechanism for the reduced risk includes the antioxidant properties of ergothioneine and glutathione, compounds associated with high mushroom intake. These findings support a previous meta-analysis that showed a protective effect of these same antioxidants against breast cancer.