Eat this food twice a week to keep your brain healthy, scientists say

As you get older, cognitive health is the key. According to a new report, there are foods that can keep your brain in good shape at any age.

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Researchers at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore recently completed a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease to determine the badociation between mild cognitive impairment and fungi.

The MCI is defined as "the stage between the cognitive decline of normal aging and the more severe decline of dementia," the authors said in a statement. People with MCI may have memory loss and forgetfulness or have problems with language, attention, and visual perception.

For the evaluation, the team examined 600 Chinese adults over 60 for six years. They followed their diets, conducted interviews and administered standard neuropsychological tests, which measure a person's cognitive abilities.

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After badyzing the results, they found that mushroom consumption was beneficial. In fact, those who consume more than two standard servings of mushrooms a week are 50% less likely to get MCI. One serving was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms.

"This correlation is surprising and encouraging. It seems that only one commonly available ingredient could have a dramatic effect on cognitive decline, "said co-author, Feng Lei.

They noted six mushrooms in the study: walleye, oyster, shiitake, white button, dried and canned mushrooms. However, they said that other types could also have positive effects.

Scientists believe that there is a specific compound in all varieties of fungi that reduces the prevalence of MCI.

"We are very interested in a compound called ergothioneine (ET)," he said. "ET is a unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that humans are unable to synthesize on their own. But it can be obtained from food sources, one of the main ones being mushrooms. "

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Analysts said that other compounds in mushrooms could also be beneficial.

The team now plans to test the effects of pure ET compound and other herbal ingredients. They hope to identify other foods that could be linked to healthy brain aging and reduced risk of age-related conditions.

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