Mind Your Mushrooms

Adding fungi to your meals might hold the key to balancing mind and body.

- HEATHER ADAMS

Mushrooms are popping up everywhere. They're getting sprinkled into your morning coffee, appearing in supplements and taking over as a hearty, tasty plant-based meat alternative. Why is everyone going mad for mushrooms? They're mini nutritional powerhouses - and now scientists are finding that they may also be beneficial for your mental health. According to new research, adding more mushrooms into your daily diet may help assuage mental health ailments like anxiety and depression.

A new study from researchers at Penn State College of Medicine took a close look at mushroom consumption and individuals' mental health. The researchers looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which featured information from over 24,000 US adults from 2005 to 2016, noting how frequently individuals were eating mushrooms. From there, researchers compared that mushroom consumption with participants' self-reported levels of depression.

At the study's end, researchers found a connection between individuals who'd reported eating moderate-to-high levels of mushrooms and their risk for depression. Higher mushroom intake gave participants lower odds of experiencing depression or depression symptoms, compared to those who ate a small amount or none at all.