Mushroom

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Memory and thinking²

  In older people with mild memory problems, Yamabushitake mushroom improved test scores, but scores dropped after they stopped taking it.

• Benefit

  Dementia risk in women³

  In women, eating mushrooms was linked to a lower risk of dementia, but men showed no such link.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Brain and nerve health⁴

  Lion's mane mushroom may help nerve growth, but scientists do not yet know whether it works in people.

• Benefit

  Health benefits of a food⁵

  Mushrooms are an edible source of antioxidants and phytonutrients with nutraceutical properties, including anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic ones.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.