Mushroom intake and dementia risk in Japanese adults
What it found
In Japanese women, eating more mushrooms was linked to a lower risk of disabling dementia over about 16 years.
No such link was seen in men.
What they found
Studies in people
Dementia in women
Women who ate more mushrooms had a lower risk of total disabling dementia. Those eating above 15 grams a day had a lower risk than those eating none.
Dementia without stroke
The lower risk in women was only for dementia without a history of stroke. For dementia with a history of stroke, there was no clear link.
No link in men
In men, mushroom intake was not linked to the risk of disabling dementia.
Fibre adjustment
The link in women remained even after adjusting for soluble and insoluble fibre intake. This suggests other nutrients in mushrooms might be involved.
Studies in people and animals
Other studies
A small randomised trial in Japan found that yamabushitake mushroom powder improved cognitive function scores. Cross-sectional studies in Singapore, the USA and Norway also linked mushroom intake to better cognitive performance.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, mushroom intake was associated with a lower risk of incident disabling dementia, especially dementia without a history of stroke, among Japanese women.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that mushroom intake was associated with a lower risk of incident disabling dementia, especially dementia without a history of stroke, among Japanese women.
- They note that the reason for the difference between men and women is uncertain and call for more research.
How it was done
It is uncertain whether eating mushrooms, which are rich in fibre and antioxidants, is linked to a lower risk of dementia. The authors wanted to study this prospectively.
They followed 3739 people aged 40 to 64 in three Japanese communities for an average of 16 years. Mushroom intake was measured once at the start with a 24-hour diet recall, and cases of disabling dementia were recorded from 1999 to 2020.
What it can’t tell you
- This study followed people over time, so it can show a link but cannot prove that mushrooms cause the lower dementia risk.
- Diet was measured only once at the start, so eating habits may have changed during the follow-up.
- The study did not have data on specific dementia types, so it could not confirm which type was affected.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Tsukuba, Japan; Ibaraki Western Medical Center, Japan; Ehime University, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Mushroom intake and risk of incident disabling dementia: the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS)
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Aoki S, Yamagishi K, Maruyama K, et al (2024). Mushroom intake and risk of incident disabling dementia: the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS). The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S000711452400014XFree full textPubMed 38239014DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error