The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.112)

TZU CHI 112 57 Ng Hui Ling A nutritionist with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and a Master’s degree in Sports Science, who served at the Singapore Heart Foundation before becoming self-employed, providing dietary consultations to vegetarians and writing a nutrition column for a health magazine. National University of Singapore announced their findings on the relationship between the consumption of various types of mushrooms and mild cognitive impairment. The researchers tracked the health status of 600 elderly Chinese over the age of 60 living inSingapore from2011 to 2017. The results of the study revealed that those who consumed more than 300g of mushrooms weekly had a 50 percent lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment as compared to those who consumed less than 150g of mushrooms. According to the researchers, existing scientific evidence is probably due to the high concentration of ergothioneine in mushrooms. Ergothioneine has antioxidant and anti- inflammatory properties that serve to protect brain cells, but the human body is incapable of producing ergothioneine by itself. Hence, the compound could only be derived from natural sources – mushrooms are among them. Despite the encouraging research findings, there is no reason to be hyped up over mushrooms, nor is there any cause for mushrooms to be celebrated as some kind of miracle food. There is also no need to resort to drastic measures to boost your mushroom intake to the extent of sweeping mushrooms clean off the supermarket shelves or swapping one’s normal diet to mushrooms three meals a day. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the protein content of mushrooms is relatively higher than other types of vegetables, which makes them a favourable food source for vegetarians. Mushrooms are also low in calories, but deep- frying them in batter for vegetarian dishes, not to mention smothering them in sweet and sour sauce, increases the calorie count significantly. Therefore, such dishes should be consumed in moderation. For non-vegetarians with insufficient vegetable intake, replacing meat-based ingredients with mushroom-based ones make for healthier alternatives, such as substituting hamburger patties with Portobello mushrooms, ham in sandwiches with button mushrooms and processed meat with marinated king oyster mushrooms. This is because meat is not only high in fat, but also contributes to high cholesterol levels. Mushrooms, on the contrary, are nutritious; they are rich in dietary fibre and contain beta-glucan, which strengthens the immune system. We all stand to load up on mushrooms like Super Mario does, while bulking up on spinach a la Popeye – mushrooms are indeed high in nutritional value, but it is of greater importance to adopt a balanced, diverse diet. Note: Ergothioneine is an amino acid and a diet- derived antioxidant found mainly in mushrooms.