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Mushrooms may elevate the immune system

For centuries, edible mushrooms have been touted as a food that preserves youth, longevity, and overall health

For centuries, edible mushrooms have been touted as a food that preserves youth, longevity, and overall health. Now nutrition researchers from Arizona State University and Penn State are finding that they also may boost the immune system and reduce inflammation, especially in the colon. Keith R. Martin, assistant professor in nutrition, along with his Penn State colleagues, experimented with various types of mushrooms, from the more common white button to the exotic such as shiitake and oyster, to see what sort of effect they had on the immune system. In a paper published in BMC Immunology, the researchers wrote: “We found that the white button mushroom seemed to be the most effective in boosting the immune system, which is good because they are the most affordable.”