White champignon mushrooms fight diabetes: here’s how many to eat every day

An international research team has shown that champignon mushrooms are valuable allies in fighting diabetes and other metabolic diseases linked to glucose. A daily portion of 85 grams, in fact, modifies the intestinal microbiome by increasing the colonies of Prevotella bacteria, producers of fatty acids able to regulate glucose levels.

A portion of 85 grams a day of champignon mushrooms (white variety) can protect us from diabetes. This was discovered by an international research team led by researchers from the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of Pennsylvania, who collaborated with colleagues from the Wuhan Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The researchers, coordinated by Margherita T. Cantorna, professor of molecular immunology at the College of Agricultural Sciences of the American University, have shown that these mushrooms can modify the intestinal microbiome, favoring the growth of bacteria able to regulate levels of glucose in the liver. The resulting effect is so positive that it can not only help us fight and prevent diabetes, but also a series of metabolic diseases linked to the absorption of sugar.

To demonstrate the beneficial effects of white champignon mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), one of the best-selling and appreciated species in the world, Cantorna and colleagues have conducted some experiments with mice, feeding them with a daily portion of mushrooms equivalent to 85 grams for a human. From the analysis of the bacterial flora of the treated rodents, it has been highlighted a real ‘boom' in the colonies of bacteria of the genus Prevotella, known for its ability to produce short chain fatty acids able to regulate the levels of sugar in the body. In fact, they act directly on the genes involved in the management of glucose (intestinal gluconeogenesis): the main authors of this process are the fatty acids propionate and succinate, which in the murine models have clearly shown to improve glucose homeostasis.

"Better management of glucose has implications for diabetes, as well as for other metabolic diseases," said the study's lead author, adding that a change in the diet changes the intestinal flora and that the latter has obvious beneficial effects for the our health. As is known, in fact, diabetes is linked to insulin deficiencies, the hormone that regulates glucose levels, and that is precisely for this that mushrooms can be very precious allies in defending ourselves from the pathology. The details of the research were published in the specialized scientific magazine Journal of Functional Foods.

Read the article: https://hhd.psu.edu/nutrition/research/research-labs-and-initiatives/cardiometabolic-nutrition-research-lab/avocado-study