Mushroom consumption impacts on biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease risk and immune function: a narrative review from a whole food perspective

Abstract

Consuming whole mushrooms (fresh and dried) aligns with the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Accumulating evidence suggests consuming mushrooms may improve biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease risk, inflammation, and immune function. In this review, we summarize the evidence assessing whole mushroom consumption as part of a self-chosen diet and healthy dietary pattern. Consistently, consuming mushrooms as part of a self-chosen diet decreased serum triglycerides and had no effect on HDL, LDL, and C-reactive protein, a biomarker of inflammation. Limited evidence indicated positive effects (increase) on salivary immunoglobulin A, a biomarker of immunity, and positive impacts on blood pressures. When consumed as part of a healthy dietary pattern, mushrooms decreased serum glucose. Evidence for other biomarkers was mixed (neutral, positive) or was insufficient (<3 studies). No evidence indicated negative effects of consuming mushrooms on any outcome of interest. Noteworthy, more mushrooms were consumed in experimental studies (13–300 g/d wet weight) than amounts typically consumed by the public (1.4–1.6 kg/y, equating to ≈4 g/d, in the United States). Collectively, these results support consuming mushrooms for cardiometabolic health, and the paucity of information justifies further research on mushroom consumption and immune-related outcomes.