S1E8: Can munching on half a plate of mushrooms a week slow mental decline? Health Check Ep 8

Health Check Ep 8: Can munching on half a plate of mushrooms a week slow mental decline?

9:46 mins

Synopsis: In this fortnightly podcast series on Wednesdays, The Straits Times guides you to healthier living and debunks the myths with expert guests.

ST correspondent Joyce Teo and podcasting head Ernest Luis host two experts from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore to discuss the results of the six-year study they had conducted on more than 600 Singaporeans aged 60 and above, to see the relation between consuming mushrooms and mental decline.

The study's principal investigator, Assistant Professor Feng Lei, who is from NUS' Department of Psychological Medicine, and Dr Irwin Cheah - a senior research fellow at the NUS Department of Biochemistry - are asked the following questions:

1. Can consuming more than two portions (300g or half a plate) of mushrooms each week, reduce the risk of having mild cognitive impairment?

2. It can help with Alzheimer's, but how about Parkinson's disease? 

3. The study focused on six types of mushrooms commonly eaten in Singapore. How about others like portobello? 

Mushrooms contain high levels of a compound known as ergothioneine. The compound acts as an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory agent, and can protect brain cells from damage.

Produced by: Joyce Teo and Ernest Luis

Edited by: Adam Azlee

Follow Health Check Podcast here and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/J6Wv 

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [email protected]

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

---

Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

---

Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#healthcheck

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.