FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 01 | AUG/SEP 2019 | WDDTY 9
UPFRONTMUSHROOMS
PROTECT AGAINST
MEMORY LOSS
Mushrooms can reduce the risk of breast
cancer by 64 percent—as WDDTY’s March issue
revealed—and they can also keep you mentally sharp
as you get older.
Just two servings a week reduce the risk of
mild cognitive decline (MCI)—such as occasional
memory loss or lapses in concentration—by
around 50 percent. MCI is generally seen as early-
stage dementia.
Although nobody is quite sure why mushrooms have such a
therapeutic effect, researchers think it has to do with a compound
called ergothioneine, which is found in most types of mushroom.
Researchers from the National University of Singapore studied
the effects of various mushrooms—such as golden, oyster, shiitake
and white button—on a group of 663 people aged 60 and older
for six years.
The researchers tested the group on a range of cognitive,
language and visuospatial skills as well as recording how much and
what types of mushrooms the participants were eating.
They discovered the optimum amount for MCI protection was
one serving, which equates to three-quarters of a cup of cooked
mushrooms or 150 g, twice a week.
The mushrooms’ protective effects were “surprising and
encouraging,” the researchers said.
J Alzheimers Dis, 2019; 68: 197–You don’t
need a pill—
psychological placebos
work, too
All placebos work—and that’s true for the psychological type as well,
researchers have found.
Placebo pills are often found to be as effective as the drug they're compared
against—suggesting it’s the mind or perception of the person that matters
more than the chemical agent—and the same is just as true for purely
psychological placebos, when nothing is physically being taken.
Researchers from the University of Basel tested the theory on a group
of 421 people, who were shown the color green in a series of video
experiments. However, some saw the color without explanation,
while others saw it with a narrative that the colour was calming
and had a positive effect on emotions.
Those who heard the narrative reported a greater
sense of wellbeing afterwards, and these
positive feelings lasted for a week.
Sci Rep, 2019; 9: 1421GARLIC
AND ONIONS
PROTECT
AGAINST
BOWEL CANCER
Allium vegetables—garlic, leeks and
onions—have a powerful protective effect on bowel
(colorectal) cancer, the world’s third most common cancer.
People who regularly eat the vegetables lower their risk
of developing the cancer by 79 percent, a new study has
discovered.
Around 1.4 million people around the world develop
colorectal cancer every year, and it’s usually associated with
growing older and eating a poor diet.
Researchers from the First Hospital of China Medical
University say there is a direct link between the amount of
allium vegetables in the diet and their protective effect—in
other words, the more you eat, the lower your chances of
developing the cancer.
They matched 833 colorectal cancer patients against 833
healthy controls and assessed the diets of both groups.
Asia-Pac J Clin Oncol, 2019 Feb 20