2019-07-01+Health+&+Fitness

I’ma bigmushroomfan– they’reso
versatileinstir-fries,soups,saladsand
casseroles,andtheyprovidea lovely,
meatytexturethatbeliestheircalorie
countofjustsevencaloriesper100g.
ThefabfungiprovideplentyofB vitamins

• essentialforyourcellstoreleaseenergy


• andarea goodsourceofpotassium,
  whichcankeephighbloodpressurein
  check.TheyalsoprovidelotsofvitaminD
  if grownin orexposedtosunlight.
  Butthere’snowotherexcitingnewsabout
  theversatileveg:accordingtoresearch
  attheNationalUniversityofSingapore,
  eatingthemregularlyis linkedtobetter
  brainfunctionlaterin life.Theresearchers
  foundthatseniorswhoatemorethan300g
  ofcookedmushroomsa weekwerehalfas
  likelytohavemildcognitiveimpairment
  (MCI)– a conditionwhichseesa declinein
  memoryandthinkingskills,alsolinkedwith
  higherriskof Alzheimer’sandotherforms
  of dementia.Theresearchersbelievethe
  reasonforthereducedprevalenceof MCI
  in mushroom-eatersmaybedowntoa

compoundcalledergothioneinefoundin
virtuallyalltypesofmushrooms.Theones
usedin thestudyincludedoyster,shiitake
andgolden,butalsohumblebutton
mushroom,sofanciertypesaren’tbetter.
It’struethiswasonlya correlationstudy,
andnotactualproofthatmushrooms
directlyprotectthebrain,butgiventhey
aresoeasyandenjoyabletoeat– notto
mentioninexpensive– I’mdefinitelygoing
tomakeit mymissiontoeatmore:300g
a weekis onlythreetofoursmallservings,
soit’seasytodo.

NUTRITION EXPERT

H&F’s nutritionist Amanda Hamilton digests this month’s diet news

‘

Eatingmushrooms

regularlyis linked

tobetterbrain

functionin laterlife’

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a natural oil

extracted from hemp (part of the cannabis

plant family) that’s gaining popularity in the

natural health world. CBD is legal and

doesn’t have psychoactive eff ects, but

evidence suggests it may have health

benefi ts, including weight control. A 2012

Reading University study found it made

rats eat less – but the evidence from

humans isn’t available yet. It also looks

likely that CBD encourages the formation

of more brown fat cells, which burn off

more energy as heat, but again the

implications for weight loss aren’t yet clear.

I think CBD is potentially exciting as a

complementary weight-loss strategy, but

there are lots of unknowns. If you want to

lose weight and also have anxiety or aches

and pains, it could be worth a try, as the

oil is said to help with relaxation, too.

Healthspan’s High Strength 250mg

CBD (£15.95 for 10ml) is a reputable

product, but follow the advice to start

low and build up gradually.

CBD FOR WEIGHT LOSS

BRAIN BOOSTER?

Cannabidiol

could be an

exciting weight-

loss tool – but

research is still

ongoing.

BATTLEOF THE GREENS

Q Whichis betterforme– spinachorkale?

A Both are nutritious greens with similarly high amounts of calcium and

vitamin K, which are required for healthy bones, plus potassium, which helps

keep blood pressure healthy. Spinach wins for iron and magnesium content

(both are important energy nutrients) but is higher in oxalic acid, which can

reduce how many of these important minerals you absorb. If cooked by lightly

wilting, both greens will reduce the oxalic acid they contain. Kale wins in

vitamin C content – it’s around four times richer – and is also higher in lutein, an

antioxidant that’s thought to help protect against macular degeneration, the

leading cause of age-related eyesight loss. I wouldn’t say one is better than the

other, as they both have merits and are good for you, but eat them regularly.