Mushrooms

2 papers3 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

2 independent labs in 2 countries

Funders: National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology and 2 more

Humans2

Outcomes

Working memory

upin humans1

1 study

Mushrooms improve working memory in humans (β1 = 0.974, p = 0.0352; β2 = 2.209, p = 0.0447).
“higher mushroom consumption was linked to better performance on forward digit span (full-adjusted spline terms β1 = 1.192, p = 0.0117; β2 = 2.549, p = 0.0235) and reverse digit span”
Humansmean follow-up duration 10.5 ± 6.1 yearsn = 3,162
Association between mushroom consumption and digit span performance among middle-aged and older community-dwelling Japanese: the NILS-LSA project
Food & function17 Mar 2026

Short-term memory

upin humans1

1 study

Mushrooms improve short-term memory in humans (β1 = 1.192, p = 0.0117; β2 = 2.549, p = 0.0235).
“higher mushroom consumption was linked to better performance on forward digit span”
Humansmean follow-up duration 10.5 ± 6.1 yearsn = 3,162
Association between mushroom consumption and digit span performance among middle-aged and older community-dwelling Japanese: the NILS-LSA project
Food & function17 Mar 2026

Successful aging

no changein humans1OR 1.09

1 study

Mushrooms have no effect on successful aging in humans (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.94-1.27).
“No significant associations were observed for mushrooms (OR = 1.09; 95% CI: 0.94-1.27) and tea consumption shows a borderline significant association (OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.00-1.28).”
Humans
Dietary habits and successful aging in Chinese older adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the CLHLS
Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique17 Nov 2025