Mushroom Ingestion Study

Mushroom Ingestion Study

The investigators propose to determine the effect of consuming 0, 1 or 2 servings of white button (Agaricus bisporus; most popular, lower ergothioneine) or yellow oyster (Pleurotus citrinopileatus; higher ergothioneine) mushrooms on postprandial changes in plasma levels and urinary excretions of mushroom-specific compounds.

The investigators hypothesize that consuming different mushroom varieties will elicit distinct postprandial nutrimetabolomic profiles in the plasma and urine and that the amount of metabolites present will increase with the servings of mushrooms. Measuring ergothioneine in the plasma will provide a quantitative outcome to document the postprandial responses to consuming the test meals. The nutrimetabolomic related outcomes are exploratory and have not been documented in human research.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female;
• age 30-69 y;
• BMI: 25.0-34.9 kg/m2;
• Not severely or extremely depressed (Beck's Depression Inventory score ≤30)
• Total cholesterol <240 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <160 mg/dL, triglycerides <400 mg/dL, fasting glucose <110 mg/dL;
• Systolic/diastolic blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg;
• Body weight stable for 3 months prior (± 3 kg);
• Stable physical activity regimen 3 months prior;
• Medication use stable for 6 months prior;
• Non-smoking;
• Non-diabetic;
• Not acutely ill;
• Females not pregnant or lactating;
• Participants must be willing and able to consume the prescribed diets and travel to testing facilities.

Exclusion Criteria:

• BMI <25 or >35;
• Severely depressed (Beck's Depression Inventory score >30);
• Total cholesterol >240 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol >160 mg/dL, triglycerides >400 mg/dL, fasting glucose >110 mg/dL;
• Body weight changes in previous 3 months (±3 kg);
• Changes in physical activity regimen in the previous 3 months;
• Medication changes in the previous 6 months;
• Smoking;
• Diabetic;
• Acute illness;
• Pregnant or lactating;
• Allergic to mushrooms