A group of researchers at the Pennsylvania State University Center for Plant and Mushroom Products for Health in State College in the US have found out that certain mushrooms contain two antioxidants thought to improve health span and stave off aging.
Researchers were already aware that mushrooms are the highest source of an antioxidant called ergothioneine, but little was known about glutathione, another major antioxidant.
When the food is oxidized to produce energy there is a number of free radicals that are produced that are side products of that action and many of these are quite toxic.
The body has mechanisms to control most of them, including ergothioneine and glutathione, but eventually enough accrue to cause damage, which has been associated with many of the diseases of aging, like cancer, coronary heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
The researchers found out that porcine has the highest dietary source of these two antioxidants taken together. In total, 13 different species of mushrooms were tested