Using mushrooms as a prebiotic may help improve glucose regulation

A study published in the Journal of Functional Foods suggests that eating white button mushrooms can create subtle shifts in the microbial community in the gut, which could improve the regulation of glucose in the liver.

The researchers used two types of mice in the study. One group of mice had microbiota, the other group did not have microbiota and were germ-free mice. The researchers fed the mice about a daily serving size of the mushrooms. For humans, a daily serving size would be about 3 ounces.

According to the researchers, consuming the mushrooms can set off a chain reaction among the gut bacteria, expanding the population of Prevotella, bacteria that produces propionate and succinate. These acids can change the expression of genes that are key to the pathway between the brain and the gut that helps manage the production of glucose, or gluconeogenesis.

The mushrooms, in this case, serve as a prebiotic, said the researchers. Beyond the possible beneficial benefits of mushrooms as a prebiotic, the researchers said that this study also shows more evidence that there is a tight connection between diet and microbiota.