A new study has revealed that mushrooms can crucial role in fighting influenza. Previous studies point out that mushrooms can reduce depression risk, improve brain cell growth, and guard against cancer.
The study was led by a team of researchers from McGill University in Canada. According to the researchers, he beta-glucan fibers found in all types of mushrooms could act as a sort of barrier to flu, limiting inflammation in the lungs of mice exposed to infection after a dose of beta-glucan, Science Alert reported.
When the researchers gave the mushroom fibre to mice, they found that they showed improved lung function and a lower risk of serious illness and death when hit with the flu. However, they maintained that human trials will provide better insights and this is a promising avenue for researchers to explore.
“Beta-glucan is found in the cell walls of all fungi, including some that live in and on our bodies as part of the human microbiome. It is tempting to hypothesize that the levels and composition of fungi in an individual could influence how their immune system responds to infections, in part because of beta-glucan,” Maziar Divangahi, immunologist at McGill University said.
With this study, the researchers wanted to test its capabilities in terms of disease tolerance. This capability reduces the impact of the viral attack on the body, rather than killing off the attacking pathogens, as conventional antiviral treatments do.
The researchers found that the treated mice had more immune cells called neutrophils, however they were behaving in a more controlled manner than normal.
“It is remarkable how beta-glucan can reprogram certain immune cells, such as neutrophils, to control excessive inflammation in the lung,” says immunologist Nargis Khan, who is now at the University of Calgary in Canada as quoted by Science Alert.
The findings of the study were published in Nature Immunology recently.