In the study, the researchers showed that feeding white button mushrooms to mice changed the composition of gut microbes (‘microbiota’) to produce more short chain fatty acids, says Margherita T. Cantorna, professor of Molecular Immunology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
The researchers recently reported their findings in an issue of the Journal of Functional Foods. According to the researchers, the mushrooms in this case serve as a prebiotic, which is a substance that feeds beneficial bacteria that are already existing in the gut. Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that are introduced into the digestive system.
Laboratoryequipment.com reported that the Mushroom Council, American Association of Immunologists and the National Institutes of Health support this work.
