Mushrooms And Microbiome: Extract Isn't Magic, But It Helped Mice Lose Weight

Could mushrooms be the magic cure to obesity? Not exactly, but they may help when it comes to jumpstarting your diet.

New research published in the journal Nature Communications found that a mushroom used in traditional Chinese medicine helped treat obesity by altering the composition of gut bacteria.

In other words, when researchers put mice on a high-fat diet mixed with the extract, those with the extract fared better than their counterparts without, gaining less weight.

"Given the good safety records of Lingzhi, and the fact that it is similar in composition to other mushrooms that we consume regularly, Lingzhi may be considered by the general population as a convenient strategy to lose weight, along with other known approaches, such as calorie restriction, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle," said study co-author John D. Young, of Chang Gung University in Taiwan.

Furthermore, the extract has also been known for other medicinal properties, including reducing effects associated with asthma, heart palpitations and even anti-diabetic effects.

Researchers are hopeful that with future studies, the extract might just be considered a convenient approach by the general population for calorie restriction. However, it's a little too soon to tell if the mushroom will work the exact same way in humans as it does in mice.

"I think it is interesting; I think that there are some possibilities," Dr. Monica Aggarwal, a cardiologist and diet expert at MercyMedical Center in Baltimore, said via Live Science. "But you can't say that just because it works for the mouse, it is going to work for sure in a human."

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