Mushrooms may alleviate features of pre-eclampsia

New research by scientists from the University of Liverpool and University College Cork (UCC) reveals that a substance most commonly found in mushrooms could help alleviate some features of pre-eclampsia, which is a complex disorder of pregnancy that can have potentially serious consequences for women and their babies. There is currently is no cure for pre-eclampsia other than delivery, which can present a major medical problem if the condition results in extremely premature birth. They find that a natural diet‐derived substance, L-ergothioneinecan alleviate some of the features of this condition.

Significant research suggests that pre-eclampsia may be caused by substances released from the placenta that disrupt normal biological processes in the mother. In particular, disruption of mitochondrial function can lead to exaggerated oxidative stress. Ergothioneine is a potent and effective mitochondrial antioxidant. Ergothioneine can be found in a wide variety of foods, but the chief source of ergothioneine in the human diet is mushrooms.

The research creates a new avenue for therapeutic investigation in the elusive search for a treatment for pre-eclampsia. Ergothioneine appears to be a safe, natural diet‐derived antioxidant whose therapeutic potential looks promising but remains to be validated by the gold standard of sufficiently powered, human clinical trials.

(Content Courtesy: https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2020/02/04/mushrooms-may-alleviate-features-of-pre-eclampsia/)