High blood pressure isn’t healthy for anyone, but for pregnant women, it can be particularly dangerous. Hypertension during pregnancy is called preeclampsia and it can have negative effects for both the mother and the baby. Fortunately, new research has found an antioxidant compound in mushrooms that may be able to treat common symptoms of preeclampsia.
Mushrooms are versatile and delicious. As we’ve written about before, they can even boost your immune system and be used to make compostable packaging. In experiments with animal subjects, the mushroom component L-ergothioneine was effective in lowering blood pressure, specifically during pregnancy.
Lead scientist Cathal McCarthy, Ph.D. says the compound reduced blood pressure, prevented fetal growth restriction, and dampened production of the damaging substances released from the placenta during preeclampsia.
So what if you don’t like mushrooms? Scientists are planning to test L-ergothioneine’s efficacy in humans and then extract the substance to make it more readily available in medicinal form. The beneficial list of mushroom properties continues to grow. This is yet another solution from our fabulous fungi friends!
