Researchers at the National University of Singapore reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on a possible connection between consuming mushrooms and better cognitive health.

They recorded dietary information from 663 Chinese volunteers over the age of 60, and obtained information on consumption of six different types of mushrooms. The researchers also performed cognitive assessments on the volunteers.

They found that subjects who consumed one to two portions of mushrooms each week had a 43 percent lower risk for developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) than volunteers who consumed less than one five-ounce portion per week.

Those volunteers who ate more than two portions had in excess of 50 percent reduced risk for MCI, a condition that increases an individual’s risk for developing dementia.

It’s possible that the antioxidants in mushrooms protect the brain from accumulation of abnormal protein deposits associated with Alzheimer’s disease.