Science shorts: Turmeric, soy protein, medicinal mushrooms in the spotlight

More than one-quarter of turmeric supplements may be adulterated, according to a new comprehensive literature review. Published in Pharmaceutical Biology , the paper analyzed 48 scientific publications on turmeric adulteration and reported that adulteration in food and dietary supplements occurred in 27.1% of the 229 samples tested. Forms of adulteration included artificial dyes, undeclared diluents such as cornstarch and synthetic curcumin, among other lower-cost substances. New research found a significant association between maternal choline intake and infant development and intelligence scores, but fewer than 2% of mothers had adequate intake. The prospective cohort study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition , examined 256 mother-infant pairs. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary choline and other nutrient intakes during late pregnancy. It was found that maternal dietary choline intake was significantly associated with infant intelligence scores. Taking diets rich in soy protein could improve muscle health and modulate the gut microbiome – findings that a group of Chinese researchers says would support the gut–muscle axis hypothesis. Specifically, improvements in calf circumference and the 6-meter walk test were seen in this 12-week randomized placebo-controlled trial involving 84 seniors aged 60 and above. Published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, the study also reported that soy protein intake could increase the amount of bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids. Supplementing glucoraphanin could preserve cognitive function in seniors diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. Writing in Frontiers in Nutrition, the researchers highlighted that the 3.5-year-long study was the first-of-its-kind to investigate the long-term effects of glucoraphanin in individuals at higher risk of developing dementia. Glucoraphanin is a precursor of sulforaphane found in broccoli sprouts, and the latter has been shown to improve age-related cognitive decline in healthy elderly individuals in a 12-week study. The supplementation of five types of medicinal mushrooms, including reishi, has been shown to reduce anxiety and serum levels of the stress hormone cortisol in a 12-week study. The mix, commercially available under the name Restake, consists of five medicinal mushrooms: Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane), Cordyceps militaris , Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), Lentinula edodes (Shiitake), and Grifola frondosa (Maitake). Writing in Brain and Behavior, researchers from Malaysia said this was the first study to evaluate this combination of medicinal mushrooms as a potent and safe solution for stress, fatigue and sleep improvement.