Do mushrooms lower cholesterol?

The evidence says no. In the same review, mushroom consumption showed no clear effect on total or LDL cholesterol in either trials or observational studies. So despite mushrooms being a healthy food, they aren't a cholesterol-lowering one — for that, whole-food evidence is much stronger for oats, barley, beans and nuts. Don't rely on mushrooms to move your cholesterol.

Are mushrooms good for you overall?

Yes, as a food — they're low in calories, a source of fibre, B vitamins and minerals, and they add savoury flavour that can help you eat more vegetables and less meat. Separately, some large studies link higher mushroom intake to lower all-cause mortality, though that's an association and may reflect an overall healthier diet. Enjoy mushrooms as a nutritious ingredient; just don't expect them to act like a heart medication.

Do mushroom supplements or extracts work better?

This evidence is specifically for whole, culinary mushrooms — the review excluded extracts and capsules. So it says nothing about the many marketed mushroom powders and supplements, and we don't recommend them. If you want the benefits mushrooms may offer, eat the actual food; there's no need for a pill.

Home · The Evidence Index · Heart · Mushrooms

Do mushrooms lower triglycerides?

Q: Do mushrooms lower triglycerides?

Weakly. A 2023 systematic review of 22 human studies found that, among cardiometabolic markers, the only ones mushrooms seemed to improve were blood triglycerides and hs-CRP (an inflammation marker) — and even that came from limited, mostly poor-quality studies. Mushrooms did not clearly affect total or LDL cholesterol, blood sugar or blood pressure. So there's a modest triglyceride signal worth noting, but it's weak evidence, not a reliable effect.

Verdict — Weak signal only

Reviewed against the AntiAgingGreens evidence standard · Systematic review of 22 human studies · Last reviewed July 2026

Weakly — and only triglycerides. Eating whole mushrooms modestly lowered blood triglycerides (and possibly hs-CRP) in trials, but the studies were mostly poor quality, and mushrooms didn't affect cholesterol, blood sugar or blood pressure. Mushrooms are a nutritious, low-calorie food — just not a proven cardiometabolic fix.

You eat

Whole culinary mushrooms, food servings

Modest signal

Slightly lower triglycerides (and maybe hs-CRP)

No effect on

Cholesterol, blood sugar or blood pressure

A narrow, weak signal on triglycerides — not the broad "heart-healthy superfood" claim mushrooms often get. Most of the underlying studies were rated poor quality.

What the evidence supports

✓ Modestly lower triglycerides (and possibly hs-CRP) in trials¹
✓ Higher intake linked to lower all-cause mortality in a large cohort²
✓ A nutritious, low-calorie food — fibre, B vitamins, minerals, savoury flavour

What it doesn't mean

✗ That mushrooms lower cholesterol, blood sugar or blood pressure — no clear effect¹
✗ A reliable triglyceride effect — most studies were rated poor quality
✗ That mushroom extracts or powders work — this is whole food only

Where this comes from

Not supported Emerging Moderate Strong

What the human evidence shows: The anchor is a 2023 systematic review of whole-mushroom studies in people — 22 articles, 11 experimental and 11 observational, with extracts and capsules deliberately excluded.¹ Its finding is narrow: the limited trial evidence suggested mushrooms improved blood triglycerides and hs-CRP, but not other lipids, cholesterol, measures of blood-sugar control, or blood pressure. The observational studies showed no clear link between mushrooms and cholesterol, glucose, or death from cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Crucially, the reviewers rated most of the studies "poor" quality, and called for better research.
Mushrooms and living longer: Separately, some large population studies do link mushroom-eating to a longer life — for example, in 15,546 US adults, the highest mushroom consumers had about 16% lower all-cause mortality than the lowest.² That's worth knowing, but it's an association: people who eat more mushrooms tend to have healthier diets overall, and the cardiometabolic review above did not find a clear mushroom link to heart-disease or diabetes deaths specifically. So treat the longevity link as encouraging context, not proof.
Where the evidence stops: The honest summary is that mushrooms are a genuinely good food with, so far, weak specific health data. The one cardiometabolic signal — a small drop in triglycerides — rests on limited, poor-quality studies, and mushrooms don't move the markers people most want to change, like cholesterol and blood pressure. For those, the whole-food evidence is far stronger for oats, barley, beans and nuts. Eat mushrooms because they're tasty and nutritious, not as a treatment.

The practical version: mushrooms are a great, low-calorie, savoury food — brilliant for bulking out dishes, cutting down on meat and adding flavour and nutrients — so eat them freely if you like them. Just don't expect them to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure; the only heart-marker signal is a weak one on triglycerides. And skip the mushroom powders and extracts, which weren't tested here. We recommend no supplement, and we sell nothing.

At a glance

QuestionDo mushrooms lower triglycerides?

AnswerWeakly — a modest triglyceride (and hs-CRP) signal from poor-quality studies

No effect onCholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure

LongevityHigher intake linked to ~16% lower all-cause mortality (association)

FormWhole culinary mushrooms — not extracts or powders

Evidence typeSystematic review (most studies rated poor quality)

Last reviewedJuly 2026

Sources

Uffelman CN, Chan NI, Davis EM, Wang Y, McGowan BS, Campbell WW. An assessment of mushroom consumption on cardiometabolic disease risk factors and morbidities in humans: a systematic review. Nutrients, 2023. PMC10005148 — 22 studies; mushrooms improved triglycerides and hs-CRP but not cholesterol, glucose or blood pressure; most studies rated poor quality.
Ba DM, Gao X, Al-Shaar L, et al. Mushroom consumption and mortality: NHANES III. Nutrition Journal, 2021. PMC8061446 — 15,546 US adults; highest vs lowest mushroom intake linked to ~16% lower all-cause mortality (association).

Bottom line for you

Mushrooms are a nutritious, low-calorie food worth eating — but they aren't the heart-metabolism powerhouse they're sometimes made out to be. The best current review found only a weak signal, on triglycerides (and maybe inflammation), from mostly poor-quality studies, with no clear effect on cholesterol, blood sugar or blood pressure.

So enjoy mushrooms for their flavour, texture and nutrients, and as a handy way to eat more veg and less meat. If you're trying to shift cholesterol or blood pressure, lean on foods with much stronger evidence — oats, barley, beans, nuts, beetroot — and treat mushrooms as a tasty extra. Skip the mushroom supplements; we recommend none, and we sell nothing.

Educational information based on peer-reviewed human studies. Not medical advice — manage triglycerides and cholesterol with your clinician. AntiAgingGreens never sells or recommends supplements. We report what the evidence shows — and where it stops.