Generous consumption of mushrooms may reduce an individual's chances of having hyperuricemia.

High circulating levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia) is a strong risk factor for gout. This study looked at the effect of mushroom intake on plasma concentrations of uric acid. Researchers followed 19,830 Chinese men and women for an average of 4.2 years, monitoring their diets and blood levels of uric acid.

Researchers found out that mushroom eaters had less tendency to develop hyperuricemia. "This population-based prospective cohort study has firstly demonstrated that higher mushroom consumption is significantly associated with lower incidence of hyperuricemia among general adults," the authors concluded.