This study followed over 15,000 American adults for nearly 20 years and found that people who ate mushrooms had a lower risk of dying from any cause compared to those who didn’t eat mushrooms. The more mushrooms people ate, the greater the benefit. Replacing red or processed meat with mushrooms was associated with even greater longevity benefits. Mushrooms’ beneficial effects likely come from their high antioxidant content, particularly compounds called ergothioneine and glutathione.