Mushrooms are very tricky. Eat one kind, and you're noshing on a tasty pizza topping or stir fry ingredient; eat another kind, and your Bruce Lee poster speaks to you and your bedroom fills up with lemonade and Care Bears; and eat yet another kind, and you can wind in the morgue. It goes without saying, then, that the kind of mushrooms that Arizona State researchers have linked to a reduction in heart disease risk must be those mentioned first.

In the study, it was discovered that a particular antioxidant in the fungi (known as ergothioneine) prevented the accumulation of the artery-clogging plaque. Evidently, this specific antioxidant helps reduce the number of adhesion molecules that cling to plaque-forming cells in your blood and pull them into blood vessel walls.

In separate studies, mushrooms have also been found to bolster immune function, suppress breast and prostate cancers, and help decrease tumor size.

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If you're a savvy That's Fit reader, then you already know that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is important for your long-term health. But did you know that same healthy diet can protect you in the short term from things like cold and flu? That's because your immune system, which protects you from infection and other illnesses, needs that nutrition to run at its peak.

Prevention has a great article on how to eat right for your immune system. It's not about stocking up on one particular food, it's about properly fueling your body so your internal systems can do their job. Take a look at the gallery below to find out what steps you can take to build a stronger defense against colds and germs.

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