CANCER DIGEST – April 24, 2021 – People who eat mushrooms daily have a lower risk of breast cancer in particular, and any cancer overall, compared to similar people who don't consume fungi, a new study shows.
The systematic review and analysis of data from 17 cancer studies published from 1966 to 2020 involving more than 19,500 cancer patients, showed that individuals who ate 18 grams or about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of mushrooms daily had a 45% lower risk of cancer compared to those who did not eat mushrooms. The Penn State study, was published on March 16, 2021 in the journal Advances in Nutrition.
Led by Djibril M. Ba, a graduate student in epidemiology at Penn State College of Medicine the researchers wanted to know if amino acid ergothioneine protects against cancer. Ergothioneine is a powerful antioxidant that is present in high levels in mushrooms, especially shiitake, oyster, maitake and king oyster mushrooms, but is also present in white button, cremini and portabello mushrooms.
“Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of ergothioneine, which is a unique and potent antioxidant and cellular protector,” said Djibril M. Ba, a graduate student in epidemiology at Penn State College of Medicine. “Replenishing antioxidants in the body may help protect against oxidative stress and lower the risk of cancer.”
Mushrooms are rich in vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. The team’s findings show that these super foods may also help guard against cancer. The researchers found that people who incorporated any variety of mushrooms into their daily diets had a 45% lower overall risk of cancer.
When they looked at specific cancers, however, only breast cancer showed a lowered risk linked to mushroom consumption. The researchers suggested that this was due to very few studies that included cancers other than breast cancer in their data.
The researchers concluded that their results indicate a potential protective role for mushrooms in the diet and that further study is warranted.
Sources: Penn State News and Advances in Nutrition
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