The Benefits of Mushrooms For Breast Cancer Prevention & Healing
A regular, daily portion of mushrooms could slash the risk of breast cancer by up to two-thirds, according to new research.
Researchers at the University of Western Australia in Perth say that chemicals in mushrooms may prevent tumor growth and boost the body’s cancer immunity.
Results from the laboratory have shown that that the oral intake of mushroom extract suppresses breast tumor formation in mice
The evidence suggests that mushrooms act in a similar way to breast cancer drugs called aromatose inhibitors, which blocks the body’s production of the breast cancer-feeding hormone estrogen.
Mushrooms contain chemicals that inhibit aromatase and mushrooms act in a similar way to breast cancer drugs called aromatose inhibitors, which blocks the body’s production of the breast cancer-feeding hormone oestrogen.
A study of Korean breast cancer patients found consumption of mushrooms to be associated with a significantly decreased risk of breast cancer. Another Korean study found that both the daily intake and the average consumption frequency of mushrooms was associated with reduced risk of breast cancer for postmenopausal women.
When consumption of green tea was added (more than 1g of tea-leaves infused per day), the protective effect of the two factors combined reached 89%!
A recent study looked into the diets of 2,000 Chinese women, and found that the more fresh and dried mushrooms they ate, the less likely they were to develop breast cancer. The risk was even lower in women who also consumed green tea daily.
The 2008 case-control study of 1,009 Chinese breast cancer patients found that mushroom consumption was inversely related to breast cancer risk.
Australian researchers from the University of Perth compared the diets and lifestyles of more than 2000 women who attended a breast clinic in China. Working with detailed registers of their consumption of a variety of foods, they observed that, all other factors being equal, women who consumed an average of more than 10g of fresh mushrooms every day had 64% less risk of developing breast cancer than those who did not eat mushrooms. Those who ate 4g of dried mushrooms saw their risk diminish by 47%.
The researchers concluded that higher dietary intake of mushrooms decreased breast cancer risk in pre- and post-menopausal Chinese women, and an additional decreased risk of breast cancer from the joint effect of mushrooms and green tea was observed.
Researchers say the latest findings, published in the International Journal of Cancer, do not prove eating mushrooms will stop cancer and more studies are needed to confirm the results.
But laboratory tests on animals do show the fungi have anti-tumor properties and can stimulate the immune system’s defenses.
The breast cancer rate in China is up to five times lower than in western countries, and Chinese people traditionally eat meals containing mushrooms and drink green tea regularly. But as the country continues to adopt a more western diet, the breast cancer rate is increasing, the BBC reported.
- Extracts of large white mushrooms slashed estrogen production up to 50%.
- Small white, portobello and crimini mushrooms had similar actions, but were not as effective.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Shiuan Chen, says: “Results from this and other laboratories support the hypothesis that white button mushrooms may be an important dietary constituent for reducing the incidence of hormone-dependent breast cancer in women. Prevention strategies involving mushrooms are readily available, affordable and acceptable to the general public.”
Mushrooms have been found to strengthen the body’s immune system. The immune-strengthening properties of mushrooms may be responsible for blocking tumor development. A study conducted at Tufts University suggests that the natural antiviral properties of mushrooms may repair and protect tissue, thus promoting immune function. In a study conducted at the Beckman Research Institute, mushroom extract was shown to halt the growth of breast cancer cells.
Mushrooms are more effective when combined with green tea
For women that combined drinking green tea along with eating fresh mushrooms daily, their risk was cut by almost 90 percent.
A link between green tea consumption and protection from different types of cancer has been well documented. The same holds true for the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum; evidence suggests that consuming it can help prevent some cancers.
Scientists from Methodist Research Institute’s Cancer Research Laboratory wanted to know what would happen when extracts of these two compounds were combined and introduced to highly invasive breast cancer cells.
Their research yielded some compelling new findings.
The study was fairly straightforward – and for periods of 24 and 48 hours, the team exposed the metastatic breast cancer cells to green tea extract (GTE) and extract of G. ludicum extract (GLE), an oriental medicinal mushroom – and the findings can be summed up just as succinctly: The GTE-GLE combination significantly slowed both individual cell growth and colony formation among the breast cancer cells. Additionally, the effects of the pairing were greater than the sum of the individual effects of each compound. In other words, each compound appears to boost the cancer-inhibiting effects of the other.
Three mushroom extracts that are effective for breast cancer are:
1. White button mushroom extract. Of all the mushrooms studied, white button mushrooms have among the most powerful proven breast cancer chemo-preventive properties, since they have been shown to suppress aromatase activity and estrogen biosynthesis, in addition to inhibiting proliferation of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells. Read more
2. Reishi mushroom extract. Reishi mushroom extracts have been shown to inhibit proliferation, adhesion, angiogenesis, migration, and invasion of several types of breast cancer cells. Read more »
3. Mesima extract. Laboratory tests using human breast cancer cells show that Mesima extract has a marked anti-breast cancer effect, probably by blocking an enzyme called AKT. AKT is known to control signals that lead to cell growth. Read more »
4. Maitake mushroom extract. A substantial body of research documents the effects of maitake mushroom extracts limiting or preventing tumor growth, enhancing the benefits of chemotherapy, and lessening anti-cancer drug side effects. Read more »
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Four Mushroom Extract Products That Are Effective for Breast Cancer Prevention and Healing
Submitted Comments
Not extracts but perhaps just incorporating mushrooms?