Button mushrooms have been found to reduce levels of oestrogen in the body and so have significant effects against breast and prostate cancers. So say the City of Hope Hospital, Los Angeles, in their Beckman Research Institute.
Dr. Shiuan Chen, the chair of the Department of Cell Biology, has led a team that have discovered a number of interesting facts about simple button mushrooms. For example, eating two cups of fresh button mushrooms a day, reduces breast cancer risk by two thirds.
Research has already shown that white button mushrooms contain a protein that inhibits aromatase enzyme production, and aromatase is the enzyme that manufactures aggressive oestrogen in 80 per cent of breast and prostate cancers. Indeed, researchers found that mushrooms will reduce PSA levels too.
Chris Woollams, former Oxford University Biochemist and founder of CANCERactive said, "it is intriguing how many mushrooms have very strong benefits against cancer - and here are common white mushrooms with a very powerful benefit - the ability to slow or stop aromatase enzymes making dangerous estrogen."
Go to: Medicinal Mushrooms aid cancer survival
Clinical Trials are taking place with both breast cancer and prostate cancer patients currently.