Scientists from Penn State found that eating more mushrooms is associated with a lower risk of cancer.
The research is published in Advances in Nutrition and was conducted by Djibril M. Ba et al.
Mushrooms are rich in vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. The team’s findings show that mushrooms may also help guard against cancer.
Shiitake, oyster, maitake, and king oyster mushrooms have higher amounts of the amino acid ergothioneine than the white button, cremini, and portobello mushrooms.
In the study, the team reviewed 17 cancer studies from 1966 to 2020.
Analyzing data from more than 19,500 cancer patients, researchers explore the link between mushroom consumption and cancer risk.
They found that people who incorporated any variety of mushrooms into their daily diets had a lower risk of cancer.
People who ate 18 grams of mushrooms daily had a 45% lower risk of cancer compared to those who did not eat mushrooms.
The team says mushrooms are the highest dietary source of ergothioneine, which is a unique and potent antioxidant and cellular protector.
Replenishing antioxidants in the body may help protect against oxidative stress and lower the risk of cancer.
When specific cancers were examined, the researchers noted the strongest associations for breast cancer as individuals who regularly ate mushrooms had a much lower risk of breast cancer.
This could be because most of the studies did not include other forms of cancer.
These findings provide important evidence for the protective effects of mushrooms against cancer.
Moving forward, this research could be helpful in further exploring the protective effects that mushrooms have and helping to establish healthier diets that prevent cancer.
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