Mushrooms & Cancer
As you may know, I’m a big fan of fungi so I’m happy to report that new research from Penn State suggests that eating mushrooms may be even healthier for us than we thought. The study shows that people who consumed 18 grams of mushrooms daily had a 45 percent lower risk of cancer than people who didn’t eat mushrooms. This research included more than 19,500 cancer patients participating in 17 cancer studies published between 1966 and 2020. The greatest reduced risk was for breast cancer. Study co-author Djibril M. BA, M.P.H., a graduate student in epidemiology, said the new findings may stem from the fact that most of the studies reviewed didn’t include other specific types of cancer. The researchers credit ergothioneine, an antioxidant in mushrooms, for the reduction seen in the risk of the disease. And they reported that shiitake, oyster, maitake, and king oyster mushrooms have higher amounts of ergothioneine than white button, cremini and portobello mushrooms. Learn more from Dr. Weil: My Life With Mushrooms, Part One and Part Two.
Source:
Djibril M. Ba et al, “Higher Mushroom Consumption Is Associated with Lower Risk of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies,” Advances in Nutrition, March 16, 2021, doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab015
More current health news from Dr. Weil’s Weekly Bulletin:
- Hold The Chocolate
- Food Choices While Dining Out
- A muffin recipe to try: Carrot-Banana Muffins
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