Have you developed a fondness for mushrooms in your diet? Given the positive impact they can have on human health, you may be inclined to increase your mushroom consumption. Scientific research supports the notion that incorporating mushrooms into your diet can potentially reduce the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer.
State College, PA (The CTP News) – Incorporating mushrooms into a balanced diet is conducive to human health. Mushrooms have a good taste and a special fragrance, but not everyone likes to eat mushrooms. However, mushrooms have various nutrients such as polysaccharides, dietary fiber, and ergothioneine. Recently, researchers have found that eating more mushrooms can reduce the risk of cancer.
According to research conducted by Pennsylvania State University, eating more mushrooms is associated with lower cancer risk. The study was published in Advances in Nutrition.
The researchers reviewed 17 cancer studies published from 1966 to 2020 and analyzed data from 19,500 cancer patients. Studies have pointed out that eating 18 grams of mushrooms per day can help reduce cancer risk by 45% compared to people who do not eat mushrooms.
Mushrooms have many nutrients: polysaccharides, dietary fiber, vitamin B, ergothioneine, protein, etc. These ingredients are beneficial to the human body. Ergothioneine is an amino acid, a unique and effective antioxidant that can protect cells and inhibit cancer.
“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.”
Researchers also noticed the strongest association between eating mushrooms and breast cancer because people who eat mushrooms regularly have a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Ba explained that this could be because most of the studies did not include other forms of cancer.
Although ergothioneine is also contained in other foods, such as shiitake, oyster, etc., researchers have found that people who add mushrooms to their daily diet have a lower cancer risk. So, try not to choose the type of mushrooms and eat more that are good for your health!
