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Ba, Djibril M., et al. “Higher Mushroom Consumption Is Associated with Lower Risk of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.” Advances in Nutrition, vol. 12, no. 5, Mar. 2021, pp. 1691–704, https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab015. Accessed 26 Nov. 2021.
Mushrooms are rich in bioactive compounds. This study assesses the association between mushroom intake and the risk of cancer at any site in the human body. Cancer constitutes a major threat to public health in both high-income and low-income countries and something as accessible as mushrooms may help prevent this fatal disease.
Even though mushrooms are often considered a vegetable, they belong to the fungal kingdom. There are over 2000 species of mushrooms in nature, over 25 of which are widely accepted as functional foods for human consumption and commercially cultivated. Overall, mushrooms have been reported to have anticancer capabilities and protective effects against tumor development. Laboratory studies have revealed these anticarcinogenic (anti-cancer) effects vary according to different types of mushrooms, such as shiitake, maitake, and button mushrooms.
This study indicated that high mushroom consumption was associated with a 45% lower risk of total cancer than an intake of no mushrooms at all. The potential biological mechanisms underlying the association between mushroom consumption and lower cancer risk may stem from their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants play a significant role in controlling and preventing chronic diseases as they protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals (by-products of the body's normal chemical processes). Free radicals attack healthy cells, which changes their DNA, allowing tumors to grow. In particular, ergothioneine, which is found in very high concentrations in mushrooms, is an amino acid that has strong antioxidant activity and can be used as a therapeutic to reduce the severity of and mortality from COVID-19 owing to its anti-inflammatory effects.
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