Eating mushrooms may reduce prostate cancer risk

The article was made by doctors of Internal Oncology, Radiation Oncology Center, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

Prostate cancer is one of the cancers of elderly men. Although treatment for this type of cancer is improving, there is still no cure or prevention. However, evidence suggests that eating healthy can reduce the risk.

If scientists can identify a simple diet that can reduce prostate cancer risk, even by a small fraction, it could make a significant difference globally.
In the first study of its kind, Japanese researchers found a link between eating mushrooms and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Although the effect is relatively small, these findings will serve as a basis for future studies.

Mushrooms are a relatively inexpensive and widely consumed food worldwide. In recent years, studies have begun to identify fungi's potential disease-fighting abilities.
A 2012 review claims that certain compounds in mushrooms have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties. More specifically, studies in both cultured cells and animals have found that extracts from certain species of fungi can slow tumor growth.
The team found that for some participants, the mushroom extract reduced levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) - a key biomarker of prostate cancer - and enhanced response body's immunity to cancer.

The most recent study is the first to examine the relationship between mushroom consumption and prostate cancer incidence in a population. To investigate, the researchers drew on data from the Miyagi Retrospective Study and the Ohsaki Retrospective Study. In total, they accessed data from 36,499 Japanese men between the ages of 40 and 79; followed these individuals for a mean period of 13.2 years.
Scientists used questionnaires to capture information about diet, medical history, physical activity level, smoking status, drinking habits, education level, and more.
They then assigned each participant to one of five groups based on their mushroom consumption:
Almost never: 6.9% of participants Once or twice per month: 36.8% Once or twice weekly: 36.0% Three or four times weekly: 15.7% Almost daily: 4.6% During the follow-up period, there were 1,204 cases of prostate cancer, equivalent to 3.3% of the participants.

After controlling for confounding variables, the researchers observed a significant beneficial effect:
Compared with people who ate mushrooms less than once a week, those who ate mushrooms once or twice per week had 8% lower risk of prostate cancer. Those who ate mushrooms three or more times per week had a 17% lower risk.

The authors conclude: "To our knowledge, this is the first retrospective study to indicate the prostate cancer preventive potential of mushrooms at the population level."
This relationship was significant even after controlling for a range of factors, including family history of cancer, alcohol, tobacco, and coffee use.
They also adjusted the analysis for the amount of energy, meat, fruit, vegetables, and dairy each participant consumed - in other words, the reduction in risk was not because the participants ate a lot of mushrooms while also Eat more vegetables.
However, it is worth noting that the increase in prostate cancer incidence between those who ate the least mushrooms and those who ate the most was only 0.31% (3.42% vs. 11%).
Also, the effect is only significant in men over 50 years old. The authors believe this may be because prostate cancer is rare in younger men.
Despite certain limitations in the study, the authors believe that this effect may be due to the antioxidants present in the mushroom. For example, some mushrooms contain L-ergothioneine and glutathione, both of which are powerful antioxidants.
Overall, the authors conclude that "habitual mushroom consumption may help reduce prostate cancer risk. Further studies in other populations and environments are needed to confirm this relationship." ."
For the prevention and early detection of prostate cancer, Vinmec International General Hospital now has a Prostate Cancer Intensive Care Package. The examination package helps customers detect the possibility of prostate cancer early, helping customers take preventive measures; Detect the disease at an early stage, without typical symptoms for early treatment and prevention of complications.
Customers wishing to register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE
Reference source: Cancer.net