A mushroom a day can keep prostate cancer away
AS WITH most cancers, the importance of early detection cannot be overemphasised when it comes to prostate cancer – as it could improve the success of treatment.
Research has pointed to a specific food item, white button mushrooms, that could positively affect the body’s immune system, specifically in reducing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men.
PSA is produced by the body to allow sperm to swim freely. It is also believed to be instrumental in dissolving cervical mucus, allowing the entry of sperm into the uterus.
It is present in small quantities in men with healthy prostates but is often elevated in the presence of prostate cancer or other prostate disorders.
Ross Richardson, the chairperson of the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association (Samfa), said: “White button mushrooms are not mild-mannered at all, but rather a superfood. Although it is unlikely that any one nutrient or compound in food provides all the protection against cancer, it is far more likely that the synergy of the many compounds in mushrooms, and food, in general, combine effectively to offer protection to the body.
“That is why Samfa advocates a healthy diet – meaning one that includes mushrooms, which are a useful source of B vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds.”
According to research, published in the South African Journal of Surgery, in 2015, prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer in men of all population groups.
A later study, in 2018, conducted by the University of Pretoria’s School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH), revealed that black men in South Africa have a higher risk of prostate cancer than their white counterparts mostly because of elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in their blood.
In a study by the Department of Cancer Biology, at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, in California, in the US, researchers treated 36 prostate cancer patients with white button mushroom powder, assessing their PSA levels’ responsiveness to different doses of the powder and whether the men experienced ill effects.
After three months of daily use of the powder, 36% of patients experienced some reduction in PSA, with two patients experiencing a complete response, meaning their PSA levels dropped to undetectable levels. Of significance is that the complete response continued for 49 and 30 months.
The results suggest that chemicals in mushrooms positively affect the body’s immune system.
In this 2015 study, researchers concluded that therapy using white button mushrooms in this manner appeared to both impact PSA levels and modulate the biology of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer, by decreasing immunosuppressive factors.