SUPERMARKETGURU FOOD &
HEALTH WEEKLY NEWSFLASH!
Mushroom Study Finds Positive Anti-Breast Cancer Benefits
Published on: December 15, 2006
A study led by researchers at City of Hope, just published today in Cancer Research, reports that white button mushrooms can help prevent breast cancer by suppressing estrogen production in the body.
Since about 60 percent of premenopausal women and 75 percent of postmenopausal women have breast cancers that need estrogen to grow, controlling estrogen levels can help limit or prevent cancer growth. The effect is greater in postmenopausal women because they have lower circulating estrogen levels, and their estrogen production is controlled locally by tissues rather than by their brains.
The researchers found that out of seven vegetable extracts, mushrooms had the most effective anti-aromatase effect due to one phytochemical: conjugated linoleic acid. Celery was found to have a moderate effect, and green onion, carrot, bell pepper, broccoli and spinach extracts did not have a significant effect on reducing aromatase levels. The group then tested other mushrooms and found that while white stuffing mushrooms had the strongest effect, shiitake, white button, portobello, crimini and baby button mushrooms also had significant inhibitory effects on aromatase, even when cooked.
They were surprised to find that mushrooms contain conjugated linoleic acid, a compound that has previously been found to have anticancer properties, because it is mainly present in animal-based foods. After confirming the presence of anti-aromatase chemicals in white button mushrooms, the researchers used laboratory and mouse studies to confirm that the anti-aromatase compounds stopped the growth of breast cancer cells. They found that mice that were fed mushroom extract had a 58 percent reduction in breast tumor growth.
