Eating Mushrooms May Greatly Reduce Breast Cancer Risk– Interesting New Research & The Role of Diet

Getting to Know Your Breasts with Self-Exams

Researchers at Penn State looked at studies from the last 40 years and discovered that there seems to be a profound link between the consumption of mushrooms and reduced rates of breast cancer. The research, which is a so-called meta-analysis, found that people who ate about 0.63 ounces of mushrooms daily had a 45 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to those who did not eat mushrooms.

“Clearly there are some bio-activations within mushrooms that are protective against cancer,” according to John Richie, a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher and professor of public health. Richie tells SurvivorNet that he believes the findings can help further the understanding of specific components in mushrooms and their impact on the body.

"'Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of ergothioneine, which is a unique and potent antioxidant and cellular protector,'" Djibril M. Ba, a graduate student in epidemiology at Penn State College of Medicine, tells Penn State News.

"'Replenishing antioxidants in the body may help protect against oxidative stress and lower the risk of cancer.'"

Caution on Studies on Diet and Cancer Risk

Leading oncologists say it is always hard to use studies of a single food to make sweeping generalizations about their impact on health. There are many factors that can determine health risk and it is difficult, and perhaps impossible, to say that a single food such as mushrooms have a direct impact on cancer risk. Indeed many other factors such as  overall diet, environmental risk, genetics and exercise play a role.

What’s the data on cancer and mushrooms?

The Penn State researchers examined 17 cancer studies published from 1966 to 2020 and analyzed data from more than 19,500 cancer patients to explore the relationship between mushroom consumption and cancer risk. A majority of the studies were of breast breast cancer patients.

RELATED: Magic Mushrooms Go Mainstream: Can They Really Help Cancer Patients With Depression & Anxiety?

Mushrooms have plentiful vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants to give, but researchers are wondering if one particular amino acid, ergothioneine, could be key to cancer-free success.

The study shows that although shiitake, oyster, maitake and king oyster mushrooms have higher amounts of ergothioneine than white button, cremini and portobello mushrooms, the data show that any variety of mushrooms will do.

A mushroom lover himself, Penn State’s Dr. Richie is excited to expand upon this study.

"I very much am interested in sort of continuing this work both from the epidemiologic perspective and these big studies and people,” Richie said. “As well as at the really basic science level where we're, for example, giving agents like ergothioneine to animal models and looking at the effect on cancer development or cancer treatment."

Diet and Cancer:

Although it is impossible to say that mushrooms definitively reduce cancer risk, a 2019 study done by researchers at Tohoku University in Japan in collaboration with researchers from the U.S. found that mushrooms may help fend off prostate cancer. As for including mushrooms into your diet, research is promising but definitely not conclusive.

In a 2019 study done by researchers at Tohoku University in Japan in collaboration with researchers from the U.S., researchers found that mushrooms may help prevent prostate cancer. The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, found that men who ate mushrooms more than three times a week had a 17 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer than men who ate mushrooms fewer than once a week.

The researchers tracked nearly 36,500 men between the ages of 40 and 79. About 3.3 percent of the men developed prostate cancer over the course of 13 years. After analyzing both the cancer incidence and mushroom consumption, the researchers said their findings, "suggested a beneficial effect of habitual mushroom consumption on prevention of prostate cancer."

Dr. Shu Zhang of Tohoku, the lead author of this study, admitted that men who ate the most mushrooms in his study also "spent more time walking and had a higher intake of meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy products and energy. They were also less likely to be current smokers."

Dr. Stephen Freedland spoke with SurvivorNet about the link between prostate cancer and obesity

This is important to note because, again, mushrooms are not the ultimate cancer deterrent. So what does a healthy diet look like for cancer-related concerns? It depends on who you ask. Heavy alcohol consumption and obesity have been linked to a number of cancers, so it's a good idea to exercise and maintain a diet that incorporates more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins while decreasing sodium and added sugar intake.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.