Daily dose of mushrooms could prevent breast cancer
ISLAMABAD: Eating mushrooms on a daily basis could help prevent the development of breast cancer, researchers have found.
Researchers from the Beckman Research Institute, California, found that extracts of the fungi interfere with the action of aromatase, an enzyme that helps the body to make oestrogen, which has long been linked to the growth spread of most breast cancer tumours. The researchers tested seven vegetable extracts for their aromatase-blocking activity, and found that white button mushroom had the strongest effect.
They evaluated 10 other types of mushrooms, and found that stuffing mushrooms, portobello, crimini, shiitake and baby button mushrooms also inhibited aromatase activity.
White button mushrooms are the most commonly eaten type, and the researchers tested extracts of the mushrooms in a series of laboratory and animal experiments.
The extract reduced the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a lab dish, while feeding the extract to mice implanted with breast cancer cells suppressed the tumour growth, NDTV reported. Further experiments showed that linoleic acid, a fatty acid usually found in meat and dairy products, was probably responsible for the extract’s anti- cancer effects. Based on the amount of extract used in the experiments in mice, it was found that eating 100 grams of mushrooms daily would be enough to prevent breast cancer growth.
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