Mushrooms and green tea may have the power to ward off breast cancer
The BBC News Reports a study of over 2,000 Chinese women in the International Journal of Cancer found large quantities of both mushrooms and green tea in the diet slashed cancer risk by up to 90%. Research suggests chemicals in the foods block tumor growth and boost the body’s natural defenses against cancer.
Extracts of the mushroom Phellinus linteus have been used for centuries in Eastern Ancient medicine where it is believed to refresh bodies and extend life. Scientists in California have been doing a trial to see if taking a mushroom extract twice a day for a month helps breast cancer survivors remain free of the disease after work showed the extract could halt the growth of breast cancer cells. The new study of Chinese women, by a team at the University of Western Australia in Perth, found that women who ate at least a third of an ounce of fresh mushrooms daily were 64% less likely to develop breast cancer. Dried mushrooms had a slightly less protective effect, reducing the risk by around half. Women who combined a mushroom diet with regular consumption of green tea saw an even greater benefit- the risk among women in this group was reduced by almost 90%.
Green tea contains antioxidant compounds called polyphenols that have been shown to fight breast tumors in animals. Black tea, although made from the same plant called Camellia sinesis, is not believed to have the same properties because the leaves are processed differently. It goes through a fermentation process that strips the plant of its natural polyphenol compounds.
It is known that the rate of breast cancer in China is four to five times lower than rates typically seen in developed countries, although this is changing as women are adopting Western diets rich in meat and dairy - and piling on the pounds.