New research has found that, for some men, eating mushrooms may help lower their risk of developing prostate cancer. Although the effects of the study were small and only significant in men over 50, the results may be helpful in determining future studies on mushrooms and prostate cancer.
The study
Japanese researchers wanted to expand upon other studies’ claims that mushrooms have anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anticancer properties, including some species’ ability to slow tumor growth.
Because research from 2015 found that white button mushrooms reduced levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) for some men and boosted their immune response, the investigative team chose to study mushrooms’ effects on prostate cancer specifically.
The scientists gathered data from 36,499 Japanese men over 40 and followed them for 13.2 years. They gathered information via a questionnaire on smoking and drinking habits, coffee intake, family history of cancer, diet, exercise, medical history and education, among others.
The men were divided into five groups based on how often they ate mushrooms:
Group 1: almost never (6.9% of the men)
Group 2: 1-2 times/month (36.8%)
Group 3: 1-2 times/week (36.0%)
Group 4: 3-4 times/week (15.7%)
Group 5: almost daily (4.6%)
The results
During the follow-up it was discovered that 1,204 men had developed prostate cancer.
Even after controlling for a range of factors, the researchers found: the men in Group 3 had an 8% lower risk for prostate cancer compared to Groups 1 and 2. Group 4 had a 17% lower risk for prostate cancer than Groups 1 and 2.
It’s important to note that the researchers adjusted their analysis based on non-mushroom dietary factors to ensure that the risk reduction wasn’t simply due to the fact that the men who ate the most mushrooms also ate more vegetables.
Although the effect was small (just 0.31% difference between the men eating the most mushrooms and the men eating the least), it’s still an important study.
