MEN HEALTH

Mushroom

Could Lower The Risks Of Prostate Cancer, New Study Suggests

According to statistics, it is said that 1 out of 9 men in the world could be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. This itself is a very big revelation. No wonder, more and more researchers are

working to find a therapeutic approach to keeping this condition at bay.

A new study conducted by the researchers from the Tohoku University found that the men who consume mushrooms in their daily diet are less likely to experience the risks of prostate cancer. The study was conducted with 36,000 Japanese for a better understanding.

The incidence of prostate cancer is caused when the cells inside the prostate gland, start proliferating at an uncontrolled rate. Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer witnessed in men. Reports suggested that 1.8 million men worldwide were diagnosed with the same in 2018.

The consumption and use of mushrooms have been very proactive in Asia, where it is even used for its medicinal benefits.

Shu Zhang, an assistant professor of epidemiology in the Department of Health Informatics and Public Health at Tohoku University School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, who is also the lead author of the study stated saying that test tube studies and studies in general with living organisms have found that mushroom does have the capability to reduce the risks of prostate cancer.

But, the possible impacts of the consumption of mushroom and reduction of the prostate cancer risks in humans have not been investigated prior to this.

This specific study is the very first cohort study conducted with human population to get a better perspective of things and to see whether or not the non-clinical trials prove right for the clinical trials or not.

Even though the researchers have concluded from the study that the daily consumption of mushrooms can prove beneficial for helping reduce the risks of prostate cancer,

Zhang also emphasises on the fact that it is necessary for individuals to balance out their meals with all the essential nutrients to further prevent unnecessary risks of the cancer.

For this specific study, the researchers focused on studying two cohorts of participants including 36,499 men in total in between the age group of 40-79 years. The two sections were analysed in Miyagi and Ohsaki in the years of 1990 and 1994 respectively.

The follow up for the Miyagi cohort was done on December 31, 2014, extending the study for 24.5 years. The follow up for the Ohsaki cohort was later done on March 31, 2008, extending the study for 13.25 years.

For the study, the participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire answering correctly about their daily lifestyle and the kind of diet they follow. They were asked about the mushroom consumption on a daily basis along with physical activity, smoking and drinking habits and their overall family and medical history.

This was what helped the researchers evaluate their answers and conclusions better.

With the long term follow up for both the cohorts, the researchers found that the regular consumption of mushrooms had positive benefits in helping reduce the risks of prostate cancer in men. The same was predominantly better in the individuals above the age of 50 years and older. The same

found to be a better option in comparison to the ones whose diet consisted of meat and dairy products and lesser consumption of fruits and veggies.

The analysis found that the consumption of mushrooms on a daily basis compensated for the reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables. Amidst them, only 3.3% of individuals suffered from prostate cancer during the follow up period.

The men who consumed mushrooms once or twice a week has a 8% reduced risk of developing prostate cancer in comparison to the men who experienced a 17% reduction by consuming mushrooms more than three times in a week.

Zhang suggested saying that mushrooms are a storehouse of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, especially that of

L-ergothioneine which have amazing benefits in helping keep the risks of cancer in check. The same helps fight oxidative stress, thus reducing the risks of free radical damage in the body.

According to the study conclusions, the researchers have come to the result that the consumption of mushrooms might help reduce the risks associated with prostate cancer in men. The researchers do need to go further in depth into it to learn more about the dietary intake and the other hidden issues behind this.

Zhang suggests that since a normal individual on a daily basis consumes a lesser amount of mushroom each day, which is around 5 grams per day in comparison to the individuals in the study who consumed 7.6 gm per day, increasing the mushroom intake by a little could impact potential positive benefits.