New research from China shows that eating a daily portion of fresh mushrooms could cut the risk of breast cancer by up to two thirds, reports the Daily Mail.
Scientists at the University of Western Australia in Perth carried out the study in a bid to build on earlier research showing that certain fungi have anti-tumour properties.
The team, led by Min Zhang, studied the diets of 2,018 women from the southeastern Chinese city of Hangzhou — half of whom had breast cancer —between July 2004 and September 2005. They found that women consuming a third of an ounce of fresh mushrooms every day were 64 per cent less likely to develop a tumour. Dried mushrooms had a slightly less protective effect, reducing the risk by around half.
The effectiveness of the mushroom boosted diet was enhanced further when it was combined with regular consumption of green tea. The risk among women in this group was reduced by almost 90 per cent. NPN Mar 09.