Natural Anticancer Mushrooms

Anticancer Mushrooms

Mushrooms most used are shitake, maitake, Kawaratake, enoitake,white ear, mushroom thistle and chard blazei.

Mushrooms are present in large quantities in the eastern diet and has been observed that the incidence of stomach cancer is half in Japanese farmers who consume a large amount compared  to those who did not consume.


Mushrooms that boosting immune system
Mushrooms contain a substance called lentinan that combined with other polysaccharides stimulate the immune system directly. In Japan for over 30 years is used associated with chemotherapy for colon cancer or stomach; a polysaccharide (PSK ) derived from the mushroom Coriolus versicolor that has been shown the stimulation of the patient's immune system .

PSK induces the production of 1,2,4,6,7,8 interleukins and interferon, as well as stimulation of immune cells ( NK) that act against cancer cells within the same tumor restricting its growth.


Mushrooms and cancer
Besides the effect on colon cancer and stomach, PSK effects have been demonstrated in patients with breast cancer, lung and esophagus. The survival of  colon cancer patients treated first with surgery  and then with Tegafur ( chemotherapy orally ) associated with PSK  increased significantly compared to patients who received only Tegafur after surgery.


At 5 years, lived 73% of those who received Tegafur + PSK vs 59 % of those who received Tegafur alone . These results were observed both in patients with stage II tumors as stage III.


In experimental animals it has been observed that the use of PSK in rats that were injected with carcinogens such benzantracene , the appearance of breast tumors was delayed, conversely, if nitrosamines were  injected the bladder cancers's onset was delayed.


In protein , its protein content is low and ranges between 2 and 5% , valuesclose to those with the vegetables. Some fungi, including truffles, reach values about 7 percent protein. However, its relative richness in nitrogen compounds, largely responsible for its taste , makes it harmful to people who suffer from gout, high levels of uric acid and rheumatic problems.