Incident Risk of Prostate Cancer and Mushroom Consumption
Posted: Thursday, October 3, 2019
Regular mushroom consumption may help to lower a man’s risk of prostate cancer, according to a Japanese study published in the International Journal of Cancer. However, the mechanism of the beneficial effects of mushrooms on prostate cancer remains unclear. Shu Zhang, PhD, of Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, and colleagues found that the benefit was most profound in men older than age 50 who reported eating mushrooms at least three times per week.
The study included 36,499 men between the ages of 40 and 79 who participated in the Miyagi Cohort Study in 1990 and in the Ohsaki Cohort Study in 1994. Patients completed a questionnaire on their lifestyle habits that included questions regarding their diet. The median follow-up was 13.2 years.
A total of 1,204 cases (3.3%) of prostate cancer were identified in the 574,397 person‐years of follow‐up. Men who ate mushrooms at least three times per week had a 17% lower risk of developing prostate cancer (P trend = .023) than those who consumed them less than once per week, whereas men who ate mushrooms one to two times weekly had an 8% lower risk. This inverse relationship was especially pronounced among men aged 50 and older and did not differ by clinical stage of cancer or intake of vegetables, fruit, meat, and dairy products.
Although the mechanism behind this link is not clear, Dr. Zhang and colleagues believe that antioxidant and immune-modulating properties of mushrooms may play a role. “Further studies in other populations and settings are required to confirm this relationship,” concluded the investigators.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
