mushrooms, anyone?

[carolyn]

this great and somewhat sarcastic article by ralph moss talks about the anti cancer properties of mushrooms and why western science will never look deeper into this potential treatment

ANTICANCER POWER OF SUPERMARKET MUSHROOMS





Most people have heard by now about the healing powers of exotic medicinal
mushrooms, such as reishi, shiitake and maitake. But what about the white button
mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), the kind that is so boringly abundant in American
supermarkets? A study at City of Hope hospital suggests that it too may have
anticancer effects if taken daily.



"You don't need a strong effect to cause cancer prevention. Eating 100 grams or
even less of mushrooms per day could have an effect on preventing new breast
cancers," said Dr. Shiuan Chen, director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology
at the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope in Duarte, California.
Results of the ongoing study have appeared since 2006 in several leading
scientific journals.



Mushroom extracts turned out to be effective aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase is
an enzyme that helps the body make estrogen, a hormone that feeds the growth of
breast tumors. Of seven vegetables tested, mushrooms had the greatest effect.
Other forms of mushrooms (such as portabello, crimini, and shiitake) also were
aromatase inhibitors, so one could vary the type eaten to add a little variety
to the regimen.



The button mushroom extract reduced the proliferation of breast cancer cells in
the laboratory. Giving the extract to mice with breast cancer also suppressed
tumor growth. Based on their laboratory experiments, the scientists estimated
that 100 grams of mushrooms (less than four ounces) taken per day would probably
help prevent breast cancer growth.



"Results from this and other laboratories support the hypothesis that white
button mushrooms may be an important dietary constituent for reducing the
incidence of hormone-dependent breast cancer in women," the authors wrote.
"Prevention strategies involving mushrooms are readily available, affordable,
and acceptable to the general public."



Many women who have completed their initial therapy for estrogen-receptor
positive (ER+) breast cancer take synthetic drugs for years to inhibit aromatase
production. It would be most interesting to see how ordinary mushrooms compare
to drugs such as anastrazole (Arimidex) in their actual anticancer ability?
Anastrazole has some potentially serious adverse effects, and so dietary
substitutes would be most desirable. But do not be surprised if pharmaceutical
companies do not rush to do such studies. In 2007, AstraZeneca reported $1.7
billion in sales on Arimidex. This translates into a cost of several hundred
dollars per month for women taking the drug. Four ounces per day of mushrooms
will set you back about $15 per month, or less if you buy in bulk. From a drug
company's point of view, the economics do not favor such nutritional agents.



Comparative studies of the sort I am proposing are rarely performed and when
they occasionally occur are usually stacked against the less expensive approach.
Oftentimes, the information we receive about cancer is inaccurate. In fact, the
typical cancer patient is kept in the dark and fed a load of manure...just like
the proverbial mushroom.







--Ralph W. Moss, PhD





References:



Adams LS, Phung S, Wu X, Ki L, Chen S. White button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)
exhibits antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties and inhibits prostate
tumor growth in athymic mice. Nutr Cancer. 2008;60(6):744-56.



Chen S, Oh SR, Phung S, Hur G. Anti-aromatase activity of phytochemicals in
white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). Cancer Res. 2006 Dec
15;66(24):12026-34.



Hong Y, Chen S. Aromatase inhibitors: structural features and biochemical
characterization. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Nov;1089:237-51. Review.

[Ian Jacklin]

I went to this link but it goes to a join aol page?