Can Mushrooms Benefit Breast Cancer Patients?
For people with cancer, medicinal mushrooms are one way to help strengthen the body’s defenses. This non-toxic therapy can boost immune function -especially important for people going through radiation or chemotherapy. Four mushrooms I have recommended for their proven anti-cancer and immune-enhancing effects are:
- Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor). This common medicinal mushroom is shown to have anti-cancer effects in ongoing research in the United States. I suggest liquid or encapsulated extracts.
- Maitake (Grifolafrondosa). This mushroom not only has anti-cancer, anti-viral and immune-enhancing properties, but it may also help reduce blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
- Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum). Animal studies have shown that reishi inhibits the growth of some malignant tumors and improves immune function – it also has natural anti-inflammatory effects as well.
- Agaricusblazei (Agaricusbrasiliensis). This mushroom contains beta glucans, a group of polysaccharides (complex sugars) that may be the reason behind its immune-boosting effects. Oncologists in Japan and Brazil use this mushroom in cancer treatment protocols.
With such potential for immune support, medicinal mushrooms should also be considered part of a daily immune program for respiratory illness support.
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