Mushroom magic
New research from Australia suggests that two Chinese staples, mushrooms and green tea, may help combat breast cancer. The study of over 2,000 Chinese women found that eating 10g of fresh mushrooms (one medium-sized button mushroom) a day were 64 per cent less likely to develop breast cancer. Having mushrooms and green tea together reduced their risk by almost 90 per cent. This doesn’t mean mushrooms will stop cancer – the best way to reduce your risk of this and many other diseases is to eat a healthy balanced plant-based diet.
Zhang et al., 2009. Dietary intakes of mushrooms and green tea combine to reduce the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women. International Journal of Cancer. 124,1404-1408.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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