Breast cancer, characterized by a cancerous growth originating from the breast, is estimated to affect one in nine Canadian women in their lifetime. Since cancer patients often include dietary supplements into their daily regimen to their boost immune system, researchers at Shakaihoken Shimonoseki Kosei Hospital in Japan set out to examine the treatment potential of shiitake mushrooms.
Researchers Yukiko Nagashima, Noriko Maeda, Shigeru Yamamoto, Shigefumi Yoshino and Masaaki Oka tested the effectiveness of shiitake on postoperative breast cancer patients, focusing on quality of life and immunity measures. Shiitake mushrooms, also known as Lentinula edodes, are a staple in Japanese, Chinese or Korean cuisines. Shiitake also used as a form of alternative medicine for cancer patients and as prevention for diseases such as influenza, West Nile virus and bacterial infections. Studies have shown shiitake contains antibacterial properties that can enhance functioning of the immune system.
The Effects of Shiitake on Immunity and Quality of Life During Breast Cancer Chemotherapy
Shiitake medicinal mushroom can improve quality of life when going through chemotherapy for breast cancer
For the experiment, the researchers recruited ten breast cancer patients as participants. Shiitake extract was produced into a powder form for consumption. The participants were treated with two courses of chemotherapy over a period of three weeks. As part of the second course, patients were administered 1800 mg/day of shiitake extract in addition to the chemotherapy. After the treatment period, quality of life was evaluated using questionnaires and immunity was measured using serum assays.
After assessing the data, the researchers found that with just chemotherapy alone, the quality of life decrease significantly. But with the addition of shiitake extract to their course of chemotherapy, quality of life measures were comparable to the levels after therapy. They also found that concomitant use of shiitake extract could also reduce immune depression. Based on these results, the researchers believe that shiitake mushroom extracts can be a beneficial form of treatment for breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. They suggest further studies be done to examine the wider implications on a bigger sample size.
Please check with your doctor before taking any mushroom supplements. Do not discontinue or make changes to your medication without consulting with your physician first! The author of this story is a staff writer for National Nutraceuticals’ online news portals, such as Amino Acid Information Center at http://www.aminoacidinformation.com and Vancouver Health News at http://www.VancouverHealthNews.ca. National Nutraceuticals, Inc. Also operates a personal development portal at http://todayswordofwisdom.com.
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3711972/
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