A study of over 36 thousand Japanese men over several decades has suggested that eating mushrooms can lower the risk of developing prostate cancer, especially for men over the age of 50 . Mushrooms are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, in particular L-ergothioneine, which is believed to mitigate oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is caused by poor diet and lifestyle choices, as well as environmental toxins, that can lead to chronic inflammation and disease .
Another study also found that consuming mushrooms had a preventative effect on breast cancer in women . Medicinal mushrooms, which usually refer to more exotic, specialty mushrooms, have also shown promise in preventing cancer, again because of their glutathione, ergothioneine, and polysaccharide content . Examples of these kinds of mushrooms include reishi, turkey tail, shiitake, and maitake varieties. Studies have found that these fungi affect your body’s antitumor mechanisms, by stimulating certain immune cells . Turkey Tail is particularly notable and contains a unique polysaccharide known as PK (polysaccharide K), a known cancer adjunct therapy for the immune system .
4. Allium Vegetables
Allium vegetables include onions, shallots, leeks, and garlic. While studies of these vegetables’ effect on cancer have been observational, scientists around the world have consistently found a link between eating garlic and onions and preventing cancers of the gut, like colon cancer [13]. In fact, a 2019 study of over 1,600 Chinese men and women found that those who ate more garlic and onions had a 79 percent lower chance of developing colorectal cancer [14].
5. Wakame
There have been some animal and lab studies to suggest that eating wakame, an edible type of seaweed, can suppress the growth of breast cancer, colon cancer, and kidney cancer cells [15,16]. The success of these studies has not yet been replicated in humans, so more research is necessary to determine the exact role that wakame plays in cancer prevention.