A male cancer shield A groundbreaking Japanese study involving over 36,000 men aged 40 to 79 years old was published after collecting data for 13 years and the results are astonishing. The study’s context : Participants reported how often they ate mushrooms: less than once a week, 1-2 times a week, or 3 or more times a week. Researchers tracked who developed prostate cancer using health records from cancer registries. The mushrooms don’t lie : Men who ate mushrooms more frequently had a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Those who ate mushrooms one to two times a week had a slightly reduced risk (8%), while those who ate mushrooms three or more times a week had a significantly reduced risk (17%). Furthermore, the protective effect of mushrooms appeared to be stronger in men over 50 years old The compounds that matter : The study did not specifically pinpoint which types of mushrooms were most effective at preventing prostate cancer, but it suggests that the mushroom antioxidants like L-ergothioneine and glutathione could play a role in reducing cancer risk, corroborating other oncology studies. Read more.