Shiitake mushrooms are mushrooms that originate from Asia and grow in forests. This mushroom occupies the second position as a mushroom that is often cultivated in the world for certain purposes. One of the reasons why Shiitake mushrooms are cultivated is because these mushrooms can be used as cancer-preventing foods. Apart from Shiitake mushrooms, there are also tomatoes that are lined up to prevent cancer. Is it true?
Two cancer-prevention foods
Shiitake mushrooms are mushrooms that contain lycopene, this is the compound that gives tomatoes and other red vegetables their red color. Lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient, so the oil in tomato sauce is thought to help the body absorb lycopene.
There are several studies that say that eating Shiitake mushrooms and tomatoes can be a cancer-prevention food. Is this claim true?
Research on Shiitake
Shiitake mushrooms are known to fight growth and as a cancer prevention food, they are also able to boost the immune system. This mushroom can also prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, and help treat infections such as hepatitis. In addition, Shiitake mushrooms also contain interferons and natural proteins that can stop viruses and contain compounds that are beneficial to health. The lentinan compound contained in Shiitake mushrooms is believed to be able to stop and inhibit tumor growth.
Other components can reduce tumor activity and reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. Shiitake mushrooms also contain the compound Eritadenine which is thought to lower cholesterol in the body by blocking cholesterol when it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Opinions and conjectures about the benefits and effects of this mushroom are still being studied.
Research conducted on animals to find out the benefits of Shiitake mushrooms showed positive results, namely Shiitake mushrooms are anti-cancer, contain low cholesterol, and are able to inhibit viruses. Research in humans shows that Shiitake mushrooms are useful for prolonging the life of patients with gastrointestinal cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy.
Several substances with the potential to fight cancer are found in Shiitake mushrooms and these substances are being purified and researched as a treatment for digestive cancer. Shiitake mushroom supplements and Shiitake mushrooms in supermarkets are not yet known whether they have the same benefits as fresh Shiitake mushrooms. Clinical trials are also still examining the extent to which Shiitake mushrooms are beneficial to health and can prevent cancer.
Then, is it true that tomatoes containing lycopene can also prevent cancer?
Research shows that tomatoes can reduce pharyngeal or laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, and prostate cancer. Consumption of high amounts of carotenoids has the benefit of reducing the number of cancers in the body including lung, stomach, cervix, breast, pancreas, colon, rectum, and esophagus. However, evidence showing a direct link between tomatoes and protection against cancer is still lacking.
The strongest evidence is shown by the protection provided by lycopene against lung, stomach, and prostate cancer. Lycopene can also help protect the body from cancer of the cervix, breast, mouth, pancreas, esophagus, colon, and rectum.
Several observational epidemiological studies have found that cancer-preventive foods that contain high lycopene can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, but this benefit does not apply to processed tomato products.
Several experiments conducted on animals show that lycopene can prevent and treat cancer. Long-term intake of lycopene also suppresses the growth of breast cancer in mice. Unfortunately, breast cancer that attacks humans is not the same as that which attacks mice, and the benefits obtained by humans are not the same as those obtained in mice.
Problems or complications that may occur due to lycopene
Some people experience diarrhea and bloating after eating shiitake mushrooms, although this is very rare. People who are allergic to Shiitake mushrooms can experience harmful effects on the skin, nose, throat, and lungs.
Lycopene can be obtained from fruits and vegetables and has no side effects, so it is considered safe for humans. Meanwhile, the side effects of lycopene supplements are not fully known. Patients who take tomato supplements that are rich in more than fifteen milligrams of lycopene will experience some side effects on the intestines such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, and bloating. If the supplement is consumed in the long term and in large quantities, it will cause an orange skin color.
Supplements containing antioxidants such as lycopene may interfere with radiation therapy and chemotherapy if taken during cancer treatment. Although studies on the disorders caused by lycopene have not been conducted in people undergoing treatment, its antioxidants are known to counteract the harmful effects of free radicals. This lycopene interferes with the chemotherapy process in destroying cancer cells. However, consuming fruits and vegetables that contain high levels of anti-oxidants is considered safe during treatment. Consult your doctor first if you want to take supplements that contain lycopene.