There is a wild mushroom that grows on mulberry trees in Korea, Japan, and China. Since ancient times it has been considered a “miracle cure.”
Now, emerging research shows that it could be a powerful weapon against prostate cancer.
Dr. Chang-Yan Chen is a research investigator at Harvard Medical School. He specializes in cancer and hematology (the study of the blood and blood diseases). In particular, he examines the signals your body sends that cause cells to grow and die.
The results of his study on the impact of the “miracle” mushroom on prostate cancer appeared in the scientific journal PLoS One.
Mushroom Causes Cancer Cell Suicide
Dr. Chen and his colleagues had already established that the mushroom helped stop the growth of prostate cancer cells in the test tube. Their next step was to see if it worked in a living organism. The researchers injected mice with human prostate cancer cells. They were then treated with the mushroom every two days for 12 days. Although the treatment did not prevent tumors from forming, it did slow their growth.
After 12 days, the mice were again treated with the mushroom. This time, the tumors began to shrink. Analysis of the data showed that a protein – caspase-3 – had been activated. Caspase-3 is known to promote “apoptosis,” the mechanism that causes cancer cells to destroy themselves.
Other studies have found that the mushroom suppressed the formation and growth of aggressive breast cancer cells. One of those studies, published in the British Journal of Cancer, was a collaboration of the Cancer Research Laboratory at the Methodist Research Institute, the Department of Medicine at Indiana University, and the Indiana University Simon Center School of Medicine.
What makes this mushroom so promising as a cancer treatment is that not only does it promote apoptosis (programmed cell death), it also inhibits the naturally invasive behavior of cancer cells. It does this by inhibiting angiogenesis – the formation of new blood vessels that “feed” cancer cell growth.
Miracle Mushroom Unveiled
The mushroom with these impressive properties is Phellinus linteus – the Sanghuang mushroom.
For centuries, it’s been used in Asia to treat inflammation and stomach problems. And even there, its potential to treat cancer hasn’t gone unnoticed. It was lab-tested against cancer as part of a national project in Korea.
Sanghuang is available as a supplement, but it is most commonly consumed as a tea. This is currently your best option. You can buy the mushrooms and the tea online and in most Asian grocery stores.
There’s sure to be more research done on the medicinal benefits of the Sanghuang mushroom. For now, it’s certainly worth adding to any healing protocol for cancer.