Push The Buttons To Help Your Prostate

'Shrooms are undoubtedly having a moment. From ‘energising’ mushroom coffee to fungi-based nootropics, immunity-boosting tinctures of reishi and chaga, and the hype around hallucinogenic psilocybin, mushrooms’ health properties are the wellness trend on everyone’s tongue. But because the rare and expensive (and Class A) varieties tend to make the headlines, it’s easy to overlook the huge – and well proven – benefits of the kind you, well... cook and eat.

No longer. Research shows that men who enjoy mushrooms three times a week can reduce their risk of prostate cancer by 17%. This kind of nutritional intervention is especially effective in men over the age of 50 – a good reason to satisfy your stroganoff cravings. Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer in men – with one in eight affected at some point – and the second most fatal. Anything that might reduce that risk, then, is worthy of further investigation – particularly if it can be bought for £1.50 a box in your local supermarket, rather than for £30 a bottle online.

The study, carried out by epidemiologists from Tohoku University in Japan, focused on men aged between 40 and 79 and examined Japanese staples such as shiitake, maitake and oyster, as well as white button. It’s believed that mushrooms’ magical properties might be linked to two antioxidants, ergothioneine and glutathione, which are thought to have potent tumour-combatting powers. Previous research from Pennsylvania State and Arizona State Universities has also found that button mushrooms stimulate T-cells, which target viruses. Give your healthsome 'shrooms for improvement.

Slice (And Dice) Your Risk

Tuck into four more prostate-friendly superfoods – plus one thing to avoid

Men who ate the most carrots were 65% less likely to get prostate cancer than those who ate less, a Vietnamese study found.

A large bowl of watermelon contains up to 13mg of the antioxidant lycopene, which can help lower your cancer risk.

The hearts house ferulic acid, which may reduce the growth of prostate-cancercells, according to Italian researchers.

Vit E supplementation (400 IU per day) has been linked to an increased risk. Top E source almonds have the opposite effect.