Fight cancer with mushrooms (yes, mushrooms!)

Conventional cancer treatment can be devastating to the human body. The “cut, poison, burn” techniques come with substantial risks short-term and haven’t had much success long-term with keeping patients cancer-free. Can you fight cancer with mushrooms?

You can if you’re talking about the Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushroom. Native to hot and humid areas around Asia, this fungus is a formidable health ally for all sorts of health ailments.

• Modulates and boosts the immune system
• Wards off heart disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
• Calms the nerves and improves mood
• Eases allergies
• Reduces inflammation
• Protects the lungs (particularly regarding asthma and bronchitis)
• Improves kidney health
• Helps alleviate extreme fatigue
• Regulates blood sugar
• Provides powerful antioxidant properties [1]

However, the pure awesomeness of mushrooms is particularly crucial for those with a high risk of cancer, currently fighting cancer, or working to remain free of the disease.

Therapies using mushrooms fight cancer in four specific ways:

1. Stimulates the immune system
2. Helps immune cells bind to tumor cells
3. Reduces the number of cancer cells (cytotoxic effect)
4. Slows down cancer cell growth

Different compounds found in Reishi are responsible for each of these effects.  Even Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center states on its website:

“Reishi mushroom contains complex sugars known as beta-glucans.  Lab studies suggest that these compounds may help stop the growth and spread of cancer cells.  When animals were fed beta-glucans, some cells of their immune system became more active.” [2]

The Japanese government officially recognizes mushroom cancer therapy as a treatment. Professor Vladimir Katanaev, Dr.Habil, Ph.D., lead author of the study from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), stated, “In ancient China, mushrooms were considered as the most effective treatment for the various types of tumors.  Contemporary fungotherapy (treatment using mushrooms) represents a promising field for scientific research.  The natural chemical compounds contained in fungi have a huge therapeutic and particularly the anti-cancer potential that has not been yet fully studied.” [3]

Multiple studies from around the globe have shown the actual effectiveness of Reishi mushrooms to fight cancer. Meanwhile, in the United States, mushroom cancer therapy is ridiculed as some sort of a hoax or quack therapy.

It isn’t “crazy” to fight cancer with any and all tools available to you.

There are many incredible benefits of mushrooms, and I’ve written extensively on them. It seems that scientists worldwide are finally seeing the light with these valuable fungi.

Researchers with the Department of Biotechnology at Lovely Professional University in India did a review of mushrooms to fight cancer. They stated, “The current anti-cancer drugs available in the market are not target-specific and pose several side-effects and complications in the clinical management of various forms of cancer, which highlights the urgent need for novel effective and less-toxic therapeutic approaches. In this context, some prized mushrooms with validated anti-cancer properties and their active compounds are of immense interest.”

They went on to conclude, “Medicinal mushrooms represent a growing segment of today’s pharmaceutical industry owing to the plethora of useful bioactive compounds. While they have a long history of use across diverse cultures, they are backed up by reasonable scientific investigation now. Mycologists around the world, firmly believe that a greater knowledge of mushroom can ameliorate many forms of cancers at various stages.” [4]

When five mushrooms were evaluated by researchers with Helfgott Research Institute at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon, they stated:

“As the treatment of various cancers continues to evolve, mushrooms should be considered as an adjunctAnother treatment used together with the primary treatment. Its purpose is to assist the primary treatment. therapy. It will be increasingly important that integrative clinicians work with oncologists to determine the appropriate treatment for each individual. Research into underlying mechanisms of mushrooms will continue to help in devising new strategies for treating cancer, preventing its long-term complications, and increasing survival.”

Anything that can potentially save a patient’s life (even if it seems “crazy” to fight cancer with mushrooms) must be considered. If it does no harm – and may help or heal – it should not be dismissed as “quack” medicine.

It is the ultimate arrogance to do so. That arrogance has led to millions of unnecessary deaths. Doctors trained to treat cancer exclusively with the cut-poison-burn methods they learned in medical school have casually mocked means that might have saved lives.

Every method (conventional or alternative) will not work for every patient. Some survive with conventional cancer therapies, but many patients are told their case is “hopeless,” and in that case, they must try any and all treatments to win the fight against this disease.

It’s time the mainstream medical community embraced methods that work with nature – and the patient’s own body – to beat this killer. If that means you add Reishi mushrooms to your cancer-fighting regimen, don’t hesitate to do it!