Cancer can hit just about every single cell in your body, making it a real serial killer. One of the possible targets is the prostate, the male reproductive gland tasked with controlling the flow of urine, as well as producing semen. Fortunately, a certain mushroom also targets the prostate in the fight against cancer; and it looks like the tail of a turkey. The American Cancer Society predicted that more than 240,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be tallied for 2012. At least 12 percent of patients from those cases will die from the illness, making it the genital system cancer with the most number of cases and fatalities. Scientists are scrambling to get answers on how to reduce these figures even though they are only forecasts. Apparently, they see the turkey tail mushroom as an unlikely yet formidable ally. Researchers blame the cancerous stem cells for rendering modern cancer treatment efforts futile. A chemotherapy session can destroy some cancer cells in the body, but they say that it does not target the stem cells. Think of these stem cells as the root from where the cancer will grow and spread throughout the body, worsening a cancer patient’s condition. During clinical trials on mice, it was found that the extract from the turkey tail mushroom targets these stem cells. This extract is identified as polysaccharopeptide (PSP), a biological response modifier (BRM) that is widely used in treating tumors. Being a BRM, it plays an influential role in getting the body to respond to infections. Beta glucans found in the mushroom are responsible for this. Apart from aiding the body in the fight against cancer cells, the mushroom also promotes normal cell growth. Polysaccharopeptide is also a potent substance that can be found in other species of mushrooms. Researchers fed turkey tail to half of the mice in the study. Results pointed out that the mice that were fed with the turkey tail did not develop any cancer cells at all. This shows the potency of PSP in influencing the body to retaliate against prostate cancer. With anti-cancer agents like the turkey tail mushroom at the doctors’ side, they hope to prove the figures for 2012 wrong. Visit the website of the American Cancer Society at cancer.org for more details on prostate cancer and how they can be prevented. As early as now, start making mushrooms a part of your daily diet.
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