(NaturalNews) For centuries, shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes)
have been utilized as a medicine in their native East Asia. Traditional
Chinese medicine, for instance, would commonly prescribe shiitake for
people suffering from upper respiratory disease, poor blood circulation
and fatigue. In Japan, shiitake were beloved for their anti-aging
properties. And Europeans, who have rigorously studied shiitake under
the microscope since they first arrived on the continent, appreciate
their impressive cholesterol lowering and weight loss properties.
However, an American study published in the Cancer Prevention Research
journal has also found that a compound present in shiitake mushrooms
can suppress the rate of cervical cancer growth, making them a viable
alternative for aggressive and unnatural allopathic cancer treatments.
AHCC vs. HPV
According to the study authors, shiitake mushrooms contain analpha-glucan called active hexose correlated compound (AHCC), which is a
mixture of amino acids, polysaccharides and minerals. This compound,
which appears to be unique to shiitake, is well known for its anti-tumor
benefits. With this information in mind, the researchers sought to
determine whether AHCC could also eradicate human papillomavirus (HPV),
an extremely common sexually-transmitted infection which, if left
untreated, can cause women to develop cervical cancer.
For the
study, the researchers treated two cervical cancer cells (SiHa [HPV
16/18 positive] and C-33A [HPV negative]) in vitro with a 0.42 mg/mL
dose of AHCC, then incubated them for 72 hours. Two additional trials
followed: one in which the same AHCC dose was repeated once every 24
hours for one week, and another in which mice suffering from HPV were fed a 50 mg/kg dose of AHCC daily for the same period.
The
results showed that AHCC suppressed HPV in all three trials. In the
first trial, the AHCC suppressed HPV expression during the first 24
hours, but the HPV came back with a vengeance during the next 24 hours.
Fortunately, continuous in vitro exposure -- such as that experienced in
the other two trials -- resulted in sustained HPV suppression.
Specifically, sustained AHCC treatment resulted in an overall 15.9
percent decrease in HPV activity compared to the control groups.
"[T]hese
data suggest daily dosing of AHCC will eradicate HPV 16/18 infections
and may have a role in the prevention of HPV-related cervical cancer," concluded Dr. Judith Smith, lead researcher and scientist at the University of Texas. "Furthermore, there is a potential for the addition of AHCC to primary treatment regimens for cervical cancer, which may potentially improve response rates and prevent recurrence."
Dr.
Smith's findings were presented at the Society of Gynecological
Oncology's 45th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer in Tampa, Florida in
March 2014.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/ahcc
http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm
http://science.naturalnews.com/shiitake_mushroom.html
About the author:
Michael
Ravensthorpe is an independent writer whose research interests include
nutrition, alternative medicine, and bushcraft. He is the creator of the
website, Spiritfoods, through which he promotes the world's healthiest foods.
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