(NaturalHealth365)  Colon cancer kills over a million people worldwide each year.  Conventional treatments offer a grim reality: devastating side effects, crushing costs, and cancer cells that eventually outsmart even the most aggressive drugs.  But a new review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences reveals something your oncologist probably won’t mention: certain edible mushrooms fight colon cancer through multiple pathways that pharmaceutical drugs simply can’t match.

Shiitake, reishi, lion’s mane, and even common button mushrooms contain compounds that trigger cancer cell death and stop tumor growth in laboratory studies.

How mushrooms attack cancer cells

Researchers examining medicinal mushrooms found these fungi work completely differently from cancer drugs.  Pharmaceutical treatments typically target a single pathway, and cancer cells eventually develop resistance to them.  Mushrooms hit cancer from multiple angles simultaneously.

Shiitake mushrooms contain a compound called lentinan that helps rebuild the intestinal barrier and stop cancer cells from multiplying.  Laboratory studies showed shiitake extract suppressed tumor growth by helping the body’s own defenses work properly.

Reishi mushrooms demonstrated something even more remarkable.  Studies showed reishi triggers programmed death in cancer cells across multiple colon cancer lines, forcing the cancer cells to essentially destroy themselves.

Lion’s mane mushrooms halted cancer cell division by arresting their growth cycle.  The cancer cells literally couldn’t progress to the next stage of division, effectively stopping the tumor from expanding.

Why conventional oncology ignores this research

Mushrooms don’t just poison cancer cells and hope healthy cells survive.  Instead, they activate your immune system to recognize and destroy cancer, reduce the chronic inflammation that fuels tumor growth, and trigger natural cell death pathways that force cancer cells to self-destruct.

Studies found that combining multiple mushroom varieties worked better than using single types.  Each species contributes different anti-cancer compounds that complement each other, creating a synergistic effect that pharmaceutical companies can’t replicate with isolated chemicals.

Conventional oncology won’t tell you this because there’s no profit in recommending grocery store mushrooms.  The cancer industry makes billions from patented drugs and invasive procedures, not from helping you prevent disease through nutrition.

Natural strategies to protect against the threat of cancer

You don’t need to wait for more research or FDA approval to benefit from these findings.

Add medicinal mushrooms to your diet: Include shiitake, maitake, oyster, and lion’s mane mushrooms regularly.  Cook them thoroughly to break down cell walls and release their beneficial compounds.  Rotate different varieties to get diverse protective benefits.

Consider quality extracts: Look for mushroom supplements standardized for beta-glucan content.  Turkey tail, reishi, and shiitake extracts provide concentrated therapeutic compounds your body can actually absorb.

Address the root causes: Chronic inflammation drives cancer development.  Eat organic cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower.  Include fermented foods to support your gut microbiome, and eliminate processed meats entirely.

Support your detox pathways: Your body needs glutathione to eliminate toxins that damage DNA.  Include N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplements and selenium-rich Brazil nuts, and ensure adequate vitamin D through sun exposure and supplementation.

Reduce your toxic burden: Choose organic produce whenever possible to minimize pesticide exposure that damages your cells.  Get those inflammatory vegetable oils out of your kitchen, as they’re creating the perfect environment for cancer to develop.  Processed foods wreak havoc on your intestinal lining, so the more you can eliminate them, the better your body can defend itself against abnormal cell growth.

Understand the complete cancer prevention picture

The pharmaceutical industry profits from treating cancer, not preventing it.  They’d rather sell you expensive drugs with devastating side effects than address the inflammation, oxidative stress, and toxic exposures that actually cause cancer in the first place.

Want to know what 22 top cancer prevention experts recommend?

Jonathan Landsman’s Stop Cancer Docu-Class reveals the testing protocols that identify cancer risk long before tumors appear, science-backed ways to strengthen your immune system’s ability to destroy abnormal cells before they become dangerous, which everyday exposures are silently increasing your cancer risk, and practical steps to reduce the toxic burden overwhelming your body’s defenses.

Sources for this article include:

Mdpi.com