Surely I jest?
The lowly white button mushroom [WBM] contains an aromatase inhibitor. As such, it may inhibit the conversion of testosterone to estradiol.
WBMs are also a source of conjugated linoleic acid [CLA]. Surely, not a whole lot - but [1c] describes it as "an important component".
& "WBM was also found to inhibit 5α-reductase, the enzyme that produces DHT from testosterone. The WBM extract inhibits both 5α-reductase 1 and 2".
The bulk of WBM research has been carried out by Dr. Shiuan Chen [1]. Although his focus was initially breast cancer, where estradiol is a known growth agent, he has also done some PCa studies - most recently, a Phase I clinical trial [1c].
Is it worth trying?
What is the downside? It is a common food with almost no calories. WBMs have been on the American table forever, or at least during decades when it was the only mushroom to be found in stores. Plenty of recipes include them.
In the days of big business lunches, I could usually summon up interest in mushrooms on toast as a substitute dinner. Cooked slowly in butter, there are three stages: (i) butter is absorbed, (ii) WBMs give up water, which is allowed to evaporate, & (iii) WBMs release much of the butter. At that stage, the umami flavor is fully developed. Yummy.
[1a] (2001)
"White Button Mushroom Phytochemicals Inhibit Aromatase Activity and Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation"
[1b] (2008)
"White button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) exhibits antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties and inhibits prostate tumor growth in athymic mice."
[1c] (2015)
"A phase I trial of mushroom powder in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer"
"A histologically or cytologically confirmed history of adenocarcinoma of the prostate was required for all patients. Any number of local therapies was allowed. Patients had to experience the following PSA failure: a PSA level of ≥0.2 ng/mL that increased above nadir after prostatectomy. If no prostatectomy was performed, and radiation or other local therapies were used as a primary therapy, patients had to experience a PSA increase of 2.0 ng/mL above post-therapy nadir. The increase in PSA values had to be established by at least 2 consecutive measurements (each separated by at least 2 weeks). No clinical or radiographic evidence of metastatic disease was allowed. In conjunction with their prior primary definitive therapy, patients were permitted to receive up to 9 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant hormone ablation. Androgen deprivation had to be completed at least 6 months prior to registration, and testosterone levels had to be in the noncastrated level defined as >50 ng/dL. No complementary or alternative therapy (eg, St. John's Wort, PC-SPES, or other herbal remedies taken for the purpose of treating prostate cancer) could be given during protocol treatment. For patients who received neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy, such treatments must have been completed at least 6 months prior to protocol registration."
"Thirty-six patients were treated; no DLTs were encountered. The overall PSA response rate was 11%. Two patients receiving 8 and 14 g/d demonstrated complete response (CR): their PSA declined to undetectable levels that continued for 49 and 30 months. Two patients who received 8 and 12 g/d experienced partial response (PR). After 3 months of therapy, 13 (36%) patients experienced some PSA decrease below baseline. Patients with CR and PR demonstrated higher levels of baseline interleukin-15 than nonresponders; for this group, we observed therapy-associated declines in {myeloid-derived suppressor cells}."
"Therapy with WBM appears to both impact PSA levels and modulate the biology of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer by decreasing immunosuppressive factors."
-Patrick
[1] caos.nl/mailing/isms2016/Bi...
[1a] jn.nutrition.org/content/13...
