Mushrooms have been found to contain substances that inhibit the growth of some forms of breast cancer.In recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month we have highlighted a product not commercially grown here. Button mushrooms fresh from the US are usually easy to find in local supermarkets. Health food experts advise that you only buy organic brands. It’s particularly important in the case of mushrooms because they are usually grown directly on compost. You want to minimise your exposure to pesticides and other pathogens that are less likely to be in organic compost.There’s a fatty acid in many types of mushrooms that is usually found exclusively in animal products like meat, milk and cheese. It’s this acid that gives crimini or button mushrooms its cancer-prevention/cancer-curing status.Button mushroomsScientific name: Agaricus biporus.Family of: Agaricaceae.Grown: Not commercially cultivated in Bermuda.Vitamin content: Excellent source of B2, B5 (pantothenic acid) and B3 (niacin). A very good source of B1 and B6 and a good source of B9 (folate).Mineral content: Excellent source of selenium, copper, potassium and phosphorus. A very good source of zinc.Dietary fibre: About .1 grams of fibre are in a cup of raw button mushrooms.Omega 3 fatty acids: Not a source of omega 3 fatty acids.Omega 6 fatty acids: A good source with about 97 mg in a cup of the raw vegetable.Protein: About .5 grams of protein are in a cup of raw button mushrooms.Good for: Studies show button mushrooms provide protection against breast cancers that are dependent on oestrogen for their growth. The fatty acid conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) binds to aromatase enzymes which causes the production of oestrogen to be blocked. Blocking the oestrogen prevents these types of tumours from growing in healthy women. In women that have these types of tumours already, blocking the oestrogen effectively blocks the tumour’s food supply. Starved of the hormone, the tumour stops growing. For this reason some fungus experts advocate eating button mushrooms to cure breast cancer.It is worth noting that the presence of CLA in mushrooms is unique. This type of fatty acid is otherwise exclusively found in animal foods like meat, milk and cheese.Button mushrooms also provide good cardiovascular protection. Extracts from crimini mushrooms have been found to reduce the binding of certain immune cells onto the lining of the aorta. When mushrooms reduce this binding, they also lower risk of damage to the aorta and risk of blood flow problems.Studies also show mushrooms protect cells in the aorta from both inflammation and oxidation. As the aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body, the benefit to cardiovascular health is clear.But the protection button mushrooms provide to heart health is compounded by its ability to lower not only total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, but also triglycerides. Research on lab animals showed a reduction in all three of their blood fats in just one to two months of eating mushrooms daily.Rich in B vitamins, mushrooms are able to balance out homocysteine in the body. High homocysteine levels in the blood greatly increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which can quickly lead to heart disease.