The mighty mushroom and HPV

A while back I wrote a post on how mushrooms are really healthy and can even combat cancer.  This humble vegetable has loads of nutritional benefits that help us achieve optimal health.

One of the major problems we face in our day to day life is being infected with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), this is a highly contagious virus that can cause cervical cancer and is sexually transmitted.  The infection affects skin and the moist membrane linings of the body, for example the cervix, mouth and throat.  More than three quarters of women acquire the virus during their lives and some strains can cause cervical cancer.  But it isn't just women who are affected, men can also be infected with this virus, there is a vaccine against it (with horrendous side effects in many teenagers that have been given it), but, you can also take your own precautions - be safe, protect yourself and use a condom.

However, an extract from a Japanese mushroom kills HPV.  American research found that the extract active hexose correlated compound (AHCC), present in Shiitake mushrooms, may play a role in preventing HPV-related cancers.

In a study with mice, AHCC eradicated HPV within 90 days, and it also decreased the rate of cervical tumor growth.  Associate professor Dr. Judith Smith of the University of Texas Health Science Center Medical School, said:

"The results of this study were very encouraging.  This study, initiated in 2008, shows that by itself AHCC has the potential to treat the HPV infection."

AHCC works with the immune system as a therapy, which is a treatment that uses a body's own immune system to help fight disease.

Our immune system incorporates a number of different cells including; Natural Killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells and cytokines and human and lab studies have shown that AHCC increases the number and activity of these cells, which enable the body to effectively respond to infections and block tumor growth.

HPV DNA has been detected in 99.7% of cervical cancer biopsies, proving the biggest causative relationship of any cancer.  Several other types of cancer are also HPV related, including 95% of anal cancers, 60% of throat cancers, 65% of vaginal cancers, 50% of vulvar cancers and 35% of penile cancers.

Dr. Smith added:

"AHCC is a common, well tolerated nutritional supplement that has been used for decades in Japan.  I am very excited to be pursuing a nutritional approach to trying to find a treatment for HPV infections.

"We had previously demonstrated an antiretroviral regimen that successfully eradicated the HPV infection but wanted to develop a more benign protocol, since these medications have a number of side effects."

The findings were presented at the Society of Gynecological Oncology 45th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer in Tampa, Florida.

I am also very excited that a nutritional approach is being investigated.  There is strong evidence that the solution to many of our modern diseases exists in our food - we just have to investigate further and trust Mother Nature to give us the answers.  It has already been proven that a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise are the best way to prevent serious diseases.

Social Nutrition:

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