Oriental mushrooms have been revered by herbalists for centuries, but a new report reveals that the humble white and chestnut mushrooms may have powerful health giving properties, too.
Not only do cultivated mushrooms outstrip the exotics like shiitake and oyster in some essential minerals and vitamins, they also contain biologically active compounds, which scientific studies suggest may help fight cancer and heart disease and improve well being.
The report Mushrooms — the New Superfood has been compiled by leading nutritionist Jane Clarke and her team and summarises results from major scientific studies from around the world into the nutritional value and potential health benefits of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms.
This species accounts for 95 per cent of UK mushroom sales and includes white mushrooms (button, closed cup, open cup and large flat) and brown mushrooms (also called chestnut, champignon marron, crimini and portabello).
Jane, who appears regularly on TV, said: 'We've always known that mushrooms are tasty, versatile and satisfying, but they have been somewhat in the shadow of the more colourful and exotic fruit and veg. This new report now allows them to take centre stage as a super-food."
The study high-lights research from across the world.

vicki. robinson @ypn. co.uk

Power of the white mushroom
Breast cancer
Studies at the Beckman Research Institute in Duarte, California, suggest that fresh white mushrooms can help reduce the activity of the enzyme aromatase that increases oestrogen levels. High oestrogen levels have been linked to breast cancer. Initially, extracts from seven vegetables – onion, celery carrot, pepper, broccoli, spinach and mushroom – were tested. The most effective aromatase inhibitor was found in white mushrooms. The study's second phase tested only mushrooms, including portabellos, shiltake, crimini, oyster, enoki, woodear, chanterelle, small white and large white mushrooms. The large white mushrooms emerged as the most potent inhibitor of aromatase activity.

Prostate cancer
A series of experiments have been carried out to investigate the effects of white button mushrooms in relation to prostate cancer and suggested that they may play a chemo-preventive role. Research at the City of Hope Medical Centre showed that two phytochemicals found in white button mushrooms had the ability to suppress two enzymes – steroid 5alpha- reductase and aromatase - which have been implicated in the incidence of prostate cancer.

Antioxidants
Mushrooms are a prime natural source of the powerful antioxidant LErgothioneine, out-doing either of the two foods previously believed to be better sources. Led by Professor Robert Beelman, researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that just a handful of white button mushrooms have about 12 times more of the antioxidant than wheatgerm and four times more than chicken liver. Brown mushrooms contained even more and exotics had the highest levels. L-Ergothioneine scavenges free radicals and protects the body's DNA from damage. As a result of this research, the university advocated that white mushrooms be elevated to "superfood" status
Cholesterol
Studies have suggested that substances found in white mushrooms have the ability to lower blood cholesterol levels and so may be able to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They are a valuable source of lovastatin, which has been found to suppress the activity of the main cholesterol synthesis enzyme. Mushrooms are a good source of fibre, in particular glucans giving them the potential to impact on cholesterol uptake from the diet.

Immune system
Compared to exotics, white mushrooms are a significantly better source of selenium, providing 15 per cent RNI for women per 100g. This trace mineral has received increasing attention as a potential cancer preventive, possibly through antioxidant protection and/or increased immune function. Concern has been expressed about falling intakes of selenium in some European countries, including the UK.

Weight loss
The preliminary findings of an 18 month American study into the potential role of mushrooms in weight loss diets, showed that when compared to other isocaloric diets, a mushroom based diet produced greatest loss of fat tissue. Other research showed that when men substituted a 4-ounce grilled portabello mushroom for a 4-ounce (120g) grilled beef burger, they would save 18,400 calories in a year, a potential weight loss of 5.3 pounds and a yearly reduction of 2,725 grams of fat.
Mushrooms are low in calories, fat and sodium and are a good source of phosphorus, pyridoxine, B6 and also provide iron, magnesium, manganese and some Vitamin C. An 80g serving, around 14 baby button mushrooms, or four large closed cup mushrooms, counts towards the 5-A- DAY target.

Fungi facts
l There is evidence that mushrooms and their mycelia have been on the planet for 90 million years, meaning they predate the dinosaurs by millions of years.
l Ancient Egyptians believed that mushrooms paved a path to immortality, according to the hieroglyphics they left behind 4,600 years ago. They were considered food for royalty only.
l History reveals that the Egyptians were not alone in believing that mushrooms possess super-human properties able to lead the soul to the realm of the gods. Cibus Deorum was how the early Romans referred to mushrooms – food of the gods. They gave mushrooms to warriors at special feasts as they were reputed to increase strength.
l A fourteenth-century Chinese medical text mentions the fact that shiitake mushrooms can be used to activate 'chi' – the body's natural life force.
l France was the leader in the formal cultivation of mushrooms. Some accounts say that Louis XIV was the first mushroom grower. Around this time mushrooms were grown in special caves near Paris set aside for this unique form of agriculture.
l In other civilisations throughout the world, including Russia, China, Greece, Mexico and Latin America, mushroom rituals were practised on the belief they could produce unusual strength, and lead the soul to another realm.
l For thousands of years, Eastern cultures have revered mushrooms as both food and medicine. Tradition has it that there are more than 50 species with healing properties. When used as medicine, mushrooms are made into soup or tea, or taken as a tonic or elixir.
l In 1891, the first book on mushroom growing was published and it shed new light on the theory of cultivation. William Falconer, a mushroom grower and experimenter from Dosoris, Long Island, agreed with the recommendations of agricultural journalists and compiled their theories in Mushrooms: How to Grow Them; A Practical Treatise on Mushroom Culture for Profit and Pleasure.
l The 1st century Roman poet Martial, a famous writer of epigrams said: "Argentum atque aurum facile EST, laenam togomque mittere, Boletus mittere difficile EST" It is easy to despise gold and silver, but exceedingly difficult to refuse a plate of mushrooms.
l Even though mushrooms were known to the ancient civilisations, very little evidence exists to indicate the prevailing attitudes to fungi. In those times, its edibility or use in medicinal concoctions weighed the usefulness of a plant.
l Hippocrates (born around 460 BC) writes of having used mushrooms in medicinal preparations.
l Pliny the Elder (AD 50) associated poisonous mushrooms with the breath of snakes. Plutarch explained that truffles sprang into existence during thunderstorms, when the flames that came from the moist vapours, and the noise from the soft clouds, struck the ground.
l Animal, vegetable or mineral? In the case of mushrooms the answer is none of the above, for they are the fruiting bodies of fungi, and fungi are not plants but have a kingdom of their own.
l Consumers in the UK are spending £292m on mushrooms – equivalent to 8% of total vegetable sales.
l A survey of 500 UK consumers showed that most mushrooms are eaten for dinner (88%), and breakfast (34%).
l Europe's biggest mushroom was discovered in a Swiss National Park in 2004. The 1,000 year old fungus covers an area equivalent to around 100 football pitches.
l A new report has shown that there is more to mushrooms than taste, convenience and versatility – they are also a superfood.
l Some of the wonder drugs of today come from fungi. Statins control your cholesterol level to protect you from heart disease. Cyclosporin stops rejection in transplant patients. We still depend on penicillin, the wonder drug of the 1940s – all from fungi.
l We Brits love our mushrooms. Over 112,000 tonnes of cultivated mushrooms are sold in Britain each year, 95 per cent of which are the versatile white-cupped variety.
l For recipes and to download a copy of the "Mushrooms – the New Superfood" report, log onto www.mushrooms-uk.com.



Do you have a question for a doctor? Experts at Bupa Hospitals Leeds can answer your concerns on a range
of issues. Send your query to vicki.robinson@ypn.co.uk or write to Ask the Doctor, Vicki Robinson, Healthy Living, Yorkshire Evening Post, Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 1RF

Dear Doctor...
I have a really painful toe nail, I think it may be ingrown. I'm nervous about having an operation as my friend had it done and she was left with a misshapen nail. Is surgery my only option or is there something I can do myself?
Ms S Harpan, Kirkstall
An ingrowing toe nail occurs when the edge of the nail grows into the skin at the side of the nail.
This results in a chronic irritation of the skin which leads to localised inflammation, which causes pain, redness and swelling. If it does not resolve, the area can become infected and even produce an abscess.
The way to prevent the nail from ingrowing is to cut the nail squarely across the toe, not to curve or round it at the corners, and not wear shoes that are too tight.
Once the nail starts to become ingrown it is possible to encourage it to grow back over the top of the skin by lifting it over the skin with small pieces of cotton wool. This needs to be done carefully and the cotton wool changed every day.
If the ingrown nail becomes infected it needs treatment with antibiotics and drainage of any abscess that has occurred.
If the nail continues to be a problem then surgical treatment may be the only way to resolve the problem. Most of the surgical procedures can be carried out under local anaesthetic.
Depending on the severity of the problem, the initial treatment may involve removal of all or part of the nail and inflamed tissue to allow the nail to re-grow normally.
If the problem is very severe it may be necessary to remove the piece of nail causing the problem and stop a small piece of the nail, approximately one third, from growing back. Or the other option is to remove the entire nail and stop all of it from growing back.
Unfortunately all the surgical options carry some risk that the nail that re-grows will be misshapen.
Mr Monkhouse, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at BUPA Hospital Leeds

Dear Doctor...
My son has the television turned on quite loud and when I turn it down he says he cannot hear it properly. He has a portable MP3 player, which he also has on very high volume. Is this likely to be damaging his hearing?
Mrs D Ross, Swillington
Children who turn up the television volume may have deafness. In younger children, below the age of ten, this is often due to 'glue ear' or otitis media with effusion. Fluid collects in the middle ear and impedes the movement of the middle ear ossicles, hence dampening down sounds heard.
The ossicles basically act as a sound amplifying system. Other associated symptoms may include shouting and not hearing when called from an adjacent room. At school the teachers may note that the child doesn't respond when spoken to. In some children, deafness may be caused by excessive wax in the ears. Older children, including teenagers, may have Eustachian tube dysfunction. Very rarely a child may suffer with hearing nerve deafness.
Your general practitioner will be able to examine your son's ears to confirm one of the above diagnoses. Wax can be treated by syringing. In certain cases referral to an ENT surgeon is necessary for a full assessment, including a hearing test.
Many parents complain of children playing MP3 players and other sound systems very loudly. Children can tolerate louder noises than adults. There is no evidence that recreational listening to music damages hearing.
Mr Makura, Consultant ENT Surgeon at BUPA Hospital Leeds.

Dear Doctor...
When it is cold my fingers go white and numb. It's OK at the moment because it is warmer but I dread the winter coming. It is not painful but it makes things like carrying shopping bags really difficult. It also looks unsightly. Is it likely to be a circulation or blood pressure problem? Can it be treated?
Jill Howarth, Frizinghall

The symptoms of fingers turning white on exposure to cold might suggest a diagnosis of Raynaud's. However, the classical history is of a three colour change, from white to blue and then to red, on exposure to a cold environment. The colour changes are a result of a particularly marked vasospastic (spasm of the vessel wall) reaction to a cold stimulus.
In most patients there is no identifiable underlying cause and these are usually referred to as having Primary Raynaud's Disease. Some patients do have an underlying cause such as systemic sclerosis, occupational vibration exposure (Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome), and thoracic outlet syndrome.
In all patients with Raynaud's of either classification, the colder winter months are likely to be more troublesome. As a general rule, tissue viability (ie avoidance of skin / finger loss) does not occur in those with primary Raynaud's, but can occur in the more severe cases of those patients with Secondary Raynaud's.
This person also states that carrying shopping bags is difficult and that this causes the fingers (hands) to become unsightly. This would suggest that the venous drainage from the arm, situated between the top of the arm and the base of the neck, is being compressed as a result of the arm being pulled down by the weight of the bags. This would cause the hand and fingers to become grey / blue in colour. There is a rapid return to normal colour when the weight is relieved and this may take longer in cold conditions.
A careful history and examination should allow a confident preliminary diagnosis. This would include assessment of the blood pressure in both arms. Subsequent investigations would include a thoracic inlet view (an X-ray of the upper chest and lower neck) to look for evidence of a cervical rib - an extra rib which can compress the vessels, venous and areterial and also the nerves running at the base of the neck into/from the arm. Specific investigations looking for evidence of secondary Raynaud's may also be undertaken.
Avoidance of smoking will help to reduce the severity and frequency of attacks. It is essential to try to use good quality insulated gloves in the colder months. Consideration also needs to be given to the use of thermal socks and the use of a hat / scarf. Exposure of the patients head, neck and / or feet can provoke an attack of Raynaud's in the hands. Once the cold stimulus has been received then the process is likely to continue until the stimulus has been removed and the body has recovered its normal temperature throughout. Treatment may also be considered using drugs such as Opilon and Nicardipine.
Patients with Thoracic Outlet syndrome will normally be referred for a course of physiotherapy to try to strengthen the upper limb / shoulder girdle and also to improve posture. This alone may improve or eradicate symptoms. In those with persistent disabling symptoms, an operation to remove the compression may be considered.
Mr Berridge, Consultant Vascular Surgeon at BUPA Hospital Leeds.

For more information on Bupa Hospitals Leeds call 0113 218 5977 or log on to the website www.bupahospitals.co.uk/leed