Add a daily mushroom portion to your diet

But when combined with drinking green tea regularly, the risk is cut by 9 per cent, it is claimed. Scientists found that women who ate at least 10g – around a third of an ounce – of fresh mushrooms daily were 64 per cent less likely to develop a potentially fatal tumour. Dried mushrooms had a slightly less protective effect, reducing the risk by around half. Experts at the University of Western Australia in Perth analysed the eating habits of more than 2,000 women in China, half of whom had suffered breast cancer. The researchers concluded: “Higher intake of mushrooms decreased cancer risk in both pre- and post-menopausal Chinese women.”

It is important to remember there is no one particular ‘super’ food that will protect you from cancer. Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK

Some evidence suggests mushrooms act in a similar way to breast cancer drugs called aromatase inhibitors which block the body’s production of the cancer-feeding hormone oestrogen. Previous research uncovered the re mark able health benefits of green tea, including reversing endothelial dysfunction – a sign of arteries clogging – in smokers. Studies have found that drinking a cup a day can keep the heart healthy by opening up the arteries. It is thought green tea offers cancer-fighting benefits because it is not fermented before drying like the more popular black variety.

Fermentation is believed to reduce the content of flavonoids, which are beneficial antioxidants, by up to 90 per cent. Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information manager, said: “Both green tea and mushrooms have previously been reported to lower cancer risk. While this study adds to the evidence, more research is needed to confirm these observations and find out if they are relevant to UK women. “It is important to remember there is no one particular ‘super’ food that will protect you from cancer. Large scientific studies have proven that the best way to reduce your risk of many cancers is to eat a healthy, balanced diet.”

The latest findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer. Laboratory tests on animals show that fungi have anti-tumour properties and can stimulate the immune system’s defences. Last month scientists in California began a trial to see if taking a mushroom extract twice a day for a month helps breast cancer survivors remain free of the disease. More than 46,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year and it kills 12,400.