Researchers have found that consuming mushrooms three times a week cuts the risk of developing prostate cancer in males.

The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, found an inverse relationship between mushroom consumption and the development of prostate

cancer among middle-aged and elderly Japanese men.

For the findings, a total of 36,499 men, aged 40-79 years who participated in the Miyagi Cohort Study in 1990 and the Ohsaki Cohort Study in 1994, were followed for a median of 13.2 years.

According to the researchers from Tohoku University in Japan, during follow-up, 3.3 per cent of the participants developed prostate cancer.

Mushroom consumption once or twice a week was associated with an eight per cent lower risk of prostate cancer and consumption three or more times per week was associated with a 17 per cent lower risk.

However, according to the study lead author Shu Zhang: "the mechanism of the beneficial effects of mushrooms on prostate cancer remains uncertain."