It protects red blood cells and cellular membranes from harmful effect of (free) radicals. The principal function of selenium is creation of glutathione peroxidase, a powerful antioxidant enzyme. Selenium is one of indispensable microelements for proper functioning of enzymatic systems. This paper demonstrates practical importance of fungi in shaping the immune system and in preventing and fighting cancer. The therapeutic value of many edible mushrooms, examples of which arc given in this paper, has been thoroughly confirmed in the recent years, as indicated by the cited literature, including scientific reports in the field of oncology and immunology. In the light of these studies, a widespread belief that mushroom’s values are only a taste and aromatic qualities seems to be a myth. The main purpose was to expose the fact that these components appear jointly in fungi and their immunomodulating and anticancer activity has been confirmed by many studies. The study presents the health effects of substances contained in mushrooms, such as selenium, ß-glucans, some vitamins and minerals. According to some researchers, the use of a mixture of different species of fungi with a wide variety of glucans can further enhance their immune effects. Worth mentioning is the fact that glucans can be present in a wide variety of configurations that have different biological activity. selenium and some vitamins and minerals occur in mushrooms simultaneously, making the effect of stimulation of the immune system and anti-cancer action stronger. Usually, scientific reports present only individual components being of importance for the human health contained in mushrooms (Beuth, Drebing 2006 Marley 2009). This article is a review and an attempt to synthesize the results of the studies on immunomodulating and anticancer properties of mushrooms. p-Glucans reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower the cholesterol level. These substances play an important role in shaping the immune system and preventing cancer. In particular, ß-glucans, selenium, vitamin D, C and E should be mentioned. Fungi contain a number of biologically active substances whose importance for human health has been confirmed in several studies.
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