BREAST cancer programmes are an important part of women’s health awareness.
The Power Of Pink is one such breast cancer awareness campaign. And breast cancer awareness also includes healthy eating.
Programme contributors include the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association, Pick n Pay and Thermopac.
Power of Pink was launched after research discovered that fresh mushrooms may have a role in fighting breast cancer.
Ross Richardson, chairman of the mushroom farmers, said the Power of Pink campaign, as well as Reach for Recovery’s Ditto Project, also offer a final empowering step in the treatment of cancer for thousands of disadvantaged South African women.
“The great news for consumers is that they are helping others because the mushrooms they buy help in the fight against breast cancer.”
Mushrooms in the wild
Mushrooms and other forms of fungus play an important role in the environment. They consume organic matter such as dead trees, wood and leaves by breaking them down into parts that can be recycled as nutrients by other parts of nature.
Mushrooms and fungi are strange form of life – their DNA shows that they are more animal than plant.
Mushrooms and science
Research from the Beckman Institute at the City of Hope Cancer Centre in California, University of Australia in Sydney and Zhejiang University in China suggests that women who eat just 10g of mushrooms every day seem to halve their risk of breast cancer.
The Power of Pink
During the Power of Pink promotion, until the end of the month, you can buy sliced or whole fresh white button mushrooms in pretty pink 250g punnets from all Pick n Pay stores.
Last year, the retailers raised R560 000 raised for the Ditto Project – also part of the Power of Pink campaign.
The Ditto Project provided about 550 disadvantaged women who had to get mastectomies with prothetic silicone breasts. Another further 3 000 mastectomy survivors got support packs and information leaflets.
Many more breast cancer sufferers and survivors will be supported throughout the year by the Reach for Recovery volunteers – all of them breast cancer survivors themselves – who will personally comfort and encourage the survivors and sufferers.