Mushrooms are being hailed as a miracle cure for cancer. But can a shiitake stir-fry really work wonders?

Behold the mighty mushroom. Neither plant nor animal, the mysterious fungus is a class, or kingdom, of its own, and has fascinated cultures around the world for centuries. But while they do make a tasty omelette filling, does the real magic of mushrooms lie not in their flavour, but in their potential to combat one of our biggest killers – cancer?

"These mushrooms have attributes you can't synthesise, because the molecules are often too complex," says medicinal plant expert Chris Kilham. He considers the immune value of many of these fungi to be "critically important", and just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the possible health benefits. He complains that many doctors are still ignorant of their potential in modern medicine.