THE FOUNDERS OF the Happy Pear franchise have apologised after criticism of a video in which they stated that eating mushrooms reduces the risk of getting breast cancer. 

The video posted on a Happy Pear’s social media profile included a number of statistics about breast cancer diagnoses and then lists “some of the possible factors” and “five things to reduce your risk”.

One of the tips to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer was “eat mushrooms”, while another was to eat soy products two to three times per day.

The video was highlighted by breast cancer surgeon Dr Liz O’Riordan who said “mushrooms, soy and plant based diet do not reduce your risk of getting breast cancer”.

Don’t believe everything you see. This video by @thehappypear says that mushrooms reduce your risk of getting #breastcancer. This is NOT true. pic.twitter.com/hV1k4huBG3

— Dr Liz O'Riordan (@Liz_ORiordan) April 22, 2022

In a statement to The Journal, the Irish Cancer Society also stressed that while maintaining a healthy and balanced diet can help to reduce cancer risk, “there is no strong evidence that consuming one particular food or food group reduces the risk”. 

“A diagnosis of cancer can happen to anyone and sadly the majority of cancers occur for reasons out of anyone’s control. Some people are more at risk of cancer because of a genetic disposition or family history, while for others the reasons are simply unknown,” said the charity’s Director of Advocacy, Rachel Morrogh.

“For about 4 in 10 people who are diagnosed with cancer, it is possible to link the cause back to known causes of cancer, such as smoking and alcohol.”

She said the best course of action is for people to follow dietary advice from registered/licensed dietitians and medical professionals. 

“Their guidance can always be relied upon due to their established professional expertise and reliance on fact-based and verified information,” she said.

“This is especially important for patients who are undergoing cancer treatment, as following the wrong advice can actually do harm to their chances of successful treatment and recovery.

“It can be really difficult to navigate the vast amounts of information available around diet and cancer. Anyone in need of advice and guidance on cancer-related issues or concerns can contact our Freephone Support Line on 1800 200 700 and SupportLine@IrishCancer.ie to speak to a specialist cancer nurse.”

In an apology posted on their Instagram profile in response to criticism, brothers Stephen and David Flynn said:

“We posted a video recently about breast cancer and a number of people got upset – we just wanted to say that was never our intention and we’re really sorry for upsetting anyone.”

They said the video contained a snippet from a podcast episode they did recently on women’s health.