In America and Europe, the everyday "food mushroom" is the common button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), commercially cultivated in France since the 1600's. In the Far East, however, the likewise centuries old cultivation of gourmet mushrooms has been primarily focused on an entirely different species - the Shiitake. Only in the last few decades has Shiitake become a common household name in the West.
Known alternately as Black Mushroom or Chinese Mushroom, wild Shiitake grows in Asia only. The name derives from the Shii Tree, its preferred host, although Shiitake may also grow on oaks and beeches. Shiitake has been cultivated in China and Japan for a thousand years.
Increasingly recognized in the West as a culinary mushroom, few westerners are yet aware of the medical applications of Shiitake. In Asia, it has a long tradition as a medicinal mushroom going back to the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644) and the Chinese physician Wu Juei, who recommended it for conditions of the liver, respiratory and circulatory systems. Shiitake is also the most commonly studied mushroom in modern medical research, with special focus on its anti-tumor [94] and anti-viral properties. [93]
When it comes to medicinal use of Shiitake, the preferred part to use is the mycelium (the "roots") not the fruit body ("mushroom"). The mycelium contains a higher concentration of medicinal compounds, some of which may not be found at all in the fruit body.
The most common extract is known as LEM, a protein extract from Lentinula Edodes Mycelia. (Lentinula edodes is Latin for Shiitake.) LEM has been shown to have powerful immune boosting properties, [95, 96, 97] particularly anti-bacterial. [98, 99] LEM has also been found to exhibit anti-cancer properties. [100] One study found it to kill melanoma cells while causing no harm to healthy cells. [101]
Lentinan is the name of another much researched compound isolated from Shiitake, named after the Latin genus name Lentinula. Lentinan is a polysaccharide that has been found to stimulate the human immune system to combat cancer. [102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110] It is currently used in Asia as an intravenous cancer drug.
When rice is fermented with Shiitake mycelium, another group of medicinal compounds result. Known as arabinoxylanes, these compounds show great promise against viruses. [111, 112, 113]
In particular, type 1 herpes simplex virus [114] and HIV [115, 116, 117] have been shown to respond to Shiitake extracts in clinical trials, although one study found that Lentinan by itself - isolated from the other active compounds of Shiitake - had no noticeable effect on HIV replication. [25]
Other studies worth a brief mention have reported positive findings in the use of Shiitake extract to prevent septic shock, [120] and to treat Candida [118] and chronic fatigue syndrome. [119]
In his book Mycelium Running, medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets also lists the following areas where research has shown Shiitake extract to have a beneficial effect: Blood Pressure; Blood Sugar; Cholesterol; Kidney Tonic; Liver Tonic; Sexual Potentiator; Stress; Breast Cancer; Liver Cancer; Prostate Cancer. [134]
Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before using any herb (or mushroom) for medicinal purposes.
Credit to Paul Stamets for research and source material.
Known alternately as Black Mushroom or Chinese Mushroom, wild Shiitake grows in Asia only. The name derives from the Shii Tree, its preferred host, although Shiitake may also grow on oaks and beeches. Shiitake has been cultivated in China and Japan for a thousand years.
Increasingly recognized in the West as a culinary mushroom, few westerners are yet aware of the medical applications of Shiitake. In Asia, it has a long tradition as a medicinal mushroom going back to the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644) and the Chinese physician Wu Juei, who recommended it for conditions of the liver, respiratory and circulatory systems. Shiitake is also the most commonly studied mushroom in modern medical research, with special focus on its anti-tumor [94] and anti-viral properties. [93]
When it comes to medicinal use of Shiitake, the preferred part to use is the mycelium (the "roots") not the fruit body ("mushroom"). The mycelium contains a higher concentration of medicinal compounds, some of which may not be found at all in the fruit body.
The most common extract is known as LEM, a protein extract from Lentinula Edodes Mycelia. (Lentinula edodes is Latin for Shiitake.) LEM has been shown to have powerful immune boosting properties, [95, 96, 97] particularly anti-bacterial. [98, 99] LEM has also been found to exhibit anti-cancer properties. [100] One study found it to kill melanoma cells while causing no harm to healthy cells. [101]
Lentinan is the name of another much researched compound isolated from Shiitake, named after the Latin genus name Lentinula. Lentinan is a polysaccharide that has been found to stimulate the human immune system to combat cancer. [102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110] It is currently used in Asia as an intravenous cancer drug.
When rice is fermented with Shiitake mycelium, another group of medicinal compounds result. Known as arabinoxylanes, these compounds show great promise against viruses. [111, 112, 113]
In particular, type 1 herpes simplex virus [114] and HIV [115, 116, 117] have been shown to respond to Shiitake extracts in clinical trials, although one study found that Lentinan by itself - isolated from the other active compounds of Shiitake - had no noticeable effect on HIV replication. [25]
Other studies worth a brief mention have reported positive findings in the use of Shiitake extract to prevent septic shock, [120] and to treat Candida [118] and chronic fatigue syndrome. [119]
In his book Mycelium Running, medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets also lists the following areas where research has shown Shiitake extract to have a beneficial effect: Blood Pressure; Blood Sugar; Cholesterol; Kidney Tonic; Liver Tonic; Sexual Potentiator; Stress; Breast Cancer; Liver Cancer; Prostate Cancer. [134]
Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before using any herb (or mushroom) for medicinal purposes.
Credit to Paul Stamets for research and source material.
About the Author:
Dr. Rafael has worked in the natural health field since finishing Chiropractic College in the mid-90's. He currently specializes in to research and write about medicinal mushrooms, including Shiitake extract. For research references to this article, go to the extract of Shiitake mushroom page and click on any number indicating a reference and you will be taken to the list of references.
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