Shiitake as a Medicinal Mushroom
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.
Also known as Chinese Mushroom or Black Mushroom, wild Shiitake is strictly an Asian species. It derives its name from one of its hosts, the Shii Tree, but can also be found growing on Asian oaks and beeches. Cultivating Shiitake is a tradition that stretches back approximately 1000 years in China.
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]
The preferred part of Shiitake to use medicinally is the mycelium (the “roots”) because they contain compounds that either don’t exist in the fruit body (“mushroom”), or are much more concentrated in the mycelium.
The most researched Shiitake extract is known as LEM, short for Lentinula Edodes Mycelia. (Shiitake’s Latin name is Lentinula edodes.) Research has found LEM to enhance the immune system, [95, 96, 97] especially against bacterial infection. [98, 99] It’s also been reported to be anti-tumoral. [100] A 2005 study published findings that it killed melanoma cells while sparing non-diseased tissue. [101]
Another active compound of Shiitake extract that has been much studied is Lentinan; a protein-free polysaccharide, so named after Lentinula, the Latin genus name for Shiitake. Lentinan does not directly kill tumors but has been shown to stimulate the tumor fighting mechanisms in the body of test subjects, [102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110] and is in fact in use in Asia as an injected cancer medication.
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]
Two viruses in particular that have been studied with promising results are herpes simplex type 1 [114] and HIV [115, 116, 117]. It should be mentioned, however, that the previously mentioned Lentinan as an isolated compound does not appear to affect HIV replication. [25]
Furthermore, other studies have shown that Shiitake extract may be beneficial in the treatment of Candida, [118] chronic fatigue syndrome, [119] and to prevent septic shock. [120]
And last but not least, in his book Mycelium Running, foremost U.S. medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets also lists the following areas where Shiitake has been reported as having a therapeutic effect: Blood sugar; blood pressure; kidney support; cholesterol; liver health; stress; sexual dysfunction; breast cancer; prostate cancer; liver 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.
