Shitake

For many hundreds of years, shiitake mushrooms have been a highly consumed food source in Asia. In fact, they’re the second most popular and the third most widely cultivated edible mushroom in the world.

Today, shiitakes can be found in higher end grocery stores because of their meaty and versatile flavor, but they can still be hard to find in North America. They’re packed with B vitamins and have the power to fight cancer cells, cardiovascular disease and infections. See all the benefits below.

Why are these small fungi so powerful? Because shiitake mushrooms have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. That's amazing right?

Like many medicinal mushrooms, they help control blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation within the body among many other benefits.

What Are Shiitake Mushrooms?

The shiitake is part of the Lentinula edodes species. It’s an edible mushroom native to East Asia.

Because of its health benefits, it has been considered a medicinal mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) , mentioned in books written thousands of years ago.

Shiitakes have a meaty texture and woodsy flavor, making them the perfect addition to many meals such as soups, stews, stir fries and many meat dishes They’re often used in Japanese recipes, along with combinations of other mushrooms.

Shiitake mushrooms contain many chemical compounds that protect your DNA from oxidative damage, which is partly why they’re so beneficial. Lentinan, for example, heals chromosome damage caused by anticancer treatments.

Also, eritadenine substances from edible mushrooms help reduce cholesterol levels and support cardiovascular health. Researchers at Shizuoka University in Japan even found that eritadenine supplementation significantly decreased plasma cholesterol concentration. This compound is also present in button mushrooms and a few others.

Shiitakes are also unique because they contain all eight essential amino acids, along with a type of essential fatty acid called linoleic acid. Linoleic acid has been shown to help with weight loss and building muscle. It also has bone-building benefits, improves digestion, and reduces food allergies and sensitivities.

Nutrition

As far as nutrition goes, it packs a punch! The USDA reports that 100 grams of raw shiitake mushrooms contain about:

34 calories
6.8 grams carbohydrates
2.2 grams protein
0.5 gram fat
2.5 grams fiber
4 milligrams niacin (19 percent DV)
1.5 milligrams pantothenic acid (15 percent DV)
0.2 milligrams vitamin B6 (15 percent DV)
0.2 milligrams riboflavin (13 percent DV)
18 international units vitamin D (4 percent DV)
0.2 milligrams manganese (12 percent DV)
112 milligrams phosphorus (11 percent DV)
5.7 micrograms selenium (8 percent DV)
0.1 milligrams copper (7 percent DV)
1 milligram zinc (7 percent DV)
304 milligrams potassium (6 percent DV)
20 milligrams magnesium (5 percent DV)
0.4 milligrams iron (2 percent DV)

Health Benefits

Fight Obesity

Certain components of the shiitake mushroom have hypolipidemic (fat-reducing) effects, such as eritadenine and beta-glucan, a soluble dietary fiber that’s also found in most mushrooms, barley, rye and oats. Studies have reported that b-glucan can increase satiety, reduce food intake, delay nutrition absorption and reduce plasma lipid (fat) levels.

In a 2011, 6 week study published in the Journal of Obesity the researchers found significant effects of dietary intervention on body weight gain. Rats on a high dose of shiitake mushroom diet (where a mushroom powder was added to a high-fat diet) had 35 percent lower body weight gains than rats on low and medium shiitake mushroom diets. Rats on the high dose shiitake mushroom diet also had significantly lower total fat masses and had a trend of lower fat accumulation.

The researchers concluded by suggesting that shiitake mushrooms can help prevent body weight gain, fat deposition and plasma triacylglycerols when added to a high-fat diet.

Support Immune Function

All mushrooms have the ability to boost the immune system and combat many diseases by providing important vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition evaluated 52 healthy males and females, aged 21–41 years, to see if shiitake mushrooms could improve human immune function. The study involved a four-week parallel group trial that involved participants consuming either five or 10 grams of mushrooms daily.

The results suggest that consuming mushrooms improved cell effector function and improved gut immunity. There was also a reduction of inflammation. See more studies in the resource section.

Destroy Cancer Cells

Research suggests that shiitake mushrooms may help fight cancer cells and the lentinan in shiitakes helps heal chromosome damage caused by anticancer treatments. This suggests shiitakes are potentially amazing cancer-fighting foods.

A 2006 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine investigated the potential roles of an ethyl acetate fraction from shiitake mushrooms. The study involved two human breast carcinoma cell lines, one human nonmalignant breast epithelial cell line and two myeloma cell lines.

The results suggest that shiitake mushrooms were able to inhibit growth in tumor cells with their mycochemical value. Shiitake mushroom successfully induced apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death.

Support Cardiovascular Health

Shiitake mushrooms have sterol compounds that interfere with the production of cholesterol in the liver. They also contain potent phytonutrients that help keep cells from sticking to blood vessel walls and forming plaque buildup, which maintains healthy blood pressure and improves circulation.

A study conducted at Tohoku University in Japan found that shiitake mushrooms prevented blood pressure increases in hypertensive rats. Shiitake feeding resulted in a decrease in VLDL and HDL cholesterol, whereas maitake mushroom feeding caused a decrease in VLDL cholesterol only.

Contain Antimicrobial Properties

A 2011 study at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute in London tested shiitake’s antimicrobial effects on gingivitis, a preventable disease that involves inflammation of the gums. The effectiveness of shiitake mushrooms was compared to that of the active component in the leading gingivitis mouthwash, containing chlorhexidine.

The total bacterial numbers as well as the numbers of eight key organisms in the mouth were investigated after treatment. The results showed that shiitake mushroom extract lowered the numbers of some pathogenic organisms without affecting the organisms associated with health, unlike chlorhexidine, which had a limited effect on all organisms.

Boost Energy and Brain Function

Shiitake mushrooms are a great source of B vitamins, which help support adrenal function and turn nutrients from food into usable energy. They have proven to help naturally balance hormones and break through brain fog to help maintain focus all day — even improving cognitive performance.

Millions of Americans are deficient in B vitamins that cause energy slumps, unhealthy blood cell and adrenal effects, and foggy thinking. Adding shiitake mushrooms can give you the extra boost of B vitamins that you need.

Provide Vitamin D

Although vitamin D is best obtained from the sun, shiitake mushrooms can also provide a decent amount of this essential vitamin.

Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for bone health as well as reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and some types of cancer. It’s vital for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorus as well.

Research indicates that getting a robust supply of vitamin D also helps support the immune system, maintain a healthy body weight, maintain brain function as you age, reduce the severity of asthma symptoms, reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women, and reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. All mushrooms, as well as wild-caught salmon, raw dairy and eggs, are the best vitamin D-rich foods. It is also said that if you put your mushrooms in the sun, their vitamin D levels will increase.

Promote Skin Health

When selenium is taken with vitamins A and E, it can help reduce the severity of acne and the scarring it can produce. A hundred grams of shiitake mushrooms contain 5.7 milligrams of selenium, which is 8 percent of your daily value. That means shiitake mushrooms can be helpful as a natural acne treatment.

Several studies have shown positive results which can be found in the resource section of this website.

Support Digestive and Gut Health

Studies indicate that the fibers found in shiitake mushrooms are known to inhibit inflammation in the gut, which is critical for maintaining a healthy digestive system.

As we know, gut health is also associated with immune system health and mental wellness. It’s essential and vital that we keep inflammation in the digestive tract at bay to achieve optimal health. Please research all anti inflammatory foods to help maintain this delicate system.

Possible Side Effects

As with all food groups, if you're allergic to mushrooms of any kind, do not consume Shiitakes.

Some adverse reactions that have been noted are skin irritation, bloating, nausea and general stomach upset.

Precautions

Most of the potential side effects of Shiitake mushrooms occur only in certain people, which is especially true when they are cooked first or taken as refined Shiitake mushroom extracts and supplements. Regular individuals rarely experience side effects from these mushrooms, and so it is widely understood that certain people are more at risk than others.

As such, people that should exercise extreme caution when consuming Shiitake mushrooms are:

People with existing mushroom or mould allergies.
People with blood/bleeding disorders.
People expecting surgery in the next few weeks.

Fun Fact!

Mushrooms create air flow around them by causing water to rapidly evaporate, thus creating a vehicle for spreading their spores (future mushrooms) around their environment.