Also known as the shiitake mushroom, Lentinula edodes has been utilized as a medicinal food in Asian countries, particularly in Japan and China. The mushroom is believed to hold strong properties that serve to improve and modulate the immune system.
After the button mushroom, the shiitake mushroom is the world’s second most cultivated mushroom.
The famous edible mushroom from East Asia, particularly from Japan or China, is used for culinary purposes. Studies have been conducted on the shiitake mushroom and have found that it has positive health effects on humans. With the mushroom’s use dating back to the Ming Dynasty, it is no surprise that the shiitake mushroom continues to be popular today.
For years, shiitake used to be considered a forbidden or restricted plant in the United States, as the mushroom was confused with a Lentinula fungus strain that was destructive. In the 1970s, though, the U.S. Congress considered shiitake safe and welcomed it. Many countries thus started growing shiitake and now it can be cultivated with contemporary agricultural practices.
Aside from its culinary uses in providing flavor to many kinds of food, Lentinula edodes (shiitake) also possesses some health benefits, including:
A 2011 UCL Eastman Dental Institute in London study tested the mushroom’s antimicrobial effects on gingivitis, which involves gum inflammation due to microbial film buildup at the gingival margin. Shiitake mushroom’s effectiveness was compared to an active component of a mouthwash for gingivitis.
After treatment, the total bacteria numbers in the oral community were investigated. It was found the shiitake mushroom extract lowered the number of some pathogens without affecting the organisms linked to dental and oral health.
Shiitake can boost the immune system and fight various medical conditions by providing vital enzymes, minerals, and vitamins. These properties make it an immunomodulatorymushroom.
A 2015 Journal of the American College of Nutrition study determined if the mushroom could improve the immune function of humans. The results suggested that consuming shiitake mushrooms improved gut immunity and improved cell effector function. Due to mushroom consumption, there was also a decrease in inflammation.
Shiitake mushrooms can also help fight disease. The shiitake’s lentinan bioactive compound may help heal damage to chromosomes caused by antidisease therapies.
Shiitake mushrooms have been found to have L-ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant. In research presented at an American Chemical Society meeting in 2005, it was found that mushrooms have high levels of the compound as compared to two other dietary sources – wheat germ and chicken liver.
In fact, this published study found 62 elements in the fruiting body of shiitaki mushrooms.