Health Benefits of Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms have long been used as a food and a medical treatment in Asia, but are gaining popularity in the United States for both purposes. Some studies suggest that shiitake mushrooms might help fight diseases such as cancer, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, but more research on humans is needed to prove the benefits of these fungi.
History
Shiitake mushrooms have been cultivated and eaten for about 2,000 years in Asia, where they have long been believed to have health benefits, but have only found their way to the West in the last half-century or so. They have been commercially cultivated in Japan and other Asian countries since about 1940. Today, about 50 percent of Japan's shiitake crop is exported to the United States, with some U.S. production occurring in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania and California. The U.S. production of shiitakes has grown as more people take an interest in shiitakes' possible health benefits.
Identification
Shiitakes are a brown mushroom with a somewhat convex cap. They are typically 2 to 4 inches in diameter. Their scientific name is Lentinus edodes.
Features
Dried shiitake mushrooms or extracts from the mushrooms are used for both cooking and alternative medical treatments. Shiitakes are said by some to help fight certain diseases because they help the immune system produce interferon, a family of compounds that helps the body resist illness. Three chemical components in shiitakes might have health benefits. One, lentinan, might retard the growth of tumors. The compound eritadenine might change cholesterol's absorption into the bloodstream, thereby lowering overall cholesterol. Finally, activated hexose-containing compound--also called 1,3-beta glucan--might decrease tumor growth and reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Theories/Speculation
Research on the health benefits of shiitakes has been going on in the United States since the 1960s. Some studies have supported these healthful qualities of shiitakes. For example, some studies in animals and with cells cultured in the laboratory have shown that shiitakes might fight cancer, diminish viral activity and lower cholesterol. A study in humans showed that lentinan lengthened the life of stomach and colon cancer patients who also received chemotherapy. Another study in men with prostate cancer, however, showed no effect of shiitakes on their illness. Further randomized clinical studies in humans are needed to conclusively prove any health benefits of shiitake mushrooms.
Considerations
The studies conducted in humans to date with shiitakes have used extracts of the mushrooms that are likely stronger than individuals can prepare at home or can gain by simply eating the mushrooms. Therefore, while eating shiitakes as part of a meal is not likely to cause you any harm unless you are allergic to them, they also will likely not have any powerful healthful effects on your body. Shiitakes may indeed eventually be found to have real health benefits, but they are not medicine on their own, and should not be considered a treatment for any serious disease.
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