The scientific name for Shiitake is Lentinula edodes. Shiitake was the first medicinal mushroom to be scientifically studied for its immune support properties.* By “medicinal” we mean those mushrooms that contain immuno-modulating beta glucans in the cell walls and have a history of use in Traditional East Asian Medicine. This research started in Japan but was soon picked up by researchers from China and Korea. Shiitake was also the source of the first beta glucan isolate used for immuno-modulation in human clinical studies and medical practice; Lentinan.* All of this attention was probably due to the fact that Shiitake was so highly regarded as a healthy food. In Japan and China Shiitake is considered to be the best of all plant foods. The following is quoted from a Chinese handbook for medical workers: “Considering the five inevitable (sic) nutrients - protein, lipid, carbohydrate, minerals and vitamins, no other plant food could replace Shiitake. Besides, Shiitake also has high contents of calcium, sodium, phosphorus, etc. minerals and vitamins B-1, B-2, B-12 and vitamin D precursor.” Shiitake mushrooms and extracts also contains amino acids, including some essential amino acids such as lysine, arginine, threonine, valine, leucine and phenylalanine. In addition to the research on immune support there has been a considerable amount of research conducted on how Shiitake enzymes affect cholesterol levels.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:27:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015