Shiitake extract, powder and capsules

Properties and ingredients of the shiitake mushroom

Shiitake, also known as Lentinula edodes, is a highly prized medicinal mushroom with thousands of years of tradition in Asian medicine. The mushroom grows in the deciduous forests of Japan, China and Vietnam – mainly on dead tree trunks. Shiitake is a very popular edible mushroom, but of course we’re more interested in why it’s so popular in Traditional Chinese Medicine as well.

The mushroom contains all the essential amino acids and many important minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, and zinc, which are important for bone health, muscle and nerve function, and oxygen transport in the body. Shiitake is also a natural source of several vitamins, including B vitamins (especially B2, B5 and B6) and vitamin D2, which play an important role in metabolism and the nervous system.

What makes shiitake so interesting, however, is its high concentration of the beta-D-glucan lentinan, a type of polysaccharide, that is known as a “biological response modifier”. Another interesting vital substance in shiitake is eritadenin.

Shiitake in research and practice

Also conventional medicine is interested in shiitake because of lentinan. Its role in strengthening the immune system and preventing bacterial and viral infections has been studied a lot. Shiitake is also often used to regulate the metabolism of fat and to prevent osteoporosis.