Shiitake Extract Used in Asia as Cancer Medication
In Europe and America, "mushrooms" in a recipe usually refers to button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), which were first cultivated in France in the 1600's. In Far East Asia, the equivalent is Shiitake, which has long been the cultivated "food mushroom" of choice. Only in the past few decades has Shiitake become a household name in western cuisine.
Known alternately as Black Mushroom or Chinese Mushroom, wild Shiitake grows in Asia only. The name derives from the Shii Tree, its preferred host, although Shiitake may also grow on oaks and beeches. Shiitake has been cultivated in China and Japan for a thousand years.
Increasingly recognized in the West as a culinary mushroom, few westerners are yet aware of the medical applications of Shiitake. In Asia, it has a long tradition as a medicinal mushroom going back to the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644) and the Chinese physician Wu Juei, who recommended it for conditions of the liver, respiratory and circulatory systems. Shiitake is also the most commonly studied mushroom in modern medical research, with special focus on its anti-tumor [94] and anti-viral properties. [93]
The benefit of using Shiitake mycelium extract as opposed to the mushroom fruit body is that there are compounds in the mycelium that don't exist in the fruiting body or that may be in much higher concentration in the mycelium.
The most common extract is known as LEM, a protein extract from Lentinula Edodes Mycelia. (Lentinula edodes is Latin for Shiitake.) LEM has been shown to have powerful immune boosting properties, [95, 96, 97] particularly anti-bacterial. [98, 99] LEM has also been found to exhibit anti-cancer properties. [100] One study found it to kill melanoma cells while causing no harm to healthy cells. [101]
A famous polysaccharide isolated from Shiitake is known as Lentinan, deriving its name from Lentinula. Lentinan has been shown to stimulate the natural cancer fighting mechanisms of the human immune system [102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110] and is used in Asia as a cancer-drug, administered intravenously.
Arabinoxylanes of Shiitake extract derived from rice cultivated mycelium have been shown to have powerful anti-viral properties. [111, 112, 113]
In particular, type 1 herpes simplex virus [114] and HIV [115, 116, 117] have been shown to respond to Shiitake extracts in clinical trials, although one study found that Lentinan by itself - isolated from the other active compounds of Shiitake - had no noticeable effect on HIV replication. [25]
Additional studies have reported positive results with Shiitake extract in conditions of chronic fatigue syndrome [119] and Candida [118], as well as for septic shock prevention. [120]
And last but not least, in his book Mycelium Running, foremost U.S. medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets also lists the following areas where Shiitake has been reported as having a therapeutic effect: Blood sugar; blood pressure; kidney support; cholesterol; liver health; stress; sexual dysfunction; breast cancer; prostate cancer; liver cancer. [134]
Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any medicinal mushroom or herb without prior approval by medical doctor.
Credit: Thank you to Paul Stamets for source material.
Known alternately as Black Mushroom or Chinese Mushroom, wild Shiitake grows in Asia only. The name derives from the Shii Tree, its preferred host, although Shiitake may also grow on oaks and beeches. Shiitake has been cultivated in China and Japan for a thousand years.
Increasingly recognized in the West as a culinary mushroom, few westerners are yet aware of the medical applications of Shiitake. In Asia, it has a long tradition as a medicinal mushroom going back to the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644) and the Chinese physician Wu Juei, who recommended it for conditions of the liver, respiratory and circulatory systems. Shiitake is also the most commonly studied mushroom in modern medical research, with special focus on its anti-tumor [94] and anti-viral properties. [93]
The benefit of using Shiitake mycelium extract as opposed to the mushroom fruit body is that there are compounds in the mycelium that don't exist in the fruiting body or that may be in much higher concentration in the mycelium.
The most common extract is known as LEM, a protein extract from Lentinula Edodes Mycelia. (Lentinula edodes is Latin for Shiitake.) LEM has been shown to have powerful immune boosting properties, [95, 96, 97] particularly anti-bacterial. [98, 99] LEM has also been found to exhibit anti-cancer properties. [100] One study found it to kill melanoma cells while causing no harm to healthy cells. [101]
A famous polysaccharide isolated from Shiitake is known as Lentinan, deriving its name from Lentinula. Lentinan has been shown to stimulate the natural cancer fighting mechanisms of the human immune system [102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110] and is used in Asia as a cancer-drug, administered intravenously.
Arabinoxylanes of Shiitake extract derived from rice cultivated mycelium have been shown to have powerful anti-viral properties. [111, 112, 113]
In particular, type 1 herpes simplex virus [114] and HIV [115, 116, 117] have been shown to respond to Shiitake extracts in clinical trials, although one study found that Lentinan by itself - isolated from the other active compounds of Shiitake - had no noticeable effect on HIV replication. [25]
Additional studies have reported positive results with Shiitake extract in conditions of chronic fatigue syndrome [119] and Candida [118], as well as for septic shock prevention. [120]
And last but not least, in his book Mycelium Running, foremost U.S. medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets also lists the following areas where Shiitake has been reported as having a therapeutic effect: Blood sugar; blood pressure; kidney support; cholesterol; liver health; stress; sexual dysfunction; breast cancer; prostate cancer; liver cancer. [134]
Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any medicinal mushroom or herb without prior approval by medical doctor.
Credit: Thank you to Paul Stamets for source material.
About the Author:
Dr. Rafael has devoted his life to natural health since finishing Chiropractic College in the mid-90's. His current focus is to research and write about medicinal fungi, including extract of Shiitake. For scientific references to this article, go to the Shiitake mushroom extract page and click on any number indicating a reference.