Benefits
of Shiitake: Lowers cholesterol and combats HIV
 Shiitake and Heart: cholesterol-lowering
Early research in the 70s already showed the benefits of shiitake mushroom in lowering cholesterol. Research conducted in Japan identified a specific amino acid in shiitake that helps speed up the processing of cholesterol in the liver. In a 1974 study (reported by Kenneth Jones in "Shiitake Medicine in a mushroom," Herbs for Health, Jan/Feb
1997), 40 elderly individuals and 420 young women consumed nine
grams of dried shiitake or the equivalent amount of fresh shiitake
(90g) every day for 7 days. After a week, total cholesterol levels
had dropped seven to 15% in the older group, and 6 to 12% in
the young women.
Other Benefits of Shiitake
Mushroom
Like maitake, shiitake also appears to
be a formidable cancer fighter. In 1969, scientists at Tokyo's
National Center Research Institute isolated a polysaccharide
compound from shiitake they called lentinan. In laboratory trials,
lentinan caused tumors in mice to regress or vanish in 80 to
100% of the subjects. Lentinan appears to stimulate immune-system
cells to clear the body of tumor cells.
What's more, shiitake appears to be effective
against some of the more serious viruses we face today: HIV and
hepatitis B. Test-tube studies in Japan indicate that LEM (short
of Lentinula edodes myucelium), an extract of shiitake
mushroom, is more lethal to HIV-infected cells that AZT, a well-known
medication developed to delay the progress of AIDS. In other
test-tube studies, LEM lignins have been shown to block HIV cells
from reproducing and damaging helpful T cells. These lignins
also stop cell damage from herpes simplex I and II, two viral
infections that often plague individuals with HIV.
Hepatitis B is a liver disease transmitted
through transfusions, the use of unclean needles, or other blood-to-blood
contact. In the 1980s, a trial involving 16 clinics in Japan
investigated the impact of LEM on hepatitis B. The studies indicated
that LEM may stimulate the body to produce antibodies. Forty
individuals with chronic hepatitis B ingested six grams of LEM
daily for four months. All of the patients experienced relief
of hepatitis B symptoms, and in 15, the virus was inactivated.
Beinfield points our that shiitake "can
be used as a food as well as a medicine. It treats nutritional
deficiencies and improves immunity through diet". Because
of its appealing flavor and rich nutritional makeup, vegetarians
sometimes use shiitake mushrooms as a substitute for animal protein.
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 Other Medicinal Mushroom:
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Source: Nature's Impact Dec
/ Jan - 1997/98
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