May 13-2017

What are shiitake mushrooms

What are shiitake mushrooms, the benefits and harms of these mushrooms for the human body, what medicinal properties they have, all this is of great interest to those who lead a healthy lifestyle, monitor their health, and are interested in alternative treatment methods, including using medicinal herbs and food. So we will try to answer these questions in the following article.

Shiitake is often called the imperial mushroom - since all the emperors of the Ming dynasty drank broth from the miracle mushroom daily to prolong youth and longevity. It is also called the mushroom of the sleeping Buddha, since only monks in monasteries used to grow shiitake.

Shiitake mushroom has been known in China and Japan for more than 1000 years, it is grown specifically for use in medicine and for the preparation of delicious and nutritious dishes - because the mushroom, known today as healing, has always been considered a delicacy. The taste of shiitake - the average between the taste of porcini mushroom and champignon - is very popular with gourmets.

Shiitake (lat. Lentinula edodes), often called shiitake, xiang gu (Chinese), "Japanese mushroom" or "black forest mushroom" in vivo grows in countries of Southeast Asia - China, Japan, Korea and some others. This edible mushroom has long been used in folk medicine as a universal remedy for treating diseases and rejuvenating the body. In addition, shiitake is very popular in Japanese and Chinese cuisines - it is considered a delicious mushroom and is highly appreciated by both cooks and gourmets.

Outwardly, the shiitake is similar to meadow champignon - it has the same plate-shaped umbrella-shaped hat, sometimes smooth, sometimes covered with scales. The color of the hat varies from dark cream to dark brown, sometimes the hat is colored unevenly. The taste of shiitake is average between the taste of porcini mushroom and champignon. Today, shiitake is the most cultivated mushroom in the world - its annual production reaches 450,000 tons. It is grown because of its high nutritional value and excellent taste, but often valuable medicinal properties of the mushroom are overlooked.

The first mention of shiitake is found in records dated 199 BC. Moreover, these records show that the magic mushroom at that time has long been successfully used in medicine, but they began to use it much later. Shiitake was considered a medicine of the nobility - only very rich people and the emperor could afford an elixir from this magic remedy at that time. Later, the Japanese and Koreans learned to grow mushrooms on wood blocks in mountainous areas, where it does not grow in the natural environment, and shiitake became more accessible, but still remained a medicine for the rich for a long time. They called him that - the imperial mushroom.

Already during the reign of the Chinese imperial Ming dynasty (from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries), the imperial physician Wu Ju wrote a treatise in which he described the healing properties of shiitake.

What are the benefits of shiitake mushrooms

Today, shiitake has remained a decoration of the kitchen and a favorite of gourmets, but as widely as in cooking, it is used today in medicine as well as in cosmetology. On the basis of the shiitake extract, many different medicinal balms, infusions and tinctures, medicines, dietary supplements and even ointments are prepared. Shiitake is used to treat diabetes - for this purpose it has long been used in ancient Japan, shiitake shows good results in the treatment of this disease today. In addition, the ability of shiitake to treat multiple sclerosis has been proven, slowing the development of the disease, strengthening and enhancing immunity and stimulating remission.

Shiitake is also used in medical nutrition - there are even specially designed diets with this fungus.

The beneficial properties of shiitake are associated, first of all, with a high content of specific polysaccharides - the already mentioned lentinan and some others, as well as with the mineral-vitamin and amino acid composition of the fungus. Shiitake also contains specific volatile, which are able to effectively fight bacterial and viral infections. In addition, the shiitake mushroom has the unique property of removing cholesterol from the body, significantly reducing its level, which has a positive effect on the prevention of atherosclerosis, hypertension and some other cardiovascular diseases.

Despite the fact that shiitake is considered a fungus that can provoke the development of allergies, it is also an effective anti-allergic agent. Such paradoxical properties of the imperial mushroom still surprise researchers.

Studies have shown that shiitake polysaccharides and mycelium extract, LEM, have a slowing effect on the growth of cancer cells.

Shiitake is indicated for these types of diseases:

• Benign and malignant tumors, leukemia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Diabetes
• Arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis and other diseases of the cardiovascular system
• Post-infarction and post-stroke conditions
• Diseases of the liver, stomach and intestines
• Neurological diseases
• Immune system malfunctions, including complex autoimmune diseases
• Viral infections, including severe and difficult to cure (chronic hepatitis, all types of herpes)
• Blood diseases - used to restore the normal blood formula and activate blood flow
• Overweight and obesity
• Potency problems, prostatitis.

In addition, the beneficial effect of shiitake on the overall strengthening of the body is proved. Regular consumption of the imperial mushroom helps prevent premature aging, rejuvenate the body, prolong life, and at the same time improve its quality.

Harm Shiitake

Explicit contraindications

There are few obvious contraindications to the use of shiitake - this is pregnancy and the period of lactation, that is, breast-feeding. It is not recommended at this time to treat shiitake, as appropriate studies have not been conducted that would help to clarify the effect of the fungus on the body of the pregnant woman and the fetus. Also, you can not take the mushroom to people suffering from bronchial asthma, since it is almost always the cause of hypeallergic reactions of the body, and shiitake, as already mentioned, is an allergen.

Conditional contraindications

Shiitake should be prescribed with caution to children under 12 years of age, and children under 5 years of age should be given no mushroom and tinctures and extracts from it. This is due to the fact that in children under 12 years old the liver is still immature, it continues to form and is fully formed only when it reaches 12 years of age. And since it is the liver that is responsible for the disposal and processing of any substances entering the body, it may simply not be able to cope with the load in a child, being immature.

Restrictions on Shiitake

Shiitake should be introduced into your diet very gradually, since this fungus can cause an allergic reaction. If, during the use of shiitake, individual intolerance of this fungus was manifested, its use should be completely abandoned. No more than 200 g of fresh shiitake mushrooms or no more than 18–20 g of dried mushrooms should be consumed per day.

How to cook shiitake mushrooms, recipes

How to cook Shiitake

• When frying shiitake, you need to cut off the hats, tear the mushroom legs lengthwise to preserve the mushroom aroma during cooking. Heat the pan over high heat, then pour a small amount of purified vegetable oil into it. Pour mushrooms into the pan and fry them, stirring constantly, until the water from the mushrooms evaporates.
• Shiitake should be boiled for 3-4 minutes (no more) in a small amount of water - for 1 kg shiitake needs only 1 glass of water.

In addition, shiitake can be stewed, pickled, and shiitake extract is also added to pastries and sweets, since fresh mushroom has a pleasant caramel flavor.

Egg salad

Boil 300-400 g of shiitake, hard boil 4-5 eggs. Finely chop eggs and mushrooms, put in a salad bowl, add spices to taste, salt, green onions and vegetable oil. Mix well.

Meat salad

Boil a small piece of low-fat pork (approximately 300 g), finely chop. Add about 200 g of stewed shiitake (simmer mushrooms for 5-10 minutes under the lid over low heat with salt and spices), finely chopped green or onion to taste. Beat a small amount of milk with mustard, salt and spices and season the salad with this sauce.

Salad with vegetables

350-400 g shiitake peel, cut and simmer until cooked in butter. Boil 4 hard boiled eggs, let cool. Spread in a salad bowl in layers: chopped eggs, then green onions, then mushrooms, the last layer - fresh tomatoes cut into thin slices. Decorate the salad on top mixed with sugar and salt and sour cream.

Shiitake with Beans and Shrimp

Cut the shiitake into strips, fry until cooked in a deep frying pan with green beans. Add salt and finely chopped garlic, then toss the pre-boiled and peeled shrimp into the pan and fry the dish for another 3-4 minutes. At the end, add 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce and mix well. Serve with Chinese noodles.

Shiitake with walnuts

Take 0.5 kg of fresh shiitake mushrooms, peel, rinse, chop coarsely. Put the shiitake in a pan, pour a very small amount of water, salt and simmer until tender. Pound in a mortar 300 g of peeled walnuts, along with garlic and herbs (herbs to your taste), salt, then pour 2 tablespoons of dry red wine and mix. Combine nuts with mushrooms, keep on fire for about 4-5 minutes. The dish can be eaten both hot and chilled.

Shiitake with Peanuts

Cut 250 g shiitake into thin strips, pour into a preheated pan with vegetable oil, add chopped garlic (2-3 cloves) and fry the mushrooms for about 4-5 minutes. Separately, fry in a small amount of olive oil 0.5 cup peanuts. Add 0.5 teaspoons of thyme, salt and spices to the mushrooms, mix everything, then put the peanuts in the mushrooms and 150 g of hard cheese cut into small pieces. Keep the dish on fire until the cheese melts, then set aside and sprinkle with parsley.

Seaweed soup

Pour 40 g of dried seaweed with cold water, put on fire and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of tuna flakes and salt to taste. Cook for about a minute. Pour shiitake mushrooms (5-6 pieces of fresh mushrooms) into slices and cook for about a minute. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and a tablespoon of dry wine, cook for another minute. Beat two raw eggs, pour in a thin stream into the broth and boil for another minute. Remove the soup from the heat, sprinkle with herbs before serving.

Chicken soup

Soak 5–6 dried shiitake mushrooms for 20 minutes in cold water, then fold and cut into thin slices. Grind to a homogeneous mass in a mortar 2 cloves of garlic with several peas of black pepper and 4 shoots of coriander. Then, in a deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, add the garlic special mass and fry for a minute, stirring constantly. Pour 1 liter of chicken stock and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, add mushrooms, mix everything and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 120 g of chopped chicken into small strips and simmer for another 5 minutes. Set aside and sprinkle with chopped green onions.

Shiitake in sour cream

Cut 250 g of shiitake caps and one onion. Fry mushrooms with onions in olive oil for 8–10 minutes, then salt and pepper. Add 200 ml of sour cream to the mushrooms and warm slightly. Sprinkle with basil greens, serve with rice.

The healing properties of shiitake mushrooms, recipes

The healing forms of Shiitake mushroom are tinctures, dry mushroom powder, Shiitake extract. They have healing properties and culinary dishes, which include shiitake.

Shiitake tincture

Shiitake tincture is made on vodka, cognac or linseed oil (instead of linseed oil, you can take a good olive). Tincture is taken 30-40 minutes before a meal, 1 tablespoon three times a day. In the event that at the time of the beginning of the treatment of shiitake there is a gastric ulcer, serious liver disease, cardiovascular disease, in which it is not recommended to take medicines for alcohol, you should drink the shiitake tincture in oil.

Shiitake Powder

There are several different schemes for taking powder from Shiitake mushroom:

1) Take 1–3 times a day, 1 teaspoon of the powder 30–40 minutes before a meal, with 1 / 4–1 / 2 cups of warm boiled water. If it is problematic to take dry powder, you can immediately dilute 1/4–1/2 cup of boiled water with a temperature of not more than 50 degrees.

2) Take 1–3 times a day, 2 teaspoons of the powder 30–40 minutes before meals, washing down the powder with 1 / 4–1 / 2 cups of warm boiled water. If it is problematic to take dry powder, you can immediately dilute 1/4–1/2 cup of boiled water with a temperature of not more than 50 degrees.

3) Combine the tincture and powder, taking first 1 tablespoon of the tincture 30-40 minutes before meals, and then 20 minutes after taking the tincture - 1 teaspoon of the powder, which must be washed down with warm boiled water. The powder can also be diluted with warm water (as described above) and drunk in this form.

4) The tincture and powder are combined, as in the previous scheme, only the powder is taken 2 teaspoons at a time.

For many patients, taking tincture is enough, but powder treatment is a more effective method, and a combination of tincture with powder is more effective and quick.

Shiitake vodka and cognac tinctures are made at the rate of 10–33 g of mushroom powder per 0.5 l of vodka or cognac. The amount of powder is taken depending on the disease: 10 g is usually infused for cardiovascular diseases, 20 g for nervous and connective tissue (rheumatological) diseases, 33 g for cancer and benign tumors.

Shiitake Extract

Shiitake extract at home is extremely difficult to obtain, so those who need the extract specifically - for the treatment of dermatological diseases and for cosmetic purposes - will have to purchase it in pharmacies or specialized stores.

It is possible to take medical forms of shiitake mushroom at the same time with any other medications, except tincture of aconite and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

Shiitake for disease prevention

Shiitake can be used not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of many serious and common diseases. Preventive use of tincture and shiitake powder not only prevents the development of many diseases of various organs and systems, but also simultaneously removes cholesterol from the body, allows you to regulate metabolic processes and recover from many small and often invisible diseases that could develop into more serious acute and chronic conditions .

Peptic ulcer prophylaxis

Take 1 teaspoon of dried shiitake mushroom powder 1-3 times a day 30-40 minutes before meals for a month. Then they take a break for two weeks, after which they resume taking the powder. Such a course of treatment should be maintained for a year (you can also conduct a shortened preventive course of 6 months in length).

It is worth saying that this scheme of the prophylactic administration of shiitake mushroom is suitable not only for preventing peptic ulcer disease, but also for general strengthening of immunity and increasing the body's resistance to infections. Also, this method is used to prevent impotence and sexual disorders in men.

Prevention of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases

You should prepare a tincture of 10 g of shiitake powder and 0.5 l of vodka or linseed (olive) oil. If the tincture is done in oil, it must be preheated in a water bath to a temperature of 37–38 degrees. Insist the drug in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks (and the container with tincture should be located as far as possible from the freezer), or for 2 weeks at room temperature. While the drug is infused, it must be shaken once a day for the duration of the infusion.

Tincture to take 1 tablespoon 30-40 minutes before meals twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening. Instead of tincture, you can take 1 teaspoon of shiitake powder.

Shiitake tincture should be taken for a month, then take a two-week break. A full course of preventive measures lasts a year, shortened - 6 months.

According to the book by Pavel Malitikov “Shiitake against ulcers, hypertension and sclerosis”.

According to the healing properties, shiitake mushroom is often compared with ginseng: it also contains a large number of useful trace elements and vitamins and is an effective remedy for a variety of diseases. Thanks to this, shiitake was one of the first mushrooms that people began to cultivate. Experts believe that in this way Ancient China  they tried to preserve this species, since in natural conditions such a mushroom was rare and was always whimsical to environmental conditions.

A more plausible version seems to be that such a mushroom became so in demand that its wild species would simply be completely exterminated if it were collected by everyone. Be that as it may, today such mushrooms are mainly grown under artificial conditions, and depending on the method of breeding (on tree trunks or sawdust), such a product can have different characteristics.

Useful and healing properties of shiitake mushrooms

Among the useful properties of shiitake, experts distinguish the following:

• stimulation of the development and growth of normal microflora and the fight against pathogenic microorganisms;
• cancer prevention and treatment;
• normalization of metabolism;
• increase immunity;
• removal of cholesterol from the body;
• healing of ulcers and erosion in the intestines and stomach.

Shiitake mushroom promotes intensive production insulin, therefore, is one of the foods recommended for diabetics to eat.

The extract of such mushrooms is also used as an additional tool in the complex treatment of diseases of the respiratory system, hepatitis, dermatological diseases and prostatitis. For men, the fungus is useful as a means of increasing potency.

The chemical composition of shiitake

The composition of the fungus includes 18 amino acids, vitamins of group B and vitamin D, as well as other trace elements. One hundred grams of this product contains 300 kcal, which is a high indicator, but despite this, the fungus is successfully used in weight loss diets.

Nutritional Information of Shiitake

Mineral elements

How to use for weight loss

In modern medicine, there is a direction fungotherapy, which studies the healing properties and treatment with their help. In addition to treating diseases of a different nature, fungotherapy also examines the use of shiitake mushrooms for weight loss, and in this area, doctors managed to achieve positive results.

Such a product excluded  in the composition of any and as a means for losing weight is used separately. But with this shiitake, you can combine with all known diets: depending on their type and nature, the effect may be different, but in any case weight loss is guaranteed.

The maximum effect has been recorded. japanese nutritionists. In the process of monitoring a group of patients who added shiitake mushrooms to their diet, many of them were able to lose 10-11 kilograms in two months, while these people did not adhere to any dietary restrictions.

Use in healthy and healthy nutrition

Shiitake mushroom when cooked has a pleasant rich taste, so you can add any dishes that are cooked with mushrooms, as well as fry or stew it separately (traditionally stewed in sour cream). Powdered mushrooms are used to make sauces and can also be pickled. Shiitake mushrooms are combined with a variety of products:

• cereals (,);
• meat (beef, pork,);
•   (with any white and red varieties);
• vegetables (,);
• with dishes that contain nuts (, and others);
• with pasta.

How to cook shiitake

Shiitake recipes primarily require the proper preparation of mushrooms. Hard dried mushrooms must first soak: If necessary, they can even be left in the water overnight. If the mushrooms are fresh, rinse them thoroughly enough, and then remove the spoiled areas and hard formations from their surface.

Traditionally, only mushroom caps are prepared, but if the legs of the product are soft, you can leave them, and even hard legs can be used as food: they do not contain harmful substances, as in other types of mushrooms. But in the cooking process, this part of the mushroom can become stiff and it will not be very easy to chew.

After washing and cleaning  their mushrooms must be thoroughly dried with a soft cloth or napkins. After that, the product is cut in any form, but not very finely. If shiitake is used in soups or other dishes, the slicing can be small, and when preparing this product in the pure form of a hat, you can simply cut it in half or even use it in its entirety.

Mushrooms are fried on: depending on the quantity of the product, enough 5-10 minutesso that the product is ready. You can also fry mushrooms coated in olive oil in the oven, but this process will take about 15 minutes.

How to choose a good product

When choosing a shiitake, it is necessary to take into account that there are several cultures of such mushrooms, and not all are useful: many are just a gastronomic delicacy. Artificial species are useful for health, the external characteristics of which are as close as possible to the properties of wild-growing mushrooms. They can be identified by thin and long legs and a translucent hat.

Shiitake comes on sale in five states, in each of which they can be used for certain purposes:

1. Pickled.
2. Fresh.
3. Dried.
4. Frozen.
5. In the form of a powder, extract or tablets.

For use for medicinal purposes, it is better to purchase mushrooms in the pharmacy version or dried, since in these cases the maximum amount of useful substances is stored in the product. The remaining three types are more suitable for preparing various dishes.

Depending on the growing methods  mushrooms differ in properties and cost. So, shiitake grown on sawdust (today there are the majority of such mushrooms) are inexpensive products, but these mushrooms have less beneficial properties. In addition, it is a mass-produced product, and their manufacturers are more oriented not on medicinal, but on taste, volume and speed of production. In this regard, some manufacturers use pesticides and growth stimulants, and this sometimes contributes to the formation of harmful substances in mushrooms.

How to consume Shiitake Mushrooms

The use of shiitake mushrooms in their pure form is indicated for both adults and children. The dosage in both cases does not change. For preventive purposes, tincture on these mushrooms is used. One teaspoon of the product is infused   150 grams  vodka for 14 days  in a refrigerator. Use tincture once a day before bedtime. You can take the product in its pure form, or by adding it to a glass of sweet juice or tea.

For cancer, such tincture is taken in quantity three tablespoons once a day. If the problems are related to the heart, two tablespoons a day is enough to treat cardiovascular diseases. With high cholesterol, it is recommended to consume 9 grams of dry or 90 grams of fresh mushroom once a day. The effect will be noticeable in a week.

In other cases (for the treatment of hepatitis, diabetes and gastric diseases), it is necessary to consult a doctor about dosages: in different cases, the amount of mushrooms consumed can be individual.

Product Storage Features

Depending on the conditions of the mushrooms, they are stored differently. So, a fresh product can be stored in the refrigerator, but at the same time you need to keep them in an unpressurized container so that the mushrooms “breathe”: otherwise the shiitake will deteriorate. Shelf life of fresh produce is not more than five days, but storage of dried mushrooms in the same conditions is possible for six months.

Mushrooms must be dried carefully: An under-dried product begins to mold after a while. At the same time, mushrooms should not be overdried too much (to a brittle condition): they lose their properties and are poorly digested during the preparation of soups. If you dry the mushrooms yourself and accidentally dry them out - you do not need to throw them away: just chop them to a powdery state and use them in tinctures or in a dry form. Dried product can be stored in sealed containers.

Harm and contraindications

There are a number of contraindications in which you can not eat shiitake mushrooms:

• Bronchial asthma;
• Allergy to fungi and individual intolerance;
• In combination with any medicine (except aspirin).

Also, these mushrooms should not be consumed by pregnant and lactating women. Experts advise to refrain from the use of mushrooms for children under 5 years old, but according to some reports, it is not worth giving such a product to a child under 12 years old. At the moment, the possible side effects of shiitake are still not well understood, and if they do not appear in adults, it is not a fact that these effects will not appear in children.

Shiitake is a legendary mushroom in the field of traditional medicine of Southeast Asia. Its healing properties were known 3 thousand years ago.

Today's alternative medicine is once again interested in this plant.

The active substance lentinan isolated from mushroom samples can inhibit the development of multiple sclerosis and some neurological ailments.

Doctors of ancient Japan used it in the treatment of diabetes. Nowadays, shiitake mushroom also gives positive results in the fight against this disease.

What is shiitake mushroom - botanical description and origin

Shiitake, also a Shiitake, was edible, a Japanese forest mushroom - an edible mushroom, a species of the genus Lentinula of the family Negniuchnikovy. It comes from China and Japan, is actively cultivated around the world. Wikipedia

The main habitat of shiitake is forests of Japan, China, Korea and other countries of the South-East part of Asia.

Artificial mushroom cultivation originates in ancient Japan. And today, the global production of shiitake totals approximately 500 thousand tons.

Chinese Shiitake mushrooms are representatives of woody agaric mushrooms.

A hat of brown color, the tone changes from light brown to dark.

The edges of the hat are lighter, fringed with fringes. Whitish scales cover the entire surface of the cap.

The diameter of the cap varies between 5-25 cm.

The pulp is white, the plates are also white, when pressed, they turn brown.

The pulp of the legs is white, hard, darkens when pressed.

Mushrooms taste like mushrooms. They make soup, salads and fried dishes. The product combines health benefits with excellent palatability.

Mushroom grows in natural conditions on dead wood of shea trees. Other names - "black forest mushroom", "Japanese mushroom."

The chemical composition of medicinal mushrooms

Chinese Shiitake mushrooms are rich in:

• b vitamins;
• amino acids;
• fatty acid;
• polysaccharides;
• magnesium;
• phosphorus;
• sodium;
• potassium and other trace elements.

The composition of mushrooms also includes thiamine, biotin, riboflavin. Vitamin D is very valuable.

One of the most beneficial ingredients is lentinan. This polysaccharide is able to form important biologically active substances that effectively destroy cancer cells in oncology.

The healing properties of shiitake mushrooms

Consider the main beneficial properties of Japanese mushrooms:

1. Shiitake is an indispensable source of protein and fiber, so this product is very popular among people who want to lose extra pounds.
2. Vitamin D is necessary for hair growth, and also significantly reduces blood sugar. This allows you to improve the quality of life of patients with diabetes.
3. According to an article by O. Yu. Kuznetsov, doctor of medical sciences, the mushroom juice extract has excellent antimicrobial and antifungal properties. At the same time, during the administration of the drug, there is no violation of the normal microflora of a person. To date, no antibiotic combines the antimicrobial and probiotic properties. Shiitake juice is active against Candidaalbicans, Stapfylococcusaureus, Streptococcusfaecalis.
4. Given the research of Professor Yanova V.V. from the Amur State Medical Academy, the preparations showed immunomodulating properties that can activate cells of nonspecific immunity, which makes it possible to effectively fight cancer. Polysaccharides isolated from fungi, in combination with other methods, such as chemotherapy, radiation treatment, are considered as strong physiologically active cytokines that enhance the mechanism of antitumor resistance.
5. In addition, the benefits of shiitake in the fight against various forms of hepatitis have been proven. After a month of taking the drug from the fruiting bodies, a sharp decrease in the level of bilirubin was observed in patients. The basis of the action is the formation of antibodies in patients, as well as the protection of the liver from autoimmune damage.
6. Published materials claiming that shiitake drugs give positive results in the treatment of HIV infection. The success of lentinan was reported at a 1985 conference on immunopharmacology in Italy.
7. Since the "magic" mushroom is also a good adjuvant for influenza viruses and colds.

This video tells about the benefits and harms of Shiitake mushrooms, we recommend watching!

Shiitake mushroom preparations - a review of the means

In pharmacies, dried mushrooms are offered in the form of capsules and coated tablets.

Shiitake capsules should be taken according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the doctor’s recommendations.

The drug can be combined with other drugs, except tincture of aconite and aspirin.

It is important not to quit taking the drug as soon as it gets better. Diseases such as cancer do not forgive such serious mistakes. Any medicine is effective only when it is taken until it is completely cured.

Important! More detailed instructions are given by a specialist, taking into account each disease individually.

A brief overview of the most popular dietary supplements from shiitake mushrooms.

Nature's Way, Shiitake Maitake, Standardized, 60 Capsules

• Premium extract
• Food supplement

Composition:

Use 1 capsule once or twice daily, preferably with food.

Fungiology, Lentinuda Edodes (Shiitake), 90 Veggie Caps

Shiitake is a unique mushroom, the miraculous properties of which are legendary. It is used for medicinal purposes, it is able to improve a person’s condition in almost any disease. There are many recipes for medicinal potions and culinary masterpieces using Shiitake. In any form, the mushroom retains its beneficial properties.

What is

The geographical area where you can meet mushrooms that grow naturally is Southeast Asia. There Shiitake settled on deciduous trees, mainly on the Chestnuts. Also, Mongolian oak and Amur linden in the Primorsky Territory can please the mushroom crop. Growth time - fall-spring.

Mushrooms choose precisely the dead trunks of deciduous trees and absorb the organic matter of dead plants.

The mushroom has a lamellar structure, a brown hat with a diameter of up to 20 cm, a fibrous leg with a skirt made of a film that covers young specimens.

Unique properties

What is the use of the fungus, and thanks to what properties does it cope not only with many common diseases, but also with cancerous tumors?

Immunity increase

Shiitake helps in the production of interferon. Those. forces the body to produce this substance. This is due to the polysaccharides contained in the fungus, which help increase immunity.

You can consume no more than 200 grams per day. fresh and 20 gr. dry mushrooms.

The fight against tumor processes

The most unique and valuable polysaccharide is lentinan.  It treats malignant and benign tumors. The use of dried mushrooms helps to slow the growth of cancer cells, so patients have a chance of remission.

Lentinan does not destroy existing tumors, but does not allow the disease to progress, gives a chance for complete recovery after removal of the tumor and chemotherapy. In addition, the polysaccharide helps support the body during chemotherapy, thanks to its immunostimulating properties.

The same substance has a beneficial effect on the condition of patients with diabetes mellitus and AIDS.

Lower cholesterol

The amino acid erytadenine, which is part of the fungus, helps fight cholesterol.  Scientists conducted studies that showed that people who regularly eat Shiitake as a food have lowered their cholesterol by more than 10%.

This property explains the effectiveness in the fight against cardiovascular diseases. When cholesterol is normal, blood clots do not form in the blood, and pressure is always within normal limits.

For weight loss

Due to the low calorie content of mushrooms, they are actively used in dietary nutrition programs. This is an amazing product that does not affect weight gain, while giving away many useful substances to the body. Thus, weight loss, based on the "elixir of life", as it is called in China, not only does not harm the body, but also heals it.

Shiitake is used in baked, boiled and fried form. There are many recipes that reveal the taste of mushrooms. For example, a sesame snack:

In cosmetology

Since the mushroom contains a whole complex of vitamins and minerals, it can have a positive effect not only when taken orally, but also as a cosmetic product. Creams and masks with Shiitake extract make the skin smooth, matte, give elasticity and relieve inflammation.

Highly concentrated anti-aging agents are especially appreciated. ribbon, which triggers regeneration processes in epithelial cells. Mushroom extract contains coenzyme Q10, which helps the skin absorb oxygen, water and nutrients. Kojic acid fights pigmentation and whitens the skin.

What diseases does it help

For the first time, Shiitake's unique healing properties were announced by physician Wu Juei. It is believed that the fungus is able to fight many diseases. Thanks to anti-inflammatory, antiviral and immunostimulating properties, a medicine based on it helps with various diseases. Here are just a few of them:

• benign tumors;
• diabetes;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• hepatitis and other liver diseases;
• gastrointestinal tract diseases;
• eye diseases;
• skin diseases;
• neurology;
• loss of strength and depression;
• increase male potency.

What does Elena Malysheva say about the beneficial properties of the fungus? Video from the program “Live Healthy”:

Composition

The chemical composition of the fungus has 18 amino acids, and it also contains trace elements, and vitamins B and D. According to information from the Food Database (USDA), in 100 gr. mushrooms contains:

• Water 89.74 g
• Protein 2.24 g
• Fat 0.49 g
• Carbohydrates 4.29 g
• Fiber (dietary fiber) 2.5 g
• Ash 0.73 g

Vitamins:

• A (retinol) 35 mcg
• B1 (thiamine) 0.015 mg
• B2 (riboflavin) 0.217 mg
• Niacin (Vitamin B3 or PP) 3.877 mg
• B5 (pantothenic acid) 1.5 mg
• B6 (pyridoxine) 0.293 mg
• Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) 13 mcg
• B12 (cyanocobalamin) 4.15 mcg
• D (calciferol) 0.4 mcg

Macronutrients:

• Potassium 304 mg
• Calcium 2 mg
• Magnesium 20 mg
• Sodium 9 mg
• Phosphorus 112 mg

Trace elements:

• Iron 0.41 mg
• Manganese 230 mcg
• Copper 142 mcg
• Zinc 1.03 mg
• Selenium 5.7 mk

Calorie content

The calorie content of a dish from Shiitake depends on the method of preparation:

Possible harm

Shiitake is not as harmless as it might seem at first glance. Despite the abundance of useful elements, it is forbidden to take it to pregnant and lactating women, as well as patients with bronchial asthma.

It's all about a possible drug allergy. Each person may experience an unforeseen reaction to some component from the composition, which can lead to sad consequences for a woman in position and end in anaphylactic shock for a person who has problems with the respiratory system.

Where can one buy?

In Russia, to meet such a product is problematic, if it is imported, it is exclusively in exclusive health shops or similar establishments, the cost is extremely high.

It is better to buy Shiitake in China, on intermediary sites. Usually, mushrooms are sold packaged in dried form, with a price per pack. But you can meet different options, even pickled. Before buying, you must always ask the seller or intermediary how mushrooms are grown so as not to buy a “dummy”.

Only mushrooms that are grown on dead wood have beneficial properties. Shiitake in sawdust does not have all the useful elements considered.

Buyers who decide to order a mushroom with the hope of recovering from a serious ailment should not be shy and demand a photo from the Taobao seller from the mushroom plantation, in confirmation of the words. Because you can say what the client wants to hear, and a missed opportunity to heal can cost your life.

Due to the purchase of low-quality mushrooms, many people do not get the effect and write negative reviews about the futility of healing Shiitake.

Japanese (Chinese) shiitake mushroom has recently become known in our country. He comes from China and has been used there for two thousand years. Its popularity is simply huge, and not only in Asian countries, but throughout the world. The healing properties of shiitake mushrooms have been described in many brochures and articles, which is why it was even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. By their useful properties, they can only be compared with ginseng.

What are the benefits of shiitake mushrooms?

Shiitake mushroom is absolutely harmless, it can be eaten as a gourmet product. In addition, it is used as a medicine for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Due to the wide range of healing properties, shiitake mushroom can be used as a prophylactic to prolong youth and health.

With its shape and color it resembles meadow champignons, with only one difference - a brown hat. Shiitake mushrooms are classified as delicious mushrooms, due to the pleasant and delicate taste, as well as absolute edibility.

The composition of these mushrooms includes 18 amino acids, many B vitamins, especially niacin, riboflavin and thiamine. In addition, they have a rare and unique polysaccharide - lentinan, it has no analogues in herbal preparations. This substance increases the production of the special enzyme perforin, and it, in turn, destroys atypical cells and increases the number of cells that relieve us of tumors and necrosis.

Due to its unique properties, shiitake is used as a prophylactic for people with a high risk of developing cancer. They effectively cope with side effects after radiation exposure and the use of chemotherapy, and they are also used to reduce the effects of anti-cancer treatment in patients from this group.

Consider the beneficial properties of shiitake mushrooms in more detail:

Intensive antitumor effect, they help the human body cope with both benign and malignant tumors;
- they are a significant immunomodulator, they activate the immune system and the body's defenses;
- these fungi build an antiviral barrier in the body, and also effectively protect it from inflammatory processes;
- Shiitake mushrooms inhibit the growth of pathogenic microflora, stimulating normal;
- they help restore the blood formula;
- both mushrooms and preparations based on them heal erosion and ulcers in the intestines and stomach;
- Shiitake effectively cleanse the body of "bad" cholesterol, normalize its level and prevent plaques from forming on the walls of blood vessels;
- they stabilize metabolic processes, and improve the processes of respiration of cells and interstitial nutrition;
- these mushrooms reduce the level of glucose in human blood, which undoubtedly improves the condition of patients with diabetes;
- Shiitake normalize carbohydrate metabolism, treat obesity, stimulating weight loss.

In countries such as Japan and China, these mushrooms are very common, they are used in medicine and cooking. In addition to the above qualities, they are able to restore erectile function, help in the treatment of vascular and heart diseases. They also fight inflammation and lower body temperature.

For many years, mankind has been looking for an effective way to treat cancer, and a remedy like shiitake has proved that such a drug exists and it may well be that a drug analogue will soon be invented. Until such a medication is yet open, doctors use the healing properties of these mushrooms, both for prevention and for the treatment of cancer.

Shiitake mushrooms are a universal remedy: they are used to treat a variety of diseases, as an independent healing agent, and also as an addition to the main therapy of official medicine.

Scientific studies have proven that these fungi can prevent vascular and heart diseases after they begin to develop. They are used to treat hypertension and atherosclerosis. Eating nine grams of shiitake mushroom powder every day will lower cholesterol by 15% in the elderly and 25% in the young.

Shiitake will help with diabetes, they stimulate the production of insulin by the pancreas itself. They are also used for arthritis, and for multiple sclerosis they relieve chronic stress, normalize immunity, and restore damaged myelin fibers.

In Japan, massive scientific research has been conducted on the effect of fungi on the Australian antigen virus (hepatitis). At the same time, positive dynamics was found in all the studied, and in 15% of cases after treatment, the virus was simply not detected.

Due to the high zinc content, shiitake mushrooms normalize the functioning of the prostate gland and prevent the formation of adenoma and malignant tumors in the prostate.

They can be boiled, fried, marinated and dried. Dried mushrooms are ground to a powder and added to dishes as a seasoning, and also used as a prophylactic and medicinal product.

Recipes

So to prepare the infusion, pour 0.5 g of powder with a glass of warm water and insist for eight hours. Then mix and drink in a day in three doses half an hour before meals.

To prepare the tincture, pour 5 g of powder of 150 g of vodka and insist in the refrigerator for two weeks. For oncology, take a tablespoon three times a day, and for other ailments, the dose should be reduced to a teaspoon.

Ekaterina, www.site