Shiitake Mushrooms are not exactly what you think of when an Herbalist starts talking about Medicinal Mushrooms…but they really ought to be! They’re loaded with safe and gentle medicinal properties that the wiser Herbalists use regularly to prevent illness and restore balance when needed.
Shiitake Goes by Many Names
Shiitake mushroom, aka Lentinula edodes in scientific circles, has a host of aliases worldwide. Xian gu, Dong gu, Hua gu, Flower Mushroom, Golden Oak Mushroom, Black Forest Mushroom, Chinese Black Mushroom, and Winter Mushroom are a few of the more common ones.
Where Do Shiitake Mushrooms Grow?
This stout, brown forest mushroom is in reality an indication of decay, much like Honey Mushrooms. It likes to grow on decaying trees, primarily deciduous ones, like chestnut, maple, oak, sourgum, mulberry, and ironwood, etc. Shiitakes grow in abundant groups on trees or fallen logs in a shelf-like formation similar to that of oyster mushrooms.
Part of Shiitake’s popularity comes from how easy it is to cultivate. You can easily grow your own Shiitake mushrooms at home, if you know how to inoculate and grow mushrooms in general. Shiitakes like slightly damp, shaded conditions. Given the right mix, they’ll produce loads of fruiting bodies, which is the technical term for the part of the mushroom we’re all familiar with.
Shiitakes Taste Mighty Fine
Part of Shiitake’s popularity comes from their delicious nutrition. Protein, fiber, Vitamins including both B and D, plus minerals like phosphorus and manganese make Shiitake a terrific daily food for general health and stamina. The B vitamins in Shiitake are linked with healthy energy flow and the D vitamin content in Shiitake makes it a most excellent choice for dreary days when getting your daily dose of sunshine is just plain out.
For transitioning vegetarians and vegans, Shiitake’s umami, which has been compared to the flavor of a well roasted cut of beef, offers an emotional comfort alongside those proteins and fibers to make diet change a little easier. Regardless of the protein source you favor, adding a handful of Shiitake to your daily food or drink will most likely offer you added protection against common illnesses, like viruses, as well as longer-term protection against bigger diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Shiitake as Medicine
Traditionally, Shiitake mushrooms have been used to boost overall health and vitality. They’ve connected with nourishing and supporting Lung, Spleen, and Stomach channels. Traditional Chinese Herbalists view Shiitake as a medicinal food with a lot of benefits and little concerns-a very small number of people may develop a rash when taking or handling Shiitakes, but that is extremely rare.
Most folks find that Shiitake taken daily helps to ease and prevent conditions like gout, arthritis, osteoporosis, and heart-circulatory problems like heart attack, angina, poor circulation, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Shiitake is also linked with boosting the immune system, making it harder for flu, colds, and related viruses as well as more serious viruses like HIV and Herpes to get a foothold.
Shiitake works by boosting the Stomach and Spleen channels, making it easier for the digestive system to extract qi from the foods we eat. Shiitake helps clear the way through the Lung channel, making it easier for the Spleen to offer up that extracted qi to the Lungs for maintaining breath and for managing the general flow of energy from the upper body to the lower body. Shiitake’s energy is described as tonifying, nourishing, and drying with a sweet to neutral taste. I’ve found Shiitake to have a gently but insistently moving quality, making it a good choice when energy is sluggish or waning.
Shiitake for the Modern Herbalist: Immunity, Circulation, Cancer Prevention
What the TCM take on Shiitake tells us is that taking Shiitake mushrooms in our daily diet can help improve our digestive system, immune system, and circulatory system. That can help us prevent a variety of conditions. Studies have linked Shiitake mushroom to improved immune function overall and have suggested Shiitake may be a good choice for cancer prevention and general heart and circulatory health.
In the immune system, Shiitake has proven to be beneficial for the more obvious types of illness prevention, offering strength against standard daily viruses like cold and flu. It’s also been linked to oral health and specifically to preventing dental caries or cavities. While more research is needed for a full scientific understanding of why and how Shiitake influences the body, we can safely assume that Shiitake’s affect on the immune system is one of general support and strengthening, helping us build better immunity overall. That makes Shiitake a good choice for generalized improved immunity.
In terms of cancer prevention, Shiitake has been linked to an increased ability for the body to prevent tumor-cell proliferation. Shiitake seems to work by coaching the body’s systems to mange themselves more effectively rather than by attacking the tumor cells directly as is the case with some conventional medicines.
Shiitake’s affect on the circulatory system is similar, in that it appears that regular intake of Shiitake mushroom can help the body to better process cholesterol out, thus reducing overall cholesterol levels in the blood, and encouraging a more free-flowing circulation in general. Shiitake may have a positive effect on the blood vessels, too, as it helps reduce overall inflammation in the body. Reduce inflammation is generally linked with improved cardio-vascular health including better tone in the heart muscle as well as in blood vessel walls.
