Lentinus Edodes (Commonly called as Shiitake)

It is an important medicinal and edible mushroom. Moisture content in fresh mushroom is about 75-80%. Shiitake appears to be effective against some of the serious viruses like HIV and hepatitis B. Shiitake appears to be effective against some of the serious viruses like HIV and hepatitis B. It is also known as formidable cancer fighter.

Shiitake's native land is Asia with a great presence in China. It has been held with great importance in Japan too. Its name,Shiitake, is Japanese, where 'Shii' is the name of the tree that usually hosts the mushroom. The tree belongs to the Birch family. 'Take' means the mushroom fruit. Despite its preferences above, Shiitake is very adaptable and can grow anywhere.

Shiitake's flavour is 4 to 10 times more intense than that of ordinary button mushroom. It is also fleshy and is rich in nutrients. It contains proteins (18%), potassium, niacin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins.

In Japan, Shiitake has been used as a natural treatment of cancer because of its complex carbohydrate, Lentinan. It is also a source of selenium, an antioxidant that is said to prevent cancer.

Shiitake's healing properties are also reflected in its anti-viral strengths. It is said that once metabolised, the glucan based compound therein is able to fight the influenza virus, bacterial infection, and other infectious elements like cancerous cells.

The City of Hope National Medical Center is conducting further research to determine if Lentinan from the Shiitake mushroom is capable of preventing lung cancer. Research shows that Lentinan has strong anti-tumour properties and is already being used to fight gastric cancer. In some other areas, it is being tried as a cure for candida, tuberculosis, and the HIV virus. Generally, the polysaccharides in the Shiitake mushroom are credited with boosting a person's immune system and hence keeping disease at bay.