Although shiitake mushrooms are a popular and tasty gourmet mushroom, they have also been used for centuries in Asian medicine.
Shiitake mushrooms are a popular mushroom which is used in Asian cuisine. They are umbrella shaped and have a golden brown color. Shiitake mushrooms typically grow on trees which have fallen.
Apart from strong anti-cancer properties, shiitake mushrooms also have other powerful beneficial health properties such as antioxidants and antiviral compounds.
The powerful beneficial health properties contained within shiitake mushrooms is the reason why they are traditionally used in Chinese medicine to help with health conditions such as:
* Diabetes
* Gallstones
* High Cholesterol
* Stomach Ulcers
* The Common Cold
Shiitake mushrooms have been found to be an important part in fighting cancer with nutrition because they contain a substance called lentinan.
Lentinan stimulates your immune system and helps your body’s defenses to protect against cancer, viruses and fungal infections.
Clinical studies have shown that lentinan can improve the survival rates of patients with the following types of cancer:
* Stomach Cancer
* Colon Cancer
* Breast Cancer
Lentinan shows the potential to increase a powerful anti-viral substance called interferon and the antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase within your body.
To help protect you from cancer, you can consume between 5g and 15g of dried shiitake mushrooms per day or take 400mg of shiitake mushroom extract supplements, three times a day.
However, shiitake mushrooms extract taken in large doses can cause upset stomach and pregnant or nursing women should not take shiitake mushrooms extract supplements or eat shiitake mushrooms.
As with all supplements, please consult your physician before taking them.