Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinula edodes)
Contains lentinan for immune enhancement and eritadenine for cholesterol reduction — both a culinary staple and medicinal tool.
Shiitake is one of the most popular culinary mushrooms worldwide and has been used medicinally in East Asia for thousands of years. It contains lentinan, a powerful beta-glucan studied for immune enhancement, as well as eritadenine, which may help lower cholesterol. Research supports benefits for immune function and cardiovascular health.
Activates immune cells
Supports healthy cholesterol
Contains ergosterol, which converts to vitamin D2
How Shiitake works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
5-15g dried mushroom or 1-3g extract daily
Loading: Not required
Take with food
| Form | Type |
|---|---|
| 💊Shiitake extract (standardized to polysaccharides) | Recommended |
| 💊Dried shiitake (food) | Alternative |
| 🧪Shiitake powder | Alternative |
| 💊Capsules | Alternative |
Culinary use provides moderate benefits. Concentrated extracts offer higher polysaccharide content.
Minimum: 4 weeks
Optimal: 12 weeks
Cycling: Not required
Note: Can be consumed as food (dried or fresh) or as extract supplements.
Improved immune cell activity
May help lower LDL cholesterol
Lower inflammatory markers
Consult doctor due to immune-stimulating effects
May counteract immunosuppressive effects
Tip: Cook thoroughly; occurs mainly with raw/undercooked shiitake
Tip: Reduce dose; take with food
Top studies from 40+ peer-reviewed papers
Górska-Jakubowska S et al. • Nutrients (2025)
“In this review, we aim to analyze the anti-cancer effects of edible/medicinal mushrooms, including Schizophyllum commune, Trametes versicolor, Grifola frondosa, Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, Laetiporus sulphureus, Boletus edulis, and Phellinus igniarius, as well as their potential anti-cancer mechanisms, providing strong theoretical support for the further development of edible/medicinal mushroom anti-cancer products.”
Marques de Brito B et al. • Critical reviews in food science and nutrition (2023)
“Future research should consider different methods of storage, preparation, fermented foods and standardization of the production of certain foods.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2053057.”
Gariboldi MB et al. • International journal of molecular sciences (2023)
“We also report insights into the relationship between dietary consumption of edible mushrooms and breast cancer risk, and the results of clinical studies and meta-analyses focusing on the effects of fungal extracts on breast cancer patients.”
Roszczyk A et al. • International journal of molecular sciences (2022)
“In this review, we discuss the immunomodulatory properties of various polysaccharides from L. edodes in animal models and in humans.”
Laue C et al. • Nutrients (2021)
“The findings of this pilot study warrant further research to study AX as an oral adjuvant to support vaccine efficacy.”
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