Bulk Herbs: Shiitake Mushroom
Lentinula edodes
Size: 1 oz package
Format: Whole
Plant Part: Fungus (fruit)
Also Known as: "sawtooth oak mushroom," "black forest mushroom," "black mushroom," "golden oak mushroom," or "oakwood mushroom."
Origin: China
It is natural for size variation in shiitake mushrooms to occur. Shiitake is native to parts of Asia but is now grown around the globe, becoming the second most cultivated mushroom worldwide. Lentinula edodes have been a choice food for millennia in Asia and are prized in traditional Chinese medicine for their healthful qualities. Reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms can be sautéed with vegetables and tofu or added to soups, sauces, and stir-fries. Shiitake mushroom can also be infused into broths and enjoyed as an earthy tea.
The beneficial properties of shiitake mushrooms have been prized in traditional Chinese medicine for over 6,000 years. The polysaccharides (beta-glucans) antioxidant activity in shiitake helps maintain cell integrity and fight free radicals. Shiitake supports immune health to help you feel your best and supports the body's immune defenses to stay healthy.*
The Chinese believe that shiitake are more like animals than plants and are even thought to have a social aspect to their lives. They do not grow wild in the US and are native only to parts of Asia but have been cultivated in the US extensively in the past few decades. In the 1930s, the Japanese developed a way to cultivate them using saw cuts and drilling holes in cut wood. They have since become the second most cultivated mushroom in the world. An even faster cultivation method has been developed using sawdust blocks, considered inferior to the others, selling for as much as 10 times less on the market. They have grown more popular in the US as the general population has embraced ethnic cooking, mainly Asian flavors, and their popularity has only been helped by the growing medical reports that various constituents in shiitake and other Asian mushrooms provide several healthy benefits.
Active Compounds: erythritol, copalic acid, adenosine, carvacrol, polyphenols, ergosterol, α-glucans, β-glucans among others
Actions: Anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant, antibiotic, antifungal, anticarcinogenic, antithrombotic, antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti-aging, anti-cancer, antiviral.
Indications: depressed immune function, including cancer, AIDS, environmental allergies, Candida infections, and frequent flu and colds. Shiitake is also beneficial for soothing bronchial inflammation, regulating urine incontinence, and reducing chronic high cholesterol.
Precautions: Potential interactions with immunosuppressants and didanosine. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, mainly if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking any medications.
Magick Uses: Mushrooms have a long history of magickal use in Europe, Egypt, and Asia. Due to their potentially deadly nature, they are strongly associated with the underworld or the dead. They can also be associated with increased psychic ability and the upper realms.