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For culinary use, shiitake are one of the most common and popular mushrooms - their distinctive, savory, and rich taste improves almost any dish. But shiitake mushrooms are much more than a delicious addition to a good meal. The nutritional compounds in shiitakes provide a vast array of health benefits. Packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and dozens of phytonutrients - substances in certain plants which are considered beneficial to human health and disease prevention - the shiitake has long been a staple of Eastern medicine. Only recently has modern Western science started to appreciate this mushroom’s contribution to improved health and disease fighting. What Are Shiitake Mushrooms? What Are Shiitake Mushrooms? Shiitake mushrooms - scientific name Lentinula edodes and also referred to as black forest mushroom - grow primarily throughout East Asia in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Korea, and China. Over 80% of shiitake are grown in Japan, though a few countries outside of East Asia, such as the United States and Canada, also produce them some.

Shiitake are tan to dark brown in color, with caps that grow up to 4 inches in diameter. Shiitake grow naturally on fallen and decaying hardwood trees. When it comes to describing how shiitake mushrooms taste, the word umami is often used. Umami is the fifth basic taste category (the others being sweet, sour, bitter, and salty), and is best defined by the word savory. Shiitake taste closely mimics beef, and for this reason it’s an ingredient popular with many vegetarians. Once cooked, the mushrooms’ earthy, buttery flavor comes out, along with its pine-like and garlic aroma. In many areas of East Asia these mushrooms are a staple ingredient in dishes such as miso soup, pho, and vegetarian stir-fries. Centuries ago East Asians discovered that in addition to shiitake tasting great, these mushrooms also have many medicinal properties that can play a role in preventing and treating a number of health concerns. References to the use of shiitake mushrooms for boosting health and longevity can be found in traditional herbal medicine texts written well over a thousand years ago.

Only recently has the Western world started to appreciate the health benefits of shiitake. Nutritionally, shiitake mushrooms are a good source of key minerals and vitamins, including vitamin D, copper, and selenium. Shiitakes contain several compounds known for their roles in immune system support and defense against cancer: polysaccharides, terpenoids, sterols, and lipids. This mushroom also contains a plentiful amount of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that contributes to both muscle building and weight loss. Speaking of muscle building, shiitakes are unique in the plant world because their composition has 18 amino acids, including all eight essential amino acids. Not only that, but these essential amino acids exist in a ratio to one another that is very similar to the ratio of an "ideal protein" for humans. These amino acids, in this particular ratio, are normally found only in meat - providing another reason for shiitakes being popular with vegetarians (the other reason being their meat-like taste).

Worldwide, cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death. Cardiovascular disease is a major health concern because it may lead to aneurysms, heart attacks, and strokes. The disease primarily develops from atherosclerosis - the process where high levels of cholesterol cause a build-up of fat substances on the inside of blood vessels, reducing blood flow to organs such as the heart. Shiitakes can play a key role in heart health, primarily due to three cholesterol-reducing compounds in this mushroom: eritadenine, sterols, and beta-glucans. Eritadenine is a chemical compound that that has hypocholesterolemic activity. Hypocholesterolemic is the medical term for a compound or medication that reduces plasma cholesterol levels. There are very few natural sources of eritadenine, and of those, the shiitake is the primary source. Sterols are substances similar to cholesterol, but are produced naturally in plants. Here's more in regards to manufacturer of shiitake mushroom extract powder for Supplement Ingredients check out our web site. Because sterols have a chemical structure similar to that of cholesterol, they are absorbed by the gut in a manner similar to how the intestines absorb cholesterol.

This has the effect of reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption. Rather than being absorbed by the gut, much of the cholesterol is passed out of the body in feces. The lower intestinal cholesterol levels also has the positive effect of interfering with cholesterol levels in the liver. Beta-glucans (also written as β-glucans) are a type of fiber that have cholesterol-lowering properties. It’s believed beta-glucans achieve this by forming a viscous layer in the small intestine. The viscous (a sticky substance with a consistency between a solid and a liquid) layer reduces the uptake of intestinal cholesterol, resulting in lower levels of cholesterol circulating in the blood. Shiitake mushrooms are rich in beta-glucans (as are chaga mushrooms). Shiitake mushrooms contain compounds that have fat-reducing properties. Two of these compounds - eritadenine and beta-glucans- are discussed just above in the Shiitake Aids Heart Health section. Beta-glucans are soluble dietary fibers, and as such can reduce appetite and in turn reduce food consumption. Eating less food is certainly one way to lose weight!