Shiitake, Reishi & Co. - medicinal mushrooms are very trendy! No wonder, because behind these exotic-sounding names lies the healing power of nature! This view has been held by traditional Chinese medicine for several centuries. Asian medicinal mushrooms are associated with a variety of health benefits - now also in the western world. It is precisely for these reasons that the supposed healing effects of these potent mushrooms are increasingly being examined in more detail by scientists in the western world.

Even though final clinical studies are still pending to prove effects beyond doubt, there is already a lot of interesting scientific knowledge about shiitake, reishi and many other medicinal mushrooms. Read more about the world of medicinal mushrooms and find out about interesting study results to gain clarity about how valuable medicinal mushrooms can be for your health!

Medicinal Mushrooms – the Basics

They seem inconspicuous, but they are full of nutritional power - medicinal mushrooms. While mushrooms are mainly seen as pure food in this country, people in the Far East have known for thousands of years about the health potential that lies dormant in shiitake, reishi & co. Even though medicinal mushrooms are not recognized as medicines in Germany, for example, and cannot be advertised with health benefits, they contain pharmacologically very interesting ingredients - especially polysaccharides and triterpenes! Below you will find a brief introduction to the most popular medicinal mushrooms.

Reishi – the "mushroom of eternal life"

The "mushroom of eternal life", as the Reishi mushroom is also called, is one of the most popular medicinal mushrooms with an incredible variety of bioactive substances (including numerous triterpenes and polysaccharides). The mushroom, which originally comes from Japan, is not an edible mushroom. The Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) has been used as a traditional remedy in Asia for thousands of years because it contains a high content of triterpenes and beta-glucans. For these reasons, the "Ling Zhi", as the Reishi is called in Chinese folk medicine, is used, among other things, to protect the liver, relieve general inflammation and allergies, and treat cancer. The mushroom of eternal life is also used against diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, and dementia.

Shiitake – the "King of Mushrooms"

In contrast to the Reishi mushroom, the Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is an edible mushroom. After the well-known button mushroom, the Reishi mushroom is the second most popular edible mushroom on the world market.

The "king of mushrooms", as the shiitake is also called, originally comes from the forests of China and Japan. As a medicinal mushroom, the shiitake contains the pharmacologically particularly interesting ingredient lentinan, which is a polysaccharide. This potent ingredient could play an interesting role, especially for your immune system, and is also used in the treatment of cancer. You can find out more about this topic further down in the text under "What health benefits do medicinal mushrooms promise?".

The shiitake mushroom also impresses with its particularly high nutrient content with high concentrations of minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, silicon and numerous vitamins.

Maitake – mushroom for diabetes?

This mushroom is a type of adaptogen. Adaptogens assist the body in fighting any type of mental or physical difficulties. They also work to regulate unbalanced body systems. While this mushroom can be used alone in flavor recipes, it is considered a medicinal mushroom.

The mushroom grows wild in parts of Japan, China, and North America. It grows on the bases of oak, elm, and maple trees. It can be cultivated and even grown at home, although it doesn't usually grow as well as it does in the wild. You'll usually find the mushroom in the fall months.

Although maitake mushrooms have been used in Japan and China for thousands of years, it has only gained popularity in the United States in the last twenty years. People praise this mushroom for its promise of health, vitality, and longevity.

type 2 diabetes

The results of a 2015 study (10) showed that maitake mushrooms can have a positive effect on type 2 diabetes. During the study, consumption of maitake mushrooms had a positive effect on the glucose levels of rats. This indicates the mushroom's potential to treat type 2 diabetes in humans.

Lion's mane - or "monkey head mushroom"

Hericium erinaceus – this is the scientific name of the hedgehog's mane. This mushroom is also called lion's mane because its prickly structure is reminiscent of a prickly mane.

As a popular edible mushroom, it regularly appears on the plates of local people, especially in Asia. The hedgehog's beard can be found in many regions of the northern hemisphere.

Mycotherapy – Mushroom Medicine or the Healing Power of Nature

A central term in connection with medicinal mushrooms is mycotherapy. This is the therapeutic use of mushrooms, which are therefore also known as vital mushrooms or medicinal mushrooms.

The term "mycotherapy" is derived from the term "mycology", which refers to the science of fungi. Mycotherapy comes from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is known as one of the oldest natural healing methods in the world. Mycotherapy has been used here for several centuries with the aim of strengthening and supporting the body's own processes in order to contribute to good health. Mycotherapy is used both as an accompanying therapy for existing illnesses and for prevention.

What health benefits do medicinal mushrooms promise?

Medicinal mushrooms contain valuable ingredients that can have a positive effect on health. This functionality is mainly due to polysaccharides (e.g. beta glucans) and triterpenes. There is evidence from scientific studies that triterpenes have anti-inflammatory properties and can strengthen the immune system. (1)

Reishi in particular contains a large number of polysaccharides and triterpenes. The Reishi mushroom is often the subject of scientific studies, particularly in relation to cancer. There is promising evidence from laboratory studies that have shown that Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) contains ingredients that have a potential anti-cancer effect - among other things by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells and stimulating immune cells.(2, 3, 4)

In another scientific study on patients with advanced cancer, the use of Ganopoly, a polysaccharide extract from Reishi, improved immune functions and thus the body's own defenses. (5) Due to these promising effects, Reishi is used as a supportive measure in some cancer treatments - e.g. lung cancer. (6)

The shiitake mushroom also contains pharmacologically interesting ingredients. This is especially true for lentinan. This polysaccharide not only seems to have an immune-stimulating effect (7), as lentinan is also used in Japan to treat stomach cancer. (8) Positive effects on the immune system have also been shown in studies on young adults. (9)

While active ingredients from medicinal mushrooms are already regularly used in some countries (e.g. Japan and the USA) as an adjunct to conventional medical therapy, people in Europe are more hesitant. But even in Germany, doctors rely on a combination of conventional medicine and an adjunct therapy with medicinal mushrooms, for example in the case of cancer.

Conclusion: Medicinal mushrooms are full of valuable ingredients

Vital mushrooms or medicinal mushrooms not only play an important role in traditional Chinese medicine. Reishi, shiitake and co. are also increasingly used in conventional medicine. They offer a high nutrient density and are rich in secondary plant substances such as polysaccharides and triterpenes.

It is primarily these ingredients that are why medicinal mushrooms are also called healing mushrooms. Numerous studies have found interesting evidence that these ingredients are particularly beneficial for health. Medicinal mushrooms seem to be particularly suitable for supporting treatment in connection with cancer, which is why Reishi & Shiitake are approved in Asia and the USA for accompanying cancer therapy.

But the human immune system could also benefit from the active ingredients of medicinal mushrooms. It remains to be seen whether and when clinical studies can help medicinal mushrooms achieve a real breakthrough. In Germany, medicinal mushrooms are therefore not yet recognized as medicinal products and may not be advertised with health benefits.

Sources

1)     José-Luis Ríos, NCBI, “Effects of triterpenes on the immune system,” at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20079412/, last accessed on 22.05.2021

2)     Didem Sohretoglu, Shile Huang, NCBI, “Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides as An Anti-cancer Agent”, at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29141563/, last accessed on 22.05.2021

3)     Ahmet Unlu, Erdinc Nayir, Onder Kirca, Mustafa Ozdogan, NCBI, “Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi Mushroom) and cancer”, at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27685898/, last accessed on 22.05.2021

4)   Xingzhong Jin, Julieta Ruiz Beguerie, Daniel Man-Yeun Sze, Godfrey CF Chan, NCBI, “Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment”, at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27045603/, last accessed on 22.05.2021

5)     Yihuai Gao, Shufeng Zhou, Wenqi Jiang, Min Huang, Xihu Dai, “Effects of ganopoly (a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract) on the immune functions in advanced-stage cancer patients,” at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12916709/, last accessed on 22.05.2021

6)     Li-Xin Sun, Wei-Dong Li, Zhi-Bin Lin, Xin-Suo Duan, Xue-Fei Li, Ning Yang, Tian-Fei Lan, Min Li, Yu Sun, Min Yu, Jie Lu, NCBI. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24525691/

7)     PS Bisen, RK Baghel, BS Sanodiya, GS Thakur, GBKS Prasad, NCBI, “Lentinus edodes: a macrofungus with pharmacological activities”, at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20491636/, last accessed on 22.05.2021

8)     Kenji Ina, Takae Kataoka, Takafumi Ando, ​​NCBI, “The use of lentinan for treating gastric cancer”, at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23092289/, last accessed on 22.05.2021

9)     Xiaoshuang Dai, Joy M Stanilka, Cheryl A Rowe, Elizabethe A Esteves, Carmelo Nieves Jr, Samuel J Spaiser, Mary C Christman, Bobbi Langkamp-Henken, Susan S Percival, NCBI, “Consuming Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) Mushrooms Daily Improves Human Immunity: A Randomized Dietary Intervention in Healthy Young Adults,” at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25866155/, last accessed on 22.05.2021

10) Submerged culture mycelia and broth of the Maitake medicinal mushroom Grifola frondosa (higher basidiomycetes) alleviate type 2 diabetes-induced changes in immunocytic function