Contents
- Composition of shiitake mushrooms
- Benefits of shiitake mushrooms
- Shiitake mushrooms during pregnancy
- Shiitake mushrooms in treatment
- Is it possible to poison shiitake
- The use of shiitake mushroom
- Contraindications for shiitake mushrooms
- Shiitake mushroom calories
- Conclusion
- Reviews on the benefits and harms of shiitake mushrooms
The beneficial properties of shiitake mushrooms are widely known throughout the world. The product has a unique composition and numerous medicinal properties. To fully appreciate the benefits, you need to read the description in more detail.
Composition of shiitake mushrooms
In its natural form, the fungus grows in China, Japan and other countries of Southeast Asia. For thousands of years, it has been highly valued in cooking and folk medicine and is considered truly miraculous. In the rest of the world, the fungus does not grow by itself, but is cultivated artificially.
The benefits of Japanese mushrooms are due to their rich chemical composition. The pulp contains the following valuable substances:
- B vitamins in a wide composition – B1 and B2, B4, B5, B6, B9;
- vitamins PP and D;
- ascorbic acid;
- monosaccharides and disaccharides;
- magnesium and iron;
- campesterol;
- copper and manganese;
- selenium and zinc;
- stearic, palmitic and myristic acids;
- sodium;
- ergocalciferol;
- fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6;
- linolenic and linoleic acids;
- amino acids – arginine, leucine, lysine, valine and others.
Due to this composition, Japanese mushrooms have many healing properties. But they are also appreciated for their pleasant taste, they go well with most culinary dishes.
Benefits of shiitake mushrooms
The health benefits of shiitake mushrooms are very diverse, they have a beneficial effect on almost all systems of the body. Namely:
- strengthen immune resistance and make the body more resistant to viruses;
- reduce the level of bad cholesterol and improve the condition of blood vessels;
- protect the heart system from the development of dangerous ailments and thereby prolong life;
- increase resistance to cancer – medicine uses shiitake mushrooms for cancer;
- prevent the formation of blood clots and are of great benefit with a tendency to varicose veins;
- improve the state of the metabolic system and contribute to weight loss when dieting;
- have a beneficial effect on the skin and help delay the aging process;
- contribute to a healthy blood supply to the brain, strengthen memory and improve concentration;
- help to remove toxic substances and accumulated toxins from the body;
- contribute to an increase in overall endurance and prevent the development of anemia;
- have a positive effect on the condition of the stomach and intestines.
Japanese mushrooms are useful for those with a tendency to nervous disorders. They are beneficial for long-term stress and depression, help to cope with emotional stress and relieve insomnia.
Shiitake mushrooms during pregnancy
The benefits and harms of shiitake mushrooms are becoming ambiguous for women in position. Despite the fact that the product has a beneficial effect on the human body and has few contraindications, it is better to refuse it while waiting for the child.
The fact is that the composition of Japanese mushrooms includes quite a lot of chitin polysaccharide. When consumed, it easily enters the body of a developing fetus, penetrating the placental barrier, and can cause significant harm. According to doctors, the benefits and harms of shiitake mushrooms are also ambiguous during breastfeeding – the polysaccharide chitin in a woman’s breast milk is present in minimal amounts, but can also harm the baby’s health. At the time of bearing a child and during lactation, it is better to refuse an unusual product completely.
Shiitake mushrooms in treatment
The chemical composition of mushrooms makes them a valuable component, both in folk and official medicine. The properties of mushrooms are especially popular in Southeast Asia – Japan and China, where shiitake is part of many pharmaceuticals.
As part of medicines, there is usually a liquid or dry extract – an extract from mushrooms in water or alcohol, or a fine powder from dried pulp. Shiitake mushroom is most often used in oncology, it is believed that its properties very effectively activate the body to fight cancer cells.
In Europe and America, the issue of medicinal properties of Japanese mushrooms is currently the subject of research. However, experts already agree that the product has a very large medical potential. The polysaccharide lentinan in the composition of the product is responsible for increasing resistance to tumors and infections. According to the results of animal experiments, shiitake mushrooms against cancer bring a particularly good effect in combination with traditional remedies, enhancing their therapeutic effect.
The product is used to treat not only cancer, but also another dangerous disease. It has been established that shiitake in multiple sclerosis has a beneficial effect on the immune system and promotes the restoration of destroyed myelin fibers. Under the influence of a useful product, the body intensively produces interferon, which plays a crucial role in the fight against viral diseases. This matters because it has been established that multiple sclerosis is precisely an autoimmune disease. It is necessary to take funds based on the product for quite a long time – at least six months, but the treatment results are very good.
In addition to cancer and multiple sclerosis, shiitake vitamins also treat other serious and unpleasant ailments. Namely:
- lack of blood circulation and impotence, the product improves the blood supply to the body and has a positive effect on the reproductive system, thereby returning a healthy libido;
- inflammatory diseases of any nature – reduces the temperature and helps to overcome the infection, due to which it contributes to a quick recovery;
- atherosclerosis and hypertension – scientific studies confirm that regular use of powder from medicinal mushrooms allows you to reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood by 1-15% in just 25 month;
- arthritis – the anti-inflammatory properties of the product help fight swelling of the joints and pain, restore mobility to the limbs and help prevent new exacerbations;
- diabetes – the product stimulates the healthy functioning of the pancreas and allows, if not to refuse insulin injections, then at least reduce their number.
The product is used not only for the treatment of ailments, but also for the purpose of rejuvenation. Mushroom powder is included in many lotions, creams and masks with a restorative effect. The extract of medicinal mushrooms improves the condition of the skin, increases its elasticity and stimulates the rapid renewal of epidermal cells. Thanks to this, the skin can remain beautiful, smooth and radiant for longer.
Is it possible to poison shiitake
The product does not contain toxic substances. Growing shiitake coming to stores, usually in artificial conditions under close supervision. Therefore, they cannot be poisoned – fresh mushrooms are completely harmless to the body and bring great benefits.
However, the benefits and possible harm of shiitake mushrooms have a fine line. The mushroom pulp contains the substance chitin. In the stomach and intestines, it is not digested, and excessive amounts of shiitake can lead to indigestion and associated discomfort.
The use of shiitake mushroom
The product is widely used in traditional recipes of Asian cuisine. Shiitake can be found in broths and side dishes, sauces and marinades. Mushroom pulp is combined with vegetables or meat, noodles or cereals, seafood, and is also served as a main dish. Shiitake are completely versatile and suitable for any processing, they are boiled and pickled, fried and salted, dried and frozen for long-term storage. Shiitake is often found in rolls and sushi.
In cooking, both fresh and dried shiitake are used. If we are talking about dried pulp, then before cooking it is pre-soaked in water for 8-10 hours.
Contraindications for shiitake mushrooms
The medicinal properties and contraindications of shiitake mushrooms are inseparable from each other. Basically, the product is of great benefit, but in some conditions it is better to refuse it.
In particular, contraindications for shiitake are:
- the presence of individual intolerance, an allergy to mushrooms or the components present in them is not so common, but if it is, then the product must be completely abandoned;
- bronchial asthma – shiitake can provoke an exacerbation of the disease, especially with a predisposition to allergies, since asthma is often one of the manifestations of an allergic reaction;
- a tendency to constipation – any mushrooms are very rich in vegetable protein, and protein foods in large quantities make digestion difficult;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is better not to use shiitake during the period of bearing and feeding a child, since the substance chitin, if it enters the baby’s body, even in small quantities, can cause significant harm;
- children’s age, for the first time it is recommended to offer a healthy product to a child only after 14 years, since the previously sensitive children’s stomach may not be able to cope with the digestion of shiitake.
When using the product, it is recommended to adhere to small daily dosages. Even with a healthy stomach, eating shiitake costs no more than 150 g per day. It is best to consume the product in the morning or afternoon, if you eat mushrooms shortly before a night’s rest, this will interfere with healthy sleep, as the body will be busy digesting food.
Shiitake mushroom calories
With high nutritional value and rich chemical composition, shiitake mushrooms have a fairly low calorie content. 100 g of fresh shiitake contains about 50 kcal. Dried mushrooms are much more high in calories, since they do not contain moisture, the indicator is 300 kcal per 100 g of product.
Conclusion
Useful properties of shiitake mushrooms are in demand not only in cooking, but also in medicine, both folk and official. Traditional Asian mushrooms have a strong positive effect on the body and can alleviate the condition even with serious chronic diseases.
Reviews on the benefits and harms of shiitake mushrooms
