If you will permit us to borrow and pay a very brief homage to a popular beer jingle from years ago, shiitake mushrooms might best be described as “great taste and less filling.” They have a wonderful, earthy-type taste to them, and shiitakes carry a light load of calories, which seems to make that beer brand’s marketing line appropriate for this edible, healthful fungus.
Not everyone has a taste for mushrooms, which are a delicacy in many parts of the world. There is no denying the positive attributes and health benefits of those mushrooms that continue to pass muster for their significant benefits to mankind. Like shiitake mushrooms, for instance, which we feature here in Part II of our Marvelous Mushrooms for Health Living series.
Some Background on Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms seem to qualify to join the company of foods known as “nutraceuticals,” referring to foods that exhibit the dual benefits of providing nutrition while also being available and used for medicinal purposes. This is nothing new for those familiar with the history of shiitake mushrooms. In fact, they have been cultivated for their culinary uses and medicinal characteristics going back more than 1,000 years as a fungus native to Japan, China, and the Koreas.
In fact, shiitake mushrooms are also informally known as a “superfood,” a title bestowed on them by dietary experts mindful of the plant’s robust combination of a distinctive taste (described as “meaty”), its nutritional abundance, and its variety of healthful benefits. Interestingly, these mushrooms are known for its wealth of the mineral copper, which is known to benefit the health of your blood vessels, bones, and immune system. They are also an abundant source of selenium, a strong supporter of a healthy metabolism.
This leads us to a summary exploration of six of shiitake mushroom’s best known health benefits.
6 Significant Shiitake Mushroom Benefits
In no particular order:
- Supports cardiovascular function. Another key component of shiitake mushrooms is a compound known as eritadenine, which is known to diminish unhealthy cholesterol levels. Another of shiitake’s ingredients are beta-glucans, which can decrease unwanted inflammation in the body and thwart absorption of cholesterol in the intestines.
- Serves as an antimicrobial. At a time when pharmaceutical antibiotics are more and more running smack-dab into resistant bacteria, shiitake mushrooms can offer a natural-remedy alternative to treating ailments or health conditions that call for the use of compounds with antimicrobial properties.
- Enhance your digestion. Because shiitake mushrooms are a strong source of fiber, they can offer a smooth boost to your body’s digestive functionality.
- Support bone health. More evidence of shiitake’s vast array of healthful constituents is seen in its provision of vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin,” otherwise rarely found among plant-based sources. As you should know from reading other recent blogs of ours, vitamin D is necessary for our body’s ability to absorb calcium and thus play an active role in bone health.
- Act as an antioxidant. Shiitake mushrooms are also rich in antioxidants, for which our bodies always need a ready reserve to be available to wage war against free radicals, whose main diabolical purpose is ambushing our cells, possibly leading to heart issues and other diseases.
- Protect your liver. Shiitake’s role as an antioxidant is joined by its anti-inflammatory property as well. Together these two facets make shiitake mushrooms suitable for battling oxidative stress, which can be a major source of damage to the liver. Related to this, shiitake mushrooms can also act as a detoxifier for your liver.
All things considered, shiitake mushrooms are a great choice to have around in your kitchen or pantry, whether it be as garnishment for your next meal or, in supplement form, as a natural remedy ready to take the lead in an assortment of health-related treatments or boosts. Like with any other supplement or herb, however, it’s always a good idea to discuss its use before you add it in supplemental form to your daily regimen of dietary aids.