Like many mushrooms grown or grown in an ecologically clean environment, shiitake accumulates the entire necessary range of micro- and macroelements in fruit bodies. The inclusion of mushrooms in the diet is especially important for people living in an urban environment and facing constant oxidative stress (disturbed sleep and wakefulness cycles; nutritional imbalance and eating problems; chronic stress; adverse environmental factors; lack of physical activity).

Therefore, mushrooms are a unique and extremely promising product of our time, capable of covering a whole range of nutritional needs of a modern person.

Shiitake is actively used in the food industry and is cultivated on a large scale around the world. Due to the high content and diversity of the amino acid spectrum, it is actively used as an element of dietary nutrition (keto, protein protocols). Shiitake is also rich in ergothioneine, a large number of polyphenolic compounds, polysaccharides, vitamins B, C, E, niacin, riboflavin, biotin, folic acid, as well as minerals: potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and magnesium. These qualities make shiitake a universal component of functional nutrition and a nutraceutical, which can be used as a seasonal adaptogen, a source of vitamins and antioxidants.

• Shiitake mushrooms have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for several millennia in this system, they are classified as “tonic”. It was believed that they strengthen the body’s defenses, increase vitality and improve overall well-being. Traditionally, shiitake mushrooms have often been prescribed to people with weak immune systems, breathing problems, general weakness or fatigue. At the moment, shiitake has been studied quite well and a large number of B-glucan compounds have been found in it that can increase the activity of immune cells, including natural killer cells (NK), macrophages and dendritic cells. These compounds help stimulate the immune response and protect the body from pathogens. Lentinan, the main polysaccharide complex in shiitake, is actively being investigated as an antitumor agent. It is a glucan with an immunostimulating effect, which has a proven antiproliferative effect against cancer cells of the large intestine, liver, cervix and many others and can be used at all stages of oncology.

• The mushroom has a wide anti-inflammatory potential. It contains dietary fiber that supports healthy digestion and helps prevent constipation. The fiber in shiitake mushrooms also acts as a prebiotic, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria by increasing the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids. Shiitake is rich in ergothioneine, an extremely important antioxidant molecule that is able to regulate levels of hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide and other pro-inflammatory cytokines. A 2006 Japanese study found a direct correlation between increased consumption of mushrooms with a high ergothioneine content and a lower incidence of dementia. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the strong neuroprotective capabilities of ergothioneine, in which it reduced the death and damage of neurons induced by amyloid. Due to its high ergothioneine content, shiitake is also capable of. protect the eyes from the development of cataracts, reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and protect the kidneys and liver from damage.

• The wide range of antifungal and antiviral activity of shiitake has long attracted the attention of pharmaceutical companies as a natural alternative to antibiotics and antiviral agents, which often have high risks of side effects and increased resistance of infections to drug components. It is especially important to mention the existence of studies in which shiitake showed high activity against oncogenic strains of human papilloma virus (HPV), increasing the number of K cells and preventing the development of tumors associated with HPV infection.