Shiitake Mushroom Extract (INCI: Lentinula edodes Extract)

The shiitake mushroom is native to Asia, and is particularly common in China and Japan. It is an edible mushroom that has been used as both food and medicine for thousands of years by Asian cultures. It has been actively cultivated for several generations using dead logs of shii trees as a growth medium (hence the name, shii-take), and only since the 1980's has shiitake farming really taken off in the US and other countries outside of Asia.

There is substantial research indicating that the shiitake mushroom may have potent effects on stimulating the immune system and it possesses antibacterial and antiviral properties through agents known as proteinase inhibitors. The active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) that is found in shiitake mushrooms is a beta glucan polysaccharide based active constituent that is a well known cancer treatment, especially in Japan where it is one of the most used natural medicine approaches for cancer therapy. This substance is also thought to be the main constituent that gives shiitake mushroom extract its immune boosting properties, as clinical studies on the body's resistance to several viruses and bacteria in relation to shiitake/AHCC therapy indicate.

Lentinan, another compound isolated from shiitake, is used as an intravenous anticancer agent in many countries. Studies have demonstrated that lentinan possesses antitumor properties, and human clinical studies on cancer patients have associated lentinan with a higher survival rate, higher quality of life, and lower recurrence of cancer. Lentinan is currently used in Australia as part of a commercially available pharmacological blend to suppress cancer cell proliferation and to promote proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes.

In the skin, shiitake mushrooms impart several benefits. The aforementioned AHCC/beta-glucan is an excellent moisturizer and plays a strong role in the synthesis of new collagen fibers that reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The L-ergothioneine compound found naturally in shiitake mushrooms is a powerful antioxidant, and the kojic acid compound in them are established by several clinical studies to brighten skin by lessening hyperpigmentation over time. Shiitake mushrooms are also rich in eight essential amino acid proteins, lignans, vitamins (A, several B varieties, C, and D), potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. So shiitake mushrooms are literally nutritious food for the skin.