Food for Thought Mickayla Hosking
Shitake
You may not think of mushrooms as a nutritional powerhouse, but let me tell you about Shiitake. This is the second most eaten mushroom in the world, known as the ‘ food of the Gods’ by the Romans, and the ‘ elixir of life’ in Chinese cultures.
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hiitake provides a range of micronutrients, including a whopping 8% of its weight in potassium. This makes Shiitake the perfect heart health food, not only does the betaglucan fibre help to balance your cholesterol by dragging the excess through your gut, but the potassium helps regulate heart beats. It also helps your muscles to move, your nerves to work, and your kidneys to filter blood. Shiitake has demonstrated some antimicrobial activity too, quite the bonus for your microbiome if you want to boost your ‘ second brain ’. The antioxidant and anti-cancer capacity of this mushroom also plays a role in it’s longevity promoting reputation. The beta-glucan fibre, mentioned earlier, is a soluble fibre which has the ability to suppress leukaemia cell growth. If you like mushrooms, there are many ways to get your daily dose - from Shiitake chips, stir-fries to ramen and other soups. Shiitake is a common ingredient in Chinese dishes, as it’s native to Asia with a rich history of use in the kitchen and in herbalism. It has been cultivated by humans since the 12th century in Central China, hence why it is popular in Chinese cooking and the second most eaten mushroom.
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The group of 30 people receiving the 900mg of A study by Dai and colleagues, in 2015, demonstrated tangible improvements in immune status. This was shown through improved cell proliferation (replication), more active white blood cells and increased sIgA production. The regular consumption of Shiitake by the patients also brought down inflammatory markers seen in the blood, suggesting that the increase in immune function was not related to any inflammation (this is a good thing - signalling no infection caused the increased activity). Improvements in immune function without inflammation means your immune system is able to do its job better. Shiitake is definitely one to keep in the fridge during the winter months. You can even grow Shiitake at home if you’re willing - Life Cykel has affordable grow kits you can sit right on your kitchen bench! So really, Shiitake is the true essence of food as medicine.
If I haven’t convinced you to include Shiitake in your diet yet, try out this soul warming Caramelised Shiitake Risotto.
