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Shiitake

Lentinula edodes

Culinary mushroom whose beta-glucans nudge immunity and lipids.

Preliminary evidence 🛡️Gut & Immune🫀Heart & Metabolic

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Gut & Immune
❝
What the evidence says. Graded preliminary: a single small RCT showed shifts in immune-cell markers and another a 10% triglyceride drop, while the strongest data — survival gains from injectable lentinan added to chemotherapy — apply to a hospital drug, not dietary mushrooms or capsules. (Preliminary evidence: Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.)

What is Shiitake?

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a gut and immune supplement used for modulate immune cell activity. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is an edible Asian mushroom rich in beta-glucans, the fibre lentinan, and the cholesterol-modifying compound eritadenine. In a small 4-week RCT, eating 5–10 g of dried shiitake daily increased ex-vivo proliferation and activation of gamma-delta T and NK-T cells, hinting at immune support, though clinical illness was not an endpoint. A double-blind RCT of shiitake bars in people with borderline-high cholesterol found a roughly 10% fall in triglycerides over 66 days but no significant change in LDL or total cholesterol. The best-studied use is purified injectable lentinan as a chemotherapy add-on: pooled trials and an individual-patient meta-analysis show modestly longer survival in advanced gastric cancer (hazard ratio ~0.80). That is a regulated drug given intravenously, not the mushroom you eat or buy as a capsule. Overall, dietary and supplemental human evidence remains early and small.

Purported Benefits

✓Modulate immune cell activity
✓Modestly lower triglycerides
✓Adjunct in cancer chemotherapy (lentinan)
✓Source of fibre & beta-glucans

Evidence by outcome

The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.

OutcomeEvidenceEffectStudies
Modulate immune cell activitySingle 4-wk RCT (n=52) raised ex-vivo T/NK-T cell activity; no clinical illness endpoint. Preliminary ↑ benefit 1
Lower triglyceridesSingle RCT (n=68): ~10% TG drop at 66 days; no change in LDL or total cholesterol. Preliminary ↑ benefit · small 1
Gastric cancer survival (IV lentinan + chemo)Meta-analyses show longer survival (HR ~0.80); applies to injectable drug, not edible/supplement mushroom. Moderate ↑ benefit · moderate 3
HIV immune/clinical benefit (IV lentinan)Phase I/II trial (n=98): well tolerated but only non-significant CD4 trend, no proven clinical benefit. Preliminary — no effect · negligible 1

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Diet: 5–10 g dried mushroom daily; injectable lentinan is a prescription oncology drug used only under specialist care, not a supplement.
Active Compounds
Lentinan (beta-1,3-glucan)EritadenineErgothioneineErgosterol (vitamin D precursor)

Safety & Cautions

Cooked shiitake is well tolerated as food. Raw or undercooked mushrooms can trigger 'shiitake flagellate dermatitis' — a self-limited whip-like rash from heat-sensitive lentinan — and chronic intake may raise eosinophil counts; inhaled spores can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Because beta-glucans modulate immunity, use caution with immunosuppressant therapy; and given possible additive lipid- and glucose-lowering effects, monitor if combining with statins or antidiabetic drugs. Injectable lentinan is a prescription oncology agent and should only be used under specialist supervision. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Shiitake with any medicine.

Key Studies

Systematic review Ina 2020 (umbrella review) ✓ Full text
Umbrella review of 8 meta-analyses: adjunct lentinan may improve response rate, 1-yr survival, performance status and chemo tolerance in GI/lung cancers.
Meta-analysis Wang 2017 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis, 17 studies/1423 patients: lentinan plus chemo raised 1-yr survival (RR 1.46) and response rate (RR 1.28); no 2-yr survival benefit.
Meta-analysis Oba 2009 ✓ PubMed
Individual-patient meta-analysis, 650 patients/5 RCTs: adding injectable lentinan to chemo prolonged gastric-cancer survival, HR 0.80 (95% CI 0.68–0.95).
RCT Spim 2021 ✓ PubMed
Double-blind RCT (n=68) of shiitake bars: ~10% triglyceride reduction at 66 days (p=0.035); no significant change in LDL or total cholesterol.
RCT Dai 2015 ✓ PubMed
4-wk RCT: 5–10 g/day dried shiitake raised ex-vivo gamma-delta T-cell (~60%) and NK-T-cell (~2x) proliferation and activation in 52 healthy adults.
RCT Gordon 1998 ✓ PubMed
Phase I/II placebo-controlled trial (98 HIV+ patients): IV lentinan well-tolerated; non-significant trend toward higher CD4 counts, no proven clinical benefit.
RCT Oba 2009b (S-1 trial) ✓ PubMed
RCT in advanced gastric cancer: lentinan added to S-1/paclitaxel chemotherapy improved patient quality of life.
Safety Loo 2011 ✓ PubMed
Case report of flagellate ('whiplash') dermatitis after eating shiitake, the classic toxic skin reaction to thermolabile lentinan.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Shiitake

What is Shiitake used for?

Shiitake is most often taken for Modulate immune cell activity, Modestly lower triglycerides, Adjunct in cancer chemotherapy (lentinan), Source of fibre & beta-glucans. Culinary mushroom whose beta-glucans nudge immunity and lipids.

Does Shiitake work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is an edible Asian mushroom rich in beta-glucans, the fibre lentinan, and the cholesterol-modifying compound eritadenine. In a small 4-week RCT, eating 5–10 g of dried shiitake daily increased ex-vivo proliferation and activation of gamma-delta T and NK-T cells, hinting at immune support, though clinical illness was not an endpoint. A double-blind RCT of shiitake bars in people with borderline-high cholesterol found a roughly 10% fall in triglycerides over 66 days but no significant change in LDL or total cholesterol. The best-studied use is purified injectable lentinan as a chemotherapy add-on: pooled trials and an individual-patient meta-analysis show modestly longer survival in advanced gastric cancer (hazard ratio ~0.80). That is a regulated drug given intravenously, not the mushroom you eat or buy as a capsule. Overall, dietary and supplemental human evidence remains early and small.

What is the typical dose of Shiitake?

Diet: 5–10 g dried mushroom daily; injectable lentinan is a prescription oncology drug used only under specialist care, not a supplement.

Is Shiitake safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Cooked shiitake is well tolerated as food. Raw or undercooked mushrooms can trigger 'shiitake flagellate dermatitis' — a self-limited whip-like rash from heat-sensitive lentinan — and chronic intake may raise eosinophil counts; inhaled spores can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Because beta-glucans modulate immunity, use caution with immunosuppressant therapy; and given possible additive lipid- and glucose-lowering effects, monitor if combining with statins or antidiabetic drugs. Injectable lentinan is a prescription oncology agent and should only be used under specialist supervision.

How many studies support Shiitake?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Shiitake, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Shiitake (Lentinula edodes): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/shiitake

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_shiitake,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Shiitake (Lentinula edodes): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/shiitake},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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