The Power Of Shiitake Mushrooms: Could They Boost Immunity?

Previous studies have touted the health powers of mushrooms. Now, researchers at the University of Florida have found that Shiitake mushrooms can increase immunity.

Of course, there are thousands of mushroom species out there, but just about 20 are actually used for culinary purposes. Specifically for this study, researchers looked at Shiitake mushrooms, which are native to Asia and can be cultivated for both their culinary and medical value.

Lead study author Sue Percival of UF Food Science and Human Nutrition examined 52 healthy adults between the ages of 21 and 42 on the Gainesville campus where they were given a four-week supply of dry Shiitake mushrooms. All participants involved could not be vegan or vegetarian and could not drink tea, take antioxidant supplements or probiotics before they began their involvement. Lastly, they could not consume over 14 glasses of an alcoholic beverage per week or eat more than seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day during the experiment.

Percival explained the following dietary restrictions this way, according to a news release: "Fiber, tea and probiotics help the body's immune system, so researchers didn't want to start with people who already had a strong immune system. Additionally, that much alcohol could suppress immunity."

The participants took the mushrooms home and cleaned and cooked them. Then, they ate a 4-ounce serving of them each day during the experiment. Blood tests before and after the experiment showed a better-functioning gamma delta T-cells and reductions in inflammatory proteins. 

"If you eat a shiitake mushroom every day, you could see changes in their immune system that are beneficial," said Percival, an Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty member. "We're enhancing the immune system, but we're also reducing the inflammation that the immune system produces."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.