← All supplements

Shiitake

Supplement mushroom immune
Aka: Lentinula edodes, lentinan, AHCC source
Brands seen in Singapore: California Gold Nutrition, Swanson Vitamins, Nutricost, Nature's Answer, Super Nutrition
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Immune and gut markers — most data is lab and animal
Take with
Cooked · raw or undercooked shiitake is tied to a rash
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Classified as a functional food, widely eaten
  • Glucans raised microbial diversity and ifn-γ
  • A 2025 review reports clinical trials alongside chemo
Cons
  • Most evidence is in vitro and in animal models
  • The review calls for randomized trials to confirm
  • Raw or undercooked shiitake can trigger a rash
Sources
  1. Lentinula edodes as a Source of Bioactive Compounds with Therapeutical Potential in Intestinal Inflammation and Colorectal Cancer (Int J Mol Sci 2025) — scope · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “There is evidence suggesting that bioactive substances in Lentinula edodes have immunomodulatory and anticancer properties. This fungus is currently classified as a functional food, considering its beneficial effects on human health and special nutritional value.”
  2. Lentinula edodes review, Int J Mol Sci 2025 — where the evidence comes from · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Studies conducted in vitro and in animal models demonstrated that L. edodes bioactive compounds, in particular glucans, have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, induce apoptosis of cancer cells, reduce tumor angiogenesis, restore gut microbiome heterogeneity”
  3. Lentinula edodes review, Int J Mol Sci 2025 — clinical findings reported · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Moreover, clinical trials confirmed that these compounds combined with standard chemotherapy have a significant effect in improving the prognosis of CRC patients. In addition, L. edodes glucans increase microbial diversity and enhance interferon (IFN)-γ production by immune cells.”
  4. Lentinula edodes review, Int J Mol Sci 2025 — what is still missing · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Moreover, both randomized trials and long-term follow-up studies are needed to confirm their effectiveness in the treatment of IBD and CRC.”
  5. Shiitake mushroom-induced flagellate dermatitis: The first case reported in Nepal (Clin Case Rep 2024) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Shiitake mushroom-induced flagellate dermatitis is a rare but important condition to consider in patients presenting with pruritic skin lesions following mushroom ingestion … appropriate management with oral and topical steroids”
  6. Shiitake flagellate dermatitis case report, Clin Case Rep 2024 — raw and undercooked shiitake · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Educating patients about the risks associated with consuming raw or undercooked shiitake mushrooms is essential to prevent recurrence.”
  7. Medicinal Mushrooms and Their Bioactive Compounds: From Traditional Use to Therapeutic Potential (Molecules 2026) — species in scope · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Among the most widely studied and utilized species are Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, Grifola frondosa, Cordyceps militaris, Cordyceps sinensis, Trametes versicolor, and Inonotus obliquus.”
  8. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev. No. 001 (Oct 2025), Annex A/B — searched, no row for this ingredient · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  9. iHerb Singapore — Shiitake category (default order, 13 results); first 5 distinct brands: California Gold Nutrition, Swanson Vitamins, Nutricost, Nature's Answer, Super Nutrition · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “California Gold Nutrition, Fungiology® Certified Organic Shiitake Powder … Swanson Vitamins, Full Spectrum® Shiitake Mushroom, 500 mg … Nutricost, Shiitake Mushroom … Nature's Answer, Shiitake Extract, Alcohol-Free … Super Nutrition, Organic Shiitake Mushroom + Ginger”
Report a correction View as JSON

Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.