The type of mushroom that the Japanese consider a 'superfood' is very popular in Vietnam.
Not only does it have a delicious, distinctive flavor, shiitake mushrooms are also highly valued for the health benefits they bring, especially their ability to help prevent cancer.
Japanese people consider edible mushrooms a "superfood" and regularly add mushrooms to their daily meals. According to experts, regularly eating mushrooms is also one of the reasons why the life expectancy of people in the land of cherry blossoms is among the highest in the world.
Shiitake mushrooms are a type of edible mushroom that is especially loved by the Japanese. Not only does it have a delicious and distinctive flavor, shiitake mushrooms are also highly valued for their health benefits, especially their ability to help prevent cancer.
Research has shown that the most valuable nutrients of shiitake mushrooms are found in the mushroom cap.
The reason shiitake mushrooms can prevent cancer is mainly because they are rich in lentinan, a type of beta-glucan that has the ability to stimulate the immune system.
Research has shown that lentinan not only helps strengthen the immune system but also has the ability to fight the growth of cancer cells.
A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that eating shiitake mushrooms daily may help improve immune function.
While the human immune system tends to decline with age, a study in mice found that a supplement derived from shiitake mushrooms helped reverse some age-related declines in immune function.
One of the most important studies on the anti-cancer effects of shiitake mushrooms is the study on colorectal cancer.
In the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," researchers found that anti-cancer components in shiitake mushrooms have the ability to inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer cells and may even prevent the formation of tumors.
Research published in the "International Journal of Cancer" has also demonstrated that shiitake mushrooms have a positive effect on breast cancer cells. Natural anti-cancer substances in mushrooms have been identified to reduce the growth of cancer cells and prevent their spread.
American scientists also discovered that shiitake mushrooms contain Beta-glucosidase, an enzyme that significantly enhances the immune system's ability to fight cancer.
In the pharmaceutical field, many products made from shiitake mushrooms or shiitake polysaccharides are used in the prevention and treatment of malignant tumors.
Based on positive research results, adding shiitake mushrooms to your daily diet is considered a safe and natural way to support cancer prevention.
However, it is important to note that this is not a substitute for conventional treatments and should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
In addition, scientific studies have also shown that dried shiitake mushrooms have nutritional value equivalent to fresh shiitake mushrooms. However, you need to pay attention when preparing dried shiitake mushrooms to ensure that valuable nutrients are not lost.
Specifically, before use, only gently wash the dried shiitake mushrooms with water, do not rub hard. In addition, the water used to soak the dried shiitake mushrooms should also have a temperature between 25-35 degrees Celsius, so as not to denature the nutrients, especially the polysaccharides of the mushrooms.
