Shiitake: The Healing Mushroom

132 Pages·1994·16.99 MB·English

by  Kenneth Jones

The Healing Tviushroom
Kenneth
Jones
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2011
http://www.archive.org/details/shiitakehealingmOOjone
YPUBLICLIBRAI
WAY
3 1833 04428 006C
Shiitake
Also byKcnncchJones
:
Pau d'Arco: Immune Power from the Rain Forest
Reishi: Ancient Herb for Modern Times
Shiitake
The Healing Mushroom
Kenneth
Jones
Healing Arts Press
Rochester, Vermont
HealingArtsPress
One ParkStreet
Rochester,Vernnont05767
Copynght© 1995 byKennethJones
All rightsreserved. Nopartofthisbook nnaybe reproducedorutilized in anyform orby
anynneans,electronicormechanical, includingphotocopying, recording,orbyanyinfor-
mationstorageand retrievalsystem,withoutpermission inwritingfromthepublisher.
Note to the reader: This book is intendedas an informationalguide. Tine remedies,
approaches, andtechniquesdescribedhereinaremeanttosupplement, andnottobea
substitutefor,professionalmedicalcareortreatment. Theyshouldnotbeusedtotreata
seriousailmentwithoutpriorconsultationwithaqualifiedhealthcareprofessional.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-Publication Data
Jones, Kenneth, 1954-
Shiitake :thehealing mushroom/byKennethJones.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographical referencesand index.
ISBN0-89281-499-3
—
1. Shiitake Therapeuticuse. I.Title.
RM666.S465J66 1994
615'.329222—dc20 94-1557
CIP
Printedandbound intheUnited States
987654321
10
Interiordesignand layoutbyBonnieAtwater
Thisbookwastypesetin Frutiger,with Italian Electricasadisplayface
HealingArtsPressisadivisionofInnerTraditionsInternational
DistnbutedtothebooktradeinCanadabyPublishersGroupWest(PGW),Toronto,Ontario
Distnbutedtothehealthfoodtradein Canada byAliveBooks,TorontoandVancouver
DistributedtothebooktradeintheUnited Kingdom byDeepBooks, London
DistributedtothebooktradeinAustralia byMillennium Books, Newtown, N. S.W.
Distributedtothebooktradein NewZealand byTandem Press, Auckland
Contents
PREFACE
A FOOD FROM THE FOREST
1
Nutritional Value
Cultivation
Shiitake Recipes
2 SHIITAKE IN FOLK MEDICINE 13^
The Mushroom and the Flu
Diabetesand LiverAilments
Safety
Preparation
3 SHIITAKE AND CHOLESTEROL 23^
The SecretofSludge
Mushroomsand the Heart
Studies in Japan
Clinical Research
4 CANCER RESEARCH 34
.
Lentinan
Lentinan in Action
Therapieson the Horizon
5 CANCER PREVENTION 44
TCA: A Nitrite Scavenger
Vitamin D
Food forthe Immune System
Medicinal Mycelium
Proof in People
6 WARRING WITH VIRUSES 55^
HIV Meetsthe Mycelium
Hepatitisand Herpes
7 CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME 67^
The StressofCFS
Suspects in the Syndrome
TreatmentsforCFS
Schizophyllan
ENDNOTES 81
INDEX 114
Preface
was five years into a jungle of studies on South American herbs and the
I
immune system when the name Lentinus edodes, the Latin handle for a
mushroom called shiitake (she-tah-key), began raising its head. The litera-
ture on botanical sources of immunostimulants was heavily infected with
this fungus, and I didn't even knowwhat itwas. When finally I looked, it
turned outto bea mushroomand an edibleoneatthat. wasdelightedto
I
findthatithadaflavorrenownedallovertheworld, butmostNorthAmeri-
canswere inthedarkaboutit. Nowtenyearslater, andwiththeenormous
demandforethnicfoods, thesituation haschanged. Articlesonthemush-
room have appeared in all the major health magazines, and the name
shiitake is heard everywhere from sitcomstothe daily news.
When begantoseethewealthofresearchthathadalreadybeen done
I
on shiitake in Japan, more than for many medicinal plants, I couldn't be-
lieve my eyes. This great-tasting mushroom had shown considerable
pharmacologicactivity. Anyonewhowilltakethetimetolookwillseethat
shiitakedemonstratesafertilegroundforthecontinual researchofmedici-
nal mushrooms worldwide. In fact, a surprising number of mushrooms
used in folk medicine have demonstrated significant activity against dis-
ease. But once again, we Westerners have been the last onesto learn.
Completelyoverrun withshiitakemycelium, asawdustlog
bringsfortha harvestoffruit-bodies.