Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)

The scientist who recovered a long-known truth

For centuries Eastern wisdom linked mushrooms with health and life — Western medicine dismissed it as a fairy tale. Dr Kisaku Mori decided in 1936 to check what was really hiding behind those “stories.”

Thousands of studies. Collaboration with scientists from all over the world. The book “Mushrooms as Health Foods.” Diabetes, flu, liver diseases, cancer — in every field Lentinula edodes showed something that made it worth continuing. His work became the clinical basis for hundreds of independent studies carried out around the world even after his death.

Western medicine did not start treating with mushrooms. It only finally began to document it.

Why does one mushroom affect so many different functions?

Such a question can sound suspicious. If something affects everything — it usually means it affects nothing.

In the case of Lentinula edodes the answer lies in the structure: this mushroom contains several different, chemically unrelated active substances, each acting by its own biochemical mechanism.

• Lentinan — a beta-1,3/1,6-D-glucan, an immunomodulator. It binds to the receptors of immune cells and activates the defense chain. In Japan it was approved in 1985 as an adjunct to oncological treatment.
• Eritadenine — a compound found almost exclusively in Lentinula edodes mushrooms, acting on cholesterol metabolism in the liver through COMT inhibition.
• Lentinacin (KS-2) — activates interferon production, has an antiviral effect.
• AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound) — a polysaccharide fraction, studied as a means of strengthening the immune system together with vaccination.

This is not one “miracle” compound. It is a mushroom with several different, independently acting components.

Effect on immunity and significance in oncology

The immunomodulating effect of Lentinula edodes is its most scientifically documented aspect. Hundreds of clinical studies confirm:

Effect on the tumor: suppresses the multiplication and growth of cancer cells; promotes apoptosis of cancer cells — natural cell death; blocks angiogenesis — the growth of the blood vessels a tumor needs.

Effect on immunity: increases the activity of NK cells (natural killers); activates macrophages and T cells; promotes the production of cytokines (IL-2, IL-12, IFN-γ); reduces the amount of IAP (immunosuppressive acidic protein); activates T cells (chemotherapy reduces their number — restoring it is essential).

Used together with chemotherapy: strengthens the effect of chemotherapy; reduces side effects; improves quality of life; extends survival.

In Japan, mushroom-polysaccharide preparations have been a standard adjunct treatment in oncology since 1985. Not alternative medicine. Standard practice.

Do not wait for the system to change. Take control of your health now. Lentinan AXT from Zenius Labs™ is a mushroom-polysaccharide formula that does not need your belief. Only your decision.

Eritadenine and cholesterol metabolism

This is an aspect rarely discussed, but it is clinically documented.

Eritadenine — a compound found almost exclusively in Lentinula edodes mushrooms — acts through COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) inhibition. Its mechanism differs from statins: instead of blocking cholesterol production in the liver, eritadenine promotes its excretion with bile and improves the LDL-to-HDL ratio.

If a statin and eritadenine are two different paths to the same goal, then a cholesterol-caused heart attack and a person who regularly takes Lentinula edodes extract are two different scenarios. Human studies show a statistically significant reduction of total and LDL cholesterol over 4–8 weeks.

This does not mean extracts can replace statins at a critical level. But for prevention and together with dietary correction — this is not “helps a little,” but a scientifically grounded choice.

Antiviral and antibacterial properties

Lentinacin (KS-2) activates interferon production — the body’s main antiviral defense system. This effect has been studied with influenza, HSV (herpes simplex) and HIV viruses.

Lentinan has demonstrated activity against bacteria and fungal infections in in-vitro studies. It is not a substitute for antibiotics, but an activated immune system naturally strengthens resistance to seasonal illnesses — and study data confirm this.

Among the diseases Dr Mori studied: flu, stomach ulcer, AIDS, arthritis, skin diseases. Some of these indications now already have clinical evidence; others are studied further.

A mushroom or an extract — these are not the same

Lentinula edodes can be eaten as food. Tasty. Nutritious. But the amount of active substances obtained from food, and the amount in a concentrated extract — that is not “slightly different.” It is the comparison of a bicycle and an aeroplane.

Water-based extraction is the only way to obtain the mushroom polysaccharides in a biologically available form. Alcohol-based extraction is cheaper in production, but the polysaccharides are broken down in this process or do not pass into the final product.

A standardised polysaccharide percentage on the packaging is not a marketing term. It shows how much active substance is actually in the capsule. 30% and 5% extracts differ by 6 times in the amount of active substances. The smallest clinically significant dose is 1,200 mg of 30% extract per day.

If the packaging does not state the polysaccharide concentration — it is most likely dried, ground mushrooms. Not an extract. What you will get is just a large portion of mushroom powder.

Frequently Asked Questions