Need a Healthy Boost to Your Daily Diet? Go Shiitake!

Most mushrooms have lots of vitamin B12, protein, and fiber to complement healthy diets. Anyone trying to lose weight would be smart to include mushrooms in their diet. But shiitake mushrooms may have something even better.

Originally native to China, shiitake mushrooms have been cultivated for more than 1,000 years. They are now a popular ingredient in fusion cuisine all over the globe, and are featured in many specialties.

But did you know that shiitake mushrooms can help lower your cholesterol? Japanese researchers found in the 1970s that an amino acid in the mushroom causes the cholesterol-processing system in your liver to speed up, meaning less cholesterol sticks around in your body. Less cholesterol means less risk for heart disease, and also means you can exercise to lose weight with a lessened risk of heart attack. Shitake mushrooms

Besides its cholesterol-fighting properties, the shiitake mushroom just may offer something bigger. Research has shown that certain phytochemicals found in the mushroom help fight cancer. The chemical, lentinan, appeared to boost immune levels and shrink tumors in 80 to 100% of mice in various studies.

Further studies have shown that an extract of shiitake mushrooms is better able to fight cells infected with HIV than one of today's most common HIV medications, AZT.

While nothing is really a miracle food, shiitake mushrooms can be a vital part of your weight-loss plan or your diet for general health.

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