Immune system and shitake mushrooms

As you know, the "king" of our products is the Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes), characterized not only by its excellent sensorial properties and great versatility in the kitchen, but also by its many nutritional properties, among which today we will discuss the immunomodulatory effect...

How this process happens:

Shiitake mushrooms contain Lentinan, a water-soluble beta-glucan that is very important for human health. In fact, its use in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of many pathologies, such as hepatitis, HIV, malignant pleural effusion and some types of tumors, is centuries old.

As we already know, our body is equipped with an efficient defense system against external agents: the immune system, composed of different types of cells and circulating molecules that work in synergy to recognize and eliminate pathogens such as bacteria, viruses but also other cells such as tumor cells.

Numerous studies agree in finding that the biological activity of Lentinan may depend mainly on its ability to act by influencing our immune system. In fact, this compound is able to stimulate macrophages, T lymphocytes and Natural Killer cells, i.e. those types of white blood cells responsible for recognizing and destroying elements potentially harmful to the organism (such as viruses and bacteria).

Various studies demonstrate how water-soluble β-glucans are able to bind directly to macrophages through a specific receptor, CR3, thus stimulating the innate immune system. We also consider that the T cells of the immune system are essential for the response against pathogens, and that β-glucans act by preventing their immunosenescence, i.e. their aging, and therefore the consumption of these is also very important for the elderly and immunosuppressed.

What is meant by immunomodulatory effect?

The effect of Lentinan is not simply to stimulate our immune defenses, but to balance them, and the difference is not trivial and makes it suitable for everyone!

When our immune system loses its balance it can find itself in a situation of hyperactivity or hypoactivity: the first situation will result in allergic, chronic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. In the second case, often resulting from therapies with immunosuppressants or chemotherapy, the body will instead be more susceptible to contracting infections or pathologies.

The immunomodulatory effect of Lentinan is able to counteract both phenomena: it has a "sedating" effect on hyperactive systems and a "stimulating" effect on hypoactive ones, activating the production of molecules capable of orienting the immune response in the correct direction.

The properties of Shiitake mushrooms, however, do not end there: these mushrooms are in fact foods rich in fibre, vegetable proteins with high biological value, minerals and group B vitamins.

What makes our product unique is the high content of vitamin D, which is not only important for the health of our bones, but as you can find written on all the packages of our IoBoscoVivo products " It contributes to the normal function of the immune system "!

We can therefore say that lentinan and vitamin D are our important allies these days and can help us strengthen our immune defenses!

Furthermore, IoBoscoVivo Shiitake mushrooms come from the EU and from organic farming, therefore controlled from the point of view of environmental pollutants, toxins and pesticides.

Come and discover them at our shop! https://ioboscovivo.com/shop/