The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is responsible for causing AIDS, an immune system disorder that hinders the body's ability to fight infection. Specifically, HIV attacks CD4 lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that protects the body against infection. As a result, people infected with HIV are more susceptible to potentially life-threatening illnesses such as pneumonia. There is no cure for HIV, but there a number of medicines that help to stop the virus from reproducing. Shiitake (sometimes spelled "shitake") mushrooms might also have anti-viral properties, although evidence that they can help treat HIV is limited. Get medical advice before adding shiitake mushrooms to your treatment plan.
Properties and Potential Benefits
Also known as Lentinula edodes, the shiitake mushroom is commonly used in East Asian cooking and might also play a role in the treatment of a number of medical conditions including high cholesterol and cancer. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center notes that it may also help to boost the number of CD4 cells in HIV patients and may also suppress the activity of an enzyme involved in HIV infection.
Administration
Since shiitake mushrooms are not a proven treatment for HIV, guidance regarding a suitable dose to help treat this condition are lacking. However, Mississippi Baptist Health Systems states that it is most commonly taken in the form of an extract, known as lentinus edodes mycelium extract, and that the typical dose is 1 g to 3 g, three times daily.
Effectiveness
Scientific research looking at the efficacy of shiitake mushroom as an HIV treatment is limited, so it is difficult to determine how effective it might be. However, the results of a study published in the November 2003 issue of "Life Sciences" show that a protein found in shiitake mushrooms, known as lentin, inhibits the activity of HIV enzymes. The results of an early clinical study, published in the "Journal of Medicine" in 1998, found that this same protein also helps to increase the number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection.
Safety Considerations
Mississippi Baptist Health Systems states that since shiitake mushroom is a widely used food, it is assumed to be safe. However, eating fresh shiitake mushrooms may cause a hypersensitivity reaction in some people. The safety of concentrated shiitake mushroom extracts in unclear, so don't use it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Also avoid using shiitake mushroom extracts if you have liver or kidney disease.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: HIV and AIDS
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Shiitake Mushroom
- Mississppi Baptist Health Systems: Shiitake
- "Life Science"; Lentin, a Novel and Potent Antifungal Protein From Shitake Mushroom with Inhibitory Effects on Activity of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Reverse Transcriptase and Proliferation of Leukemia Cells; P.H. Ngai, et al.; November 2003
- "Journal of Medicine"; A Placebo-Controlled Trial of the Immune Modulator, Lentinan, in HIV-Positive Patients: A Phase I/II Trial; M. Gordon, et al.; 1998
