Magnus Fukken

Shiitake The Japanese have long known the special fine properties of the Shiitake mushroom. Recent experiments have shown that a particular polysaccharide, lentinan, which is found in concentration only in the Shiitake mushroom, appears to have the ability to support an already healthy immune system.* Shiitake mushrooms are grown from mycelium (spawn) in the dead log or compost heap from which they draw their sustenance. The mushrooms that appear above the ground or on logs are the fruiting bodies of the spawn, which one rarely ever sees. The fruiting body develops before the mycelium dies as a result of vigorous growth and propagating power.

What is a mycelium? An unfamiliar word to most of us, mycelium is the often-invisible, fine, thread-like ‘roots’ of the mushroom. Like a seed, the mycelium houses the source of the propagating power and rich nutrients that have yet to be exhausted through flowering. The amount of this immeasurable life-force is far more superior than that found in the cap and stem of a mushroom (the part we commonly eat).

The immense value of the shiitake mushroom has been recognized for many centuries in Asia, having been demanded by royalty and warriors alike for its numerous nutritional benefits. Modern day Japanese still drink the syrupy water that shiitake is soaked in as a dietary supplement drink. This unique shiitake mushroom extract is manufactured through an exclusive extraction method by one of the most traditional health supplement companies in Japan Lentinan, a precious variety of polyaccharide is found in abundance in the mycelium which is the only part of Shiitake mushroom used in the manufacturing of Fukken.