Herb & supplement monograph

Shiitake Mushroom Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Shiitake Mushroom interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Shiitake Mushroom is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Shiitake Mushroom is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Shiitake Mushroom Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Shiitake Mushroom drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and every one rests on lab research alone, with no confirmed effects in humans.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The combination that deserves the most care involves immunosuppressants, such as transplant medications, because lab studies suggest shiitake extracts can stimulate the immune system and could, in theory, work against these drugs. Since transplant medicines have little room for error, this theoretical concern is worth taking seriously even without human reports. Lab work also hints that a shiitake extract might speed up an enzyme the body uses to clear certain medications, which could lower their levels, though this has never been seen in people.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of medications here comes from just two theoretical mechanisms applied across many drugs, not from hundreds of separate problems. Both concerns are based only on laboratory findings, and neither has been shown to cause meaningful changes in people. For most everyday medications, eating shiitake mushrooms is unlikely to cause trouble.

Check your medications against Shiitake Mushroom

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Shiitake Mushroom interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Shiitake Mushroom

312 medications have a known interaction with Shiitake Mushroom, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Shiitake Mushroom using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Shiitake Mushroom interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Shiitake Mushroom combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Shiitake Mushroom affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Shiitake Mushroom is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 2 drug categories Shiitake Mushroom interacts with

Cytochrome P450 2d6 (cyp2d6) SubstratesImmunosuppressants

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (Cyp2D6) Substrates

Theoretically, shiitake mushroom might decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2D6.
In vitro studies suggest that the shiitake mushroom extract AHCC might induce the CYP2D6 enzyme. This effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Immunosuppressants

Theoretically, taking shiitake mushroom might decrease the effects of immunosuppressive therapy.
In vitro evidence suggests that shiitake mushroom extracts stimulate immune function.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Shiitake Mushroom: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Shiitake is a popular edible mushroom that is nutritious and safe to eat as food for most people. Some of its extracts (like lentinan and AHCC) have been studied as immune support, mainly alongside cancer treatment, but evidence for most supplement uses is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated shiitake supplements.

Scientific name: Lentinula edodes
Family: Omphalotaceae
Part used: Fruiting body (mushroom cap and stem); mycelium extracts
Common forms: Whole food (fresh or dried mushrooms), capsules, tablets, powders, liquid extracts, and standardized extracts such as lentinan and AHCC

People commonly use it for

Immune support
General wellness and nutrition
Cholesterol and heart health
Adjunct in cancer care (lentinan, AHCC)
Antioxidant support

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally safe as a food, but concentrated supplements and raw mushrooms can cause reactions in some people.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid consuming greater than food amounts.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid consuming greater than food amounts.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Jump to a section

Overview

Shiitake is an edible mushroom that has been used for food and in traditional medicine in East Asia for centuries. It grows naturally on the wood of certain hardwood trees and is now widely cultivated around the world.

People eat shiitake fresh or dried as part of meals, and it is also sold as a dietary supplement in capsules, powders, and liquid extracts. Some specialized extracts taken from shiitake, such as lentinan and AHCC, are studied more often in medical research, usually for immune support.

How it works

Shiitake contains compounds that researchers believe may affect the body in several ways. The best known is lentinan, a type of beta-glucan (a complex sugar) thought to interact with the immune system. Shiitake also contains a compound called eritadenine that has been studied for possible effects on cholesterol.

The mushroom also provides antioxidants and other natural substances that may help protect cells. It is important to know that much of this information comes from laboratory and animal research, and these effects have not been clearly proven in people taking common supplement forms.

Effectiveness

Does Shiitake Mushroom work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 23 uses evaluated

1 Leans ineffective 22 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Ineffective Dental Plaque