To study the effect of Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) and Maitake (Grifola frondosa) on hypertension, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were fed a diet containing 5% mushroom powder and 0.5% NaCl solution as drinking water for 9 weeks. The dietary mushrooms decreased the blood pressure. The plasma free cholesterol level decreased in Shiitake-fed animals, whereas in Maitake-fed animals the total cholesterol level decreased. There was no difference in the plasma triglyceride and phospholipid levels among the experimental groups. Shiitake feeding resulted in a decrease in VLDL- and HDL-cholesterol whereas Maitake feeding caused a decrease in VLDL-cholesterol only. Plasma LDL-cholesterol was not affected by dietary mushrooms. The results suggest that dietary mushrooms prevent blood pressure increase in hypertension.
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Kabir et al. (1987) studied this question.