Ingredient evidence

Shiitake and Cholesterol: Reading the Human Trial Carefully

What a small randomized shiitake study found, its limitations and why it should not be generalized to every mushroom supplement.

Reviewed and updated September 7, 2026

Health note: Dietary supplements are not substitutes for diagnosis or treatment. If you have high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, take prescription medicines, are pregnant/nursing, or are considering a supplement for a medical condition, discuss it with a qualified clinician.

A small human randomized trial exists

A 2021 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 68 people with borderline-high cholesterol-related markers. Participants consumed shiitake-containing bars or placebo for 66 days.

What changed

The intervention group showed a reported 10% reduction in triglycerides after 66 days and changes in oxidative-stress markers. The study also reported dermatitis in 10% of individuals sensitive to the mushroom.

Why this is not proof for a supplement blend

This was a specific shiitake food intervention in a small study. The result does not establish that a capsule containing shiitake plus nine other mushrooms will reproduce the same outcome, nor does it establish prevention of cardiovascular events.

Relevance to Cholibrium

Shiitake is one of the ten mushrooms listed by Simple Promise. That gives the ingredient a plausible research connection, but product-level effectiveness would require evidence on the actual Cholibrium formulation.

Source

PubMed — Effects of Shiitake bars on lipid and antioxidant profiles.