Maitake is a very large mushroom, which
grows deep in the mountains of northeastern
Japan, as well as in North America and Europe.
Famous for its taste and health benefits,
maitake is also known as the “dancing mushroom.”
Legend holds that those who found the rare
mushroom began dancing with joy. Others
attribute its name to the way the fruit bodies
of the mushroom overlap each other, giving the
appearance of dancing butterflies.
Maitake is extremely sensitive to
environmental changes, which have presented many
challenges to those cultivating this mushroom.
However, Japanese farmers have succeeded in
producing high-quality organic maitake
mushrooms, allowing for wider availability both
in Japan and the U.S. The fruiting body and
mycelium of maitake are used
medicinally.
Maitake has been used in
connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual health
concern for complete
information):
Health
Concerns
High cholesterol and high triglyceride levels
HIV support
Immune function
Infection
Historical or
traditional use (may or
may not be supported by scientific
studies)
Historically, maitake has been used as a
tonic and adaptogen (a substance that
invigorates or strengthens the system). Along
with other “medicinal” mushrooms, such as
shiitake and reishi, maitake was
used as a food to help promote wellness and
vitality.
Active
constituents
A
common denominator among some mushrooms and some
herbs is the presence of complex polysaccharides
in their structure. These active constituents
help support immune system function and are
sometimes called immunomodulators. The
polysaccharides present in maitake have a unique
structure and are among the most powerful
studied in test tubes to date. The primary
polysaccharide, beta-D-glucan, is well absorbed
when taken orally and is being studied as a
potential tool for prevention and treatment of
cancer and as a adjunctive treatment for
HIV
infection. Animal studies suggest maitake may
lower serum cholesterol and triglycerides.
However, this research is still preliminary and
requires human trials for
confirmation.
How much is usually
taken?
Maitake can be used as a food or tea and
is also available as a capsule or tablet
containing the entire fruiting body of the
mushroom. For maitake, the fruit body is higher
in polysaccharides than the mycelium, which is
why it is recommended. Whole-mushroom maitake
supplements, 3–7 grams per day, can be taken.
Liquid maitake extracts with variable
concentrations of polysaccharides are available,
and should be taken as
directed.
