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.
