Botanical name: Grifola frondosa
© Martin Wall
Parts used and where grown
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.”1 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):
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.2 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.3 4 Animal studies
suggest maitake may lower serum cholesterol and triglycerides.5 6
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.7 Liquid maitake extracts with
variable concentrations of polysaccharides are available, and should be taken as directed.
Are there any side effects or interactions?
Used as recommended above, there have been no reports of side effects with maitake.
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions
with maitake.
References:1. Hobbs C. Medicinal Mushrooms. Santa Cruz, CA: Botanica Press,
1995, 110–5.
2. Nanba H, Hamaguchi AM, Kuroda H. The chemical structure of an
antitumor polysaccharide in fruit bodies of Grifola frondosa (maitake). Chem
Pharm Bull 1987;35:1162–8.
3. Yamada Y, Nanba H, Kuroda H. Antitumor effect of orally administered
extracts from fruit body of Grifola frondosa (maitake). Chemotherapy
1990;38:790–6.
4. Nanba H. Immunostimulant activity in vivo and anti-HIV activity in
vitro of 3 branched b-1–6-glucans extracted from maitake mushrooms (Grifola
frondosa). VIII International Conference on AIDS, Amsterdam, 1992 [abstract].
5. Kubo K, Nanba H. Anti-hyperliposis effect of maitake fruit body
(Grifola frondosa). I. Biol Pharm Bull 1997;20:781–5.
6. Adachi K, Nanba H, Otsuka M, Kuroda H. Blood pressure lowering
activity present in the fruit body of Grifola frondosa (maitake). Chem Pharm
Bull 1988;36:1000–6.
7. Hobbs C. Medicinal Mushrooms. Santa Cruz, CA: Botanica Press,
1995, 110–5.