Botanical name: Grifola frondosa

Parts used and where grown: 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):

Rating	Health Concerns
	High cholesterol and high triglyceride levelsHIV support, Immune function, Infection
Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit. Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit. AAn herb is primarily supported by traditional use, or the herb or supplement has little scientific support and/or minimal health benefit.

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.

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