Maitake

Latin Name: Grifola frondosa
Family: Meripilaceae

Part used: Fruiting body.
Iris: All types.
Interactions: Please check with your Healthcare Provider.

CONTRA-INDICATIONS

None Known.

ACTIONS

Anti-diabetic/Anti-obesity
Hypotensive
Immune-modulator
Hypolipidemic
Hepato-protective
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-bacterial
Anti-platelet
Anti-fungal
Amphoteric
Anti-neoplastic
Anti-viral
Anti-haemorrhoidal

Main Constituents

Polysaccharides: Grifolan & Grifolin, Alpha-glucans, Beta-glucans
Fatty acids: Linolen, Olein, Elaidin, Phosphinic acid
Lipids: Lecithine & Glycerolipides
Provitamin D2, B1 and B2 & E and Folic acid
Minerals: Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium/ Sodium ratio 164:1
Amino acids: glutamine, alanine, threonine.

Main Uses

Hypertension and Metabolic Syndrome
Digestive System: Weight loss/ Obesity - reduces fatty acid synthesis from glucose and reduces fat stored in adipocytes, Diarrhoea
Circulatory: Metabolic syndrome, Hypertension, Diabetes, Improve triglycerides, Reduces cholesterol
Musculo-Skeletal System: Osteoporosis, Activation of Osteoblasts
Immune System: Regulates immune system, Cancer
Reproductive System: Promotes fertility, Enlarged ovaries with cysts

More About Maitake

Maitake is known as “the dancing mushroom”, because legend says it was so rare that anyone who found it danced with joy! It is also known as Hen-of-the-Woods or Sheep’s Head/ Rams Head by North American foragers, as it looks like a hen nestling at the base of a large oak tree.
It is celebrated both for its culinary appeal and medicinal qualities.
Maitake can stimulate immune system cells, such as NK cells and both the innate immune system and adaptive immune system.
It can induce apoptosis in various cancer cells and inhibit the growth of various types of cancer cells - it is a portion of this mushroom, known as the maitake D-fraction, that possesses the anticancer activity.
Maitake has a hypoglycemic effect, and may be beneficial for the management of diabetes. It lowers blood sugar because the mushroom naturally contains an alpha glucosidase inhibitor.

Recipes:

Maitake Stew:

Ingredients:

For the mushrooms:
1 tsp olive oil / vegetable broth
3 x (4oz) packages of maitake mushrooms or 12 oz maitake mushroom bunch
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Coconut Aminos
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried herbs (tarragon, parsley, oregano)
For the soup:
3 tbsp vegetable broth
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large carrot, medium chopped
3 stalks celery, medium chopped
5 small red potatoes, medium chopped
Approx. 700-950ml of broth
1 can of chickpeas, drained (or cannellini beans)
Approx. 30ml of coconut milk or cashew cream
Salt & black pepper to taste

Method:
Step 1: Sauté the mushrooms. In a large soup pot, heat on medium high with a splash of oil or vegetable broth. Once hot, add all of the maitake mushrooms with a pinch of salt and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Step 2: Add the sauce: Add the worcestershire, balsamic, coconut aminos, garlic powder, dried herbs, and saute for 3-5 minutes or until all of the mushrooms have cooked down and absorbed a lot of the liquid.
Once the mushrooms are mostly cooked, remove from the pan and into a bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Sauté: Quickly add the onions and a splash of vegetable broth into the still-hot pan. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, then toss in the carrot, celery and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Cook Potatoes: Add the potatoes into the pan with a pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the vegetable broth. Mix, cover with a lid, and lower the heat to a medium low. Gently simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the potatoes are 3/4 of the way cooked.
Step 5: Combine: Pour in the chickpeas, coconut milk/cashew cream, pinch of salt & pepper, then mix until the soup looks beautifully creamy.
Add in the cooked mushrooms, mix, cover, and cook on low-medium heat for another 5-7 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Add salt to taste and enjoy!
The soup lasts for approximately 4-5 days in the fridge.

References

Cancer related symptoms, liver cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer

Can maitake MD-fraction aid cancer patients?
Cancer regression or significant symptom improvement was observed in 58.3 percent of liver cancer patients, 68.8 percent of breast cancer patients, and 62.5 percent of lung cancer patients. Furthermore, when maitake was taken in addition to chemotherapy, immune-competent cell activities were enhanced 1.2-1.4 times, compared with chemotherapy alone.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12126464/

Bone marrow, doxorubicin, hematopoietic bone marrow cells

Maitake beta-glucan MD-fraction enhances bone marrow colony formation and reduces doxorubicin toxicity in vitro.
These studies provided the first evidence that MDF acts directly in a dose dependent manner on hematopoietic BMC and enhances BMC growth and differentiation into colony forming cells.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14975363/

Tumour metastasis, lung vascular epithelial cells

Inhibitory effect of MD-Fraction on tumor metastasis: involvement of NK cell activation and suppression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 expression in lung vascular endothelial cells.
These results suggest that MD-Fraction inhibits tumor metastasis by activating NK cells and APCs, and by suppressing of ICAM-1 leading to the inhibition of tumor cell adhesion to vascular endothelial cells.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18520039/

Anti-tumour, cell apoptosis, gastric cancer

Antitumor effects of a water-soluble extract from Maitake (Grifola frondosa) on human gastric cancer cell lines.
Taken together, these results suggest that ME induces apoptosis of TMK-1 cells by caspase-3-dependent and -independent pathways, resulting in potential antitumor effects on gastric cancer.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19639212/

Leukocytes, myeloid cells, paclitaxel hematoxicity, hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC)

Maitake beta-glucan promotes recovery of leukocytes and myeloid cell function in peripheral blood from paclitaxel hematotoxicity.
The studies indicate that oral MBG promoted maturation of HPC to become functionally active myeloid cells and enhanced peripheral blood leukocyte recovery after chemotoxic bone marrow injury.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20140432/