Author (mackshepperson). Submitted on Mon, 9 Jan 2012
The Maitake mushroom, also known as the Grifola frondosa, is a polypore mushroom that grows at the base of oak trees. Maitake mushrooms are nutrient-rich medicinal fungi and good sources of fiber, selenium, potassium, niacin, vitamin C, B vitamins, and protein. Maitake mushrooms are also quite tasty and make excellent additions to a variety of dishes.
Native to Japan and North America, Maitake mushrooms are easily identifiable because of their dark clustered fronds when clustered together. Since these fronds are a bit crumbly, they look like a bunch of tail feathers when stuck together, thus giving them the nickname hen of the woods. Nowadays, Maitake mushrooms are cultivated under controlled environments with strict environmental codes in an effort to preserve their nutritional content.
Maitake are considered perennial mushrooms which grow in the same place for years in sequence. It is found in the northeast regions of America; however, it has also been discovered as far west as well. In Japan, wild Maitake mushrooms can grow quite big and weigh as much as fifty pounds or more. Because of this, the Maitake was nicknamed the “King of Mushrooms.” Along with Enoki, Shimeji and Shiitake, the Maitake is one of the most used mushrooms in Japanese cooking.
Because of its various medicinal properties, Maitake mushrooms are fast becoming popular in the West. The Maitake mushroom can be used to boost the immune system, treat hypertension, reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and inhibit the growth of tumors--the list goes on. The medicinally active components of Maitake mushrooms, found in the fruit bodies and the mycelium, are now being cultivated for nutraceutical use to make them more accessible.
Concentrated amounts of Beta 1, 3-1, 6 glucans (polysaccharide) are contained in the Maitake mushroom. These molecules enhance the ability of the immune system to function at optimum levels. Some immune system cells are even said to function at more intense levels with regular intake of Maitake mushroom in specialized forms.
The body of research on Maitake mushrooms is still quite small compared to other mushrooms, so it could be that we've only just scratched the tip of the iceberg. However, early as now, the Maitake mushroom has a very promising prospect of being a medicinal mushroom world champion some day. Hopefully, with more research underway, we can harness the full potenttial of Maitake mushroom for medicinal uses and other purposes just like other medicinal mushrooms.
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