Maitake - The King of Mushrooms
For over 3,000 years, Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) has enjoyed and illustrious
history. Today, TCM and Western Medicine function side-by-side in Japan, as can be
witnessed by the frequent use of maitake mushrooms to deal with conditions which, in the
U.S., are usually treated with drugs. In Japan, maitake(pronounced my-tah-keh) mushrooms
are highly rized both as food and medicine. People with serious degenerative illnesses
travel long distances in search of the maitake mushroom. However, until recently, Western
medicine has never viewed mushrooms as a treatment option for illness or disease. But the
maitake mushroom has recently received increased clinical and research attention.
In the Orient, several types of mushrooms have been used for centuries to maintain health,
preserve youth, and increase longevity. The healing aspects f mushrooms have been passed
down through folklore and only recently(within the last 20 years) has the scientific study
of mushrooms and their healing properties been initiated. The maitake mushroom (Grifola
frondosa) is native to northeast Japan and has been prized in Japanese herbology for
hundreds of years to strengthen the body and improve overall health. Recent research
indicates that it is the most potent immunostimulant of all mushrooms. The compounds
contained in maitake have the capacity to not only stimulate immune function, but also to
inhibit tumor growth. These compounds include polysaccharides (such as beta glucan) and
high-molecular weight sugar polymers.