Maitake mushrooms health benefits

The Japanese call Grifola frondosa a maitake. Maitake is a fungus with a huge fruiting body and overlapping caps. People have used maitake in both medicine and meals. There were studies done on animals to prove multiple bioactive properties of maitake polysaccharide constituents. However, there is no sufficient evidence whether is it safe for people to orally intake maitake as an extract. Other names for this fungus are cloud mushroom, dancing mushroom, king of mushroom and grifolan, among others.

Evidence

Its uses have been tested on both humans and animals. However, it has not always been safe and efficient. Several conditions proved to be potentially serious.

Cancer

There were some studies which claim that beta-glucan in maitake improves a person's ability to fight cancer but these studies were not properly designed and there needs to be a better research done before this is proved to be true. Diabetes and immune enhancement

Studies were done on animals and these extracts lowered the blood sugar levels in them. On the other hand there is not enough information on how it affects the blood sugar levels in humans. The same thing can be said for the immune system. It improved it in animals but it still remains uncertain whether it will do the same with humans.

Uses based on tradition or theory

Maitake is supposed to be used in such conditions like high cholesterol, HIV, weight loss, liver inflammation, high blood pressure and arthritis but it still remains just a theory.

Dosing

These doses are based on theories, publications, expert opinion and traditional use. Lots of herbs have not been properly tested yet. It is important that a person talks to an doctor before using any of the products.

People who are older than 18 years should not use raw mushroom because it is not yet known how much is safe to use. Tablets, capsules and liquid extracts can be taken from 0.5 to 1 milligram per a kilogram of person's weight. However, not enough studies were done and there is no certain safe dosage.

Children younger than 18 years are not recommended to use maitake because there is very few information on how much is safe to use.

Side effects and warnings

Since not enough studies have been done on humans no one can say how effective maitake is. It proved to lower blood pressure in animals but not in humans. However, people have used it as food for a long time now and because of that it is supposed that low doses may be safe.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use it since there is no information on whether it is safe.

People who are on medications that lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels should be careful when using this extract. The same goes for herbs that have the same effect.