"King of Mushrooms"

Bioactive Properties and Health Benefits: 

  Anti-tumour effect - strengthens the immune system in fighting  
the growth of tumour cells;

  Immune system booster - stimulates the building of a strong         
immune system to ensure the body endurance against the infections
and viral diseases;

Cardio-vascular tonic - supports the function of cardiovascular   
system, lowers high blood pressure and regulates the cholesterol level;

Digestive tonic - improves the function of the gastro-intestinal     
system;

Nervous system tonic -provides a calming effect and strengthens
the nervous system;

Diabetes monitor - regulates blood sugar level;                                   
                      
Obesity monitor - improves the metabolism thus assisting with       
weight control;

Anti-aging effect - stimulates the overall vitality.        

General Info:

For over four thousand years Maitake mushrooms has been glorified in the Orient as food that maintains good health, sustains strong spirit, preserves youth and extends longevity.

Maitake is indigenous to the northeastern part of Japan though it is found throughout the entire Eastern region as well as in Europe and North America.

It grows in clusters near the roots of plum, apricot and peach trees, but mostly at the foot of big oak trees. Maitake mushroom has an unmistakable rippled form with no usual mushroom cap but rather large overlapping folds.

The name "Maitake" literally means "dancing mushroom" so called because people knowing well of its delicious taste and of the health benefits when managed to find the mushroom in the deep mountains they began dancing with happiness and delight. Another interpretation for the name is that its beautifully shaped wavy petals reminds one of a butterfly flapping it's wings. The common English name is "Hen of the Woods". 

The scientific name "Grifola frondosa" comes from the common name 
of Maitake found in Italy and myths refer to this mushroom as a half-lion 
and half-eagle beast.

In remote areas Maitake can grow to enormous sizes weighing over
50 pounds (22 Kg). This is why this giant mushroom is called the
"King of Mushrooms".

For centuries Maitake was a rare and difficult mushroom to get.
In fact, in the feudal era of Japan this mushroom used to be exchanged with the same weight of silver by local lords who in turn offered it to their superiors, the Shoguns, that were of succession of Japanese hereditary Commanders-in-Chief and virtual rulers before 1868.

Maitake is the only edible mushroom among all Monkey's Bench mushroom family and it is considered a first rank edible mushroom. It undoubtedly offers an exceptionally good taste, an excellent aroma and crisp texture making it a delightful addition to the gourmet menu.

Maitake is largely used as a Chinese medicine called "Keisho". 
The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing scripture of herbal medicine states that it
has been frequently used for improving spleen and stomach ailments, calming nerves and mind, and treating haemorrhoids.

Maitake is one of the most extensively researched mushrooms by various
Universities and Scientific Institutes and a very large number of scientific articles have been published around the world about this amazing fungus.

An especially important ingredient found in the family of polyporaceae 
or so called "Monkey's Bench" is a polysaccharide compound which exhibits strong immune support activity. In the late 1980's some scientists found a mushroom that exhibits much more potent properties than any of the mushrooms previously studied and it was Maitake. 

Maitake mushroom contains the active ingredient protein bound ß-glucan complex. This unique active compound makes it very potent in enhancing immune system by oral administration.

Of all medicinal mushrooms studied Maitake has the strongest anti-tumour activity. Numerous scientists over and over again in medicinal articles around the world have reported this most outstanding medicinal property. 
The numerously conducted laboratory studies examining the tumour
growth-suppressing effect reveal a complete inhibition of the tumour.

One of the articles in the Journal of the Japanese Society for Food 
Science and Technology as result of study of Maitake possessing
anti-tumour activity suggests that active polysaccharide fractions 
can depress or reduce tumour growth by activating the immune system as a biological response modifier (BRM).

The health benefits demonstrated by Maitake include immune system
support, normal blood pressure support, normal blood sugar level support and normal cholesterol support.

Further laboratory studies and extensive clinical studies are under way
in collaboration with leading research institutes both in the United States and in Japan.

Professor Harry G. Preuss, M.D. at Department of Medicine, 
Georgetown University Medical Centre announced at the annual 
meeting of ACN (American College of Nutrition) held in October 1998 
in Albuquerque, New Mexico the results of their initial laboratory study 
on few fractions extracted from Maitake mushrooms against 
Cardiovascular Diseases. Prof. Preuss concluded as well the favourable 
anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive effect.Prof. Preuss is a strong
believer and advocator of so-called "Syndrome X" which claims that 
the chronic disorders that are common in the aging human such as 
Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity, Hyperlipidemia and Arteriosclerosis are all associated, at least in part, with the disturbances in glucose/insulin 
metabolism. He believes that the findings in his initial study indicate that the Maitake fractions would favourably influence the glucose/insulin system and prevent the onset of age-related chronic disorders.

In 1998 Maitake Products, Inc., Ridgefield Park, NJ, proudly announced
that the company has obtained its IND (Investigational New Drug 
Application) from the FDA to conduct a Phase II pilot study on the 
effect of Maitake Mushroom D-fraction Extract (D-fraction) on advanced breast and prostate cancer patients. The researchers at
New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, in 2002 announced the results 
of their study of comparing effects of various mushroom extract products as well as ß-glucan products on the U.S. and Japanese market against prostate cancer cells (PC-3; the most aggressive with metastasis cancer cells) in vitro. Maitake has shown the most potent cytotoxic effect.

The unique protein-bound polysaccharide compound found in Maitake based on 1,3 and 1,6 Beta glucans has been marketed as a dietary supplement both in the USA and Japan since 1995 and has demonstrated clinical effectiveness in enhancing immune system function particularly in those patients with various forms of cancers, HIV/AIDS and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Disturbing fact is that according to the survey done just in USA approximately 181,000 new cases of breast cancer develop each year and over 40,000 women die of it annually. 

Prostate cancer is now the most frequently diagnosed malignancy
in the USA with over 120,000 new cases and 32,000 deaths occurring
annually (which is the second leading causes of male mortality due to cancer).
The statistics in other countries around the world are just as alarming! 

Nutritional Components:

Protein - 22.25%                                  
Amino acid - 23.58%                         
Rich in minerals such as Zn and Se
Polysaccharide (23 fractions)