Maitake Mushroom 4:1

History and Uses:
In Japanese Maitake Mushroom means Dancing Mushroom, and it is famous for its taste and health benefits. Legend tells us that those who found the rare mushroom began "dancing with joy." Others attribute the name to the way the fruit bodies of the mushroom overlap each other, giving the appearance of "dancing butterflies." In Japan, Maitake Mushroom is called the "King of Mushrooms." Maitake is a very large mushroom (the size of a basketball), which grows deep in the mountains of northeastern Japan. Maitake is extremely sensitive to environmental changes, which has presented many challenges to those cultivating this mushroom. Only recently have Japanese farmers succeeded in producing high-quality organic Maitake Mushrooms, allowing for wider availability both in Japan and the United States. The fruiting body and the mycelium of Maitake are used medicinally. In China and Japan, Maitake Mushrooms have been consumed for three thousand years. Years ago, in Japan, the Maitake had monetary value and was worth its weight in silver and was offered to the Shogun, the military leader, by local lords. In the late 1980s, Japanese scientists identified the Maitake to be more potent than lentinan, shiitake, suehirotake and kawaratake mushrooms, all used in traditional Asian medicine for immune function enhancement. Historically, Maitake has been used as a tonic and adaptogen. It was used as a food to help promote wellness and vitality, and traditionally, consumption of the mushroom was thought to prevent high blood pressure and malignant diseases - two applications that have been the focal point of modern research. The polysaccharides present in Maitake have a unique structure and are among the most powerful to be studied to date. The primary polysaccharide, beta-D-glucan, is well absorbed when taken orally and is currently under review for the prevention and treatment of malignant disease and as a supportive tool for HIV infection. Clinical research with Maitake Mushroom has increased dramatically in the past several years. Laboratory studies have shown that Maitake Mushroom extract may inhibit the growth of tumors and stimulate the immune system in cancerous mice. Human clinical studies of patients with breast and colorectal malignancies are currently under way in the United States. In China, 63 patients with malignancy of the lungs, stomachs, livers or leukemia, who took four capsules of Maitake extract three times daily before meals for one to three months, showed positive effects against the diseases. Reports that Maitake may help AIDS patients fight Kaposi's sarcoma and other symptoms are preliminary and require further scientific studies. Additionally, people with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) may also benefit from Maitake, according to researchers Hiroaki Nanba and Keiko Kubo, authors of Mushroom Biology and Mushroom Products. Researchers investigated a specific, high-molecular polysaccharide in Maitake called the X-fraction and found that mice given Maitake had an increased ability to recognize glucose, and the control group had higher blood glucose levels. The researchers suggested that Maitake may reduce insulin resistance, thereby increasing insulin sensitivity. The X-fraction appears to be the active compound with antidiabetic properties.