Part 2 of 4 – Maitake Mushroom – D Fraction and Immune Support
Maitake is a delicious mushroom that promotes a healthy immune system, healthy blood pressure and healthy blood sugar levels. In Japan, it is known as the “King of Mushrooms.” In this interview, Mark will discuss the D Fraction extract from maitake mushroom and the clinical benefits that have been discovered for powerful immune support.
“Maitake is an edible and medicinal mushroom that grows in the northern part of the Temperate Zone in the Northern Hemisphere found in Japan, China, Europe and North America. Wild Maitake can be harvested in September and October. It forms large hands, mainly near the roots of big fagaceous trees such as white oak, beech, and tanbark oak. It grows in persimmon, plum, apricot, Prunus ume and oak trees. It invades the core of these trees. It decomposes lignin and leaves the cellulose, which is the cause of so-called white rot.
Wild Maitake has a good taste, a crisp texture, and an excellent aroma. It is considered the first-rank edible mushroom.
The scientific name of Maitake, Grifola frondosa, comes from the common name of fungi found in Italy. The name refers to a mythical beast which is half-lion and half-eagle. The Japanese name Maitake, literally meaning dance mushroom, is associated with its shape, which some believe resembles a dancing nymph. It is also said that people who found Maitake in a deep forest danced with joy since it was so rare and precious, which is the origin of the name.
Bioactivities:
Maitake has been prized not only for its tastes but also for its medicinal value. There have been many anecdotal reports on various medicinal properties of Maitake, and since 1980s when artificial cultivation was commercialized and Maitake became more easily available, a variety of pharmacological effects of Maitake were reported by Japanese scientists as shown below:
• Immune boosting activity
• Anti-tumor activity
• Blood glucose lowering activity
• Serum lipids normalizing activity
• Blood pressure lowering activity
• Hepato-protective activity
• Weight reduction activity, etc.” Excerpt from BioResearch Update.
For more information: Go to BioResearch Update. BioResearch Update documents breakthrough research and insightful information about medicinal mushrooms. Here you can read about the clinical studies that can reveal some of these impressive benefits.
To review more studies go to PubMed, the government clearing house for clinical studies. There I found 272 references for maitake, 36 references for maitake d fraction, 31 references for SX fraction and 22 references for Lion’s Mane.
Listen to our other interviews with Mark Kaylor.
Part 1 – Overview of Medicinal Mushrooms
About Mark Kaylor
Mark J. Kaylor, Ph.D, C.N., M.H., is Vice President of Research & Education for Mushroom Wisdom. He has been a holistic healing practitioner and educator in southern California for 10 years. He has worked at a variety of levels in natural health retail, consulted with companies in formulating products and provided herbal training and formulas for national herbal extract manufacturers. In his efforts to share the gift of healing he has lectured internationally, written numerous articles, and appears frequently on radio and television.
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