{"id":7802,"date":"2025-11-21T04:08:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T03:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/?post_type=medicinal-mushrooms&#038;p=7802"},"modified":"2026-04-28T08:37:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T07:37:12","slug":"grifola-frondosa-maitake","status":"publish","type":"medicinal-mushrooms","link":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/en\/medicinal-mushrooms\/grifola-frondosa-maitake\/","title":{"rendered":"GRIFOLA FRONDOSA (Maitake)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>The &#8220;Dancing Mushroom&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Maitake<\/strong> often grows in large clusters at the base of trees, frequently oaks, with some clusters weighing several kilograms. Legend has it that people danced with joy when they discovered this rare and precious mushroom in the wild, which is why it was named Maitake, the \u201cDancing Mushroom.\u201d It is highly valued in both traditional medicine and culinary applications.<\/p>\n<h2>Bioactive Compounds<\/h2>\n<p><em>Maitake<\/em> is a rich source of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Polysaccharides<\/strong> (mainly beta-glucans), classified as dietary fibers,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Proteins and amino acids<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sterols and fatty acids<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li><strong>B vitamins and minerals<\/strong> (potassium, magnesium, zinc).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The most studied are the polysaccharide extracts, particularly the \u201cMaitake D-Fraction\u201d and \u201cMaitake MD-Fraction\u201d beta-glucans, which have been the focus of numerous clinical and preclinical studies.<\/p>\n<h2>Research<\/h2>\n<p>Studies indicate that polysaccharides from <em>Maitake<\/em> may have several beneficial effects:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>supporting the body\u2019s natural immune defense (Masuda et al., 2015),<\/li>\n<li>contributing to glucose metabolism and maintaining normal blood sugar levels (Kubo et al., 1994),<\/li>\n<li>assisting in fat metabolism and helping to maintain overall balance in the body (Nanba, 1997).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While these results are promising, it is important to note that <em>Maitake<\/em> remains under investigation and is primarily used as a dietary supplement, not as a medicine.<\/p>\n<h2>Traditional Use<\/h2>\n<p>In traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, <em>Maitake<\/em> was highly valued as a mushroom promoting vitality and resilience. It was considered a rare gift of nature, consumed only by the most privileged.<\/p>\n<h2>Modern Use<\/h2>\n<p>Today, <em>Maitake<\/em> is popular both in culinary applications\u2014for its pleasant taste and meaty texture\u2014and as a dietary supplement. It is regarded as one of the most prized medicinal mushrooms, with its effects on the immune system and metabolism being the subject of numerous scientific studies.<\/p>\n<h2>Research Sources and Further Insights:<\/h2>\n<h3>Books and Reviews<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>Pohleven, J., Koro\u0161ec, T., Gregorij, A. (2013). <\/strong>Zdravilne gobe<strong>.<\/strong> Ljubljana: Dru\u0161tvo za zdravilne gobe.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u2013 Obse\u017een slovenski vir, kjer je Grifola frondosa opisana glede na zgodovinsko uporabo, hranilne in bioaktivne snovi ter raziskave.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Wasser, S.P. (2010). Medicinal mushroom science: Current perspectives, advances, evidences, and challenges. <\/strong>Biomedical Journal<strong>, <\/strong>3(1), 31\u201340.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u2013 Pregled raziskav zdravilnih gliv, tudi Maitake, s poudarkom na imunomodulatornih u\u010dinkih.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Mizuno, T. (1995). Bioactive biomolecules of mushrooms: Food\u2013function\u2013biotherapeutic. <\/strong>International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms<strong>, <\/strong>1(1), 7\u201321.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u2013 Klasi\u010den pregled bioaktivnih spojin v Grifoli, \u0161e posebej polisaharidov.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Scientific Articles<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>Nanba, H. (1997). Maitake D-fraction: Healing and preventive potential for cancer. <\/strong>Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine<strong>, <\/strong>12(1), 43\u201349.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u2013 Ena izmed najpogosteje citiranih raziskav o polisaharidnem izvle\u010dku \u00bbD-frakcija\u00ab, ki ka\u017ee imunomodulatorne u\u010dinke.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Kodama, N., Komuta, K., Nanba, H. (2002). Effect of Maitake (Grifola frondosa) D-fraction on the activation of NK cells in cancer patients. <\/strong>Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine<strong>,<\/strong> 8(2), 167\u2013173.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u2013 Klini\u010dna \u0161tudija o vplivu izvle\u010dka D-frakcije na naravne celice ubijalke (NK).<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Adachi, K., Nanba, H., Kuroda, H. (1987). Potentiation of host-mediated antitumor activity in mice by oral administration of a polysaccharide from Grifola frondosa. <\/strong>Journal of Pharmacobio-Dynamics<strong>, <\/strong>10(9), 665\u2013671.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u2013 Raziskava imunostimulativnih lastnosti polisaharidov.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Mayell, M. (2001). Maitake extracts and their therapeutic potential: a review. <\/strong>Alternative Medicine Review<strong>, <\/strong>6(1), 48\u201360.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u2013 Pregled klini\u010dnih in laboratorijskih raziskav o Maitake, primeren kot referenca za \u0161ir\u0161i povzetek.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The &#8220;Dancing Mushroom&#8221; Maitake often grows in large clusters at the base of trees, frequently oaks, with some clusters weighing several kilograms. Legend has it that people danced with joy when they discovered this rare and precious mushroom in the wild, which is why it was named Maitake, the \u201cDancing Mushroom.\u201d It is highly valued [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5943,"template":"","class_list":["post-7802","medicinal-mushrooms","type-medicinal-mushrooms","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/medicinal-mushrooms\/7802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/medicinal-mushrooms"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/medicinal-mushrooms"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/medicinal-mushrooms\/7802\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11017,"href":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/medicinal-mushrooms\/7802\/revisions\/11017"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goba.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}