Maitake
Grifola frondosa
Mushrooms. Folk & home remedies and Modern nutrition.
Also called Hen of the woods, Dancing mushroom, Hui shu hua
Pinyin: Huī Shù Huā
Spanish: Hongo maitake
Can lower blood sugarA frilly, edible wild mushroom from Japan and North America, sold as a food and as an extract for blood sugar and immune support.
Did you know? Its Japanese name, maitake, means 'dancing mushroom,' and a popular story says people danced with joy when they found one.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Blood sugar. Small human studies of an extract called D-fraction suggest lower blood sugar in some people with type 2 diabetes. Results are not firm.Traditional proof
- Colds, flu & immunity. Lab studies and small trials in cancer patients show immune effects. Good human evidence is lacking.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Wild maitake has been gathered and eaten in Japan and China for centuries. Japanese folk healers used it as a general tonic.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Immune balancer, Hypoglycemic, Antioxidant. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Eaten cooked as food. Supplements are capsules or powders, and studied amounts vary. Products differ, so look for the extract name on the label.
Food, powder, capsule and tea.
Where to get it
Grows at the base of oak and other hardwood trees in Japan, China and North America. Most supply is cultivated, and extracts are sold as capsules and powders.
Be careful
Usually safe as food. Possible allergic reactions and mild stomach upset. It may lower blood sugar, so watch closely if you take diabetes medicines. Not studied in pregnancy.
Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; mushroom allergy.
Mixing with other things
- Use cautionDiabetes medicine (metformin, insulin, glipizide, Ozempic)
May lower blood sugar. Diabetes medicines could drop levels too far.
- Worth knowingImmune-suppressing medicine (transplant drugs, some arthritis drugs)
Immune-boosting effects may work against immune-suppressing drugs.
Adds up with others that may lower blood sugar: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 39 more.
The honest take
Maitake is an edible mushroom with a real food history. Its extract has been studied in small trials for blood sugar and immune support, but the evidence is thin. Claims that it cures cancer are not supported.