Maitake Mushroom is a fungus that has been eaten as food in Asia for thousands of years. People also use it to make medicine.
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Uses
- Maitake mushroom is used to treat cancer and also to relieve some of the side effects of chemical treatment (chemotherapy) for cancer.
- It is also used for HIV/AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), hepatitis, hay fever, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight loss or control, and infertility due to a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome.
- If you decide to harvest maitake mushrooms, make sure you can tell them apart from poisonous mushrooms. This job is probably best left to experts.
Benefits
- Maitake mushroom contains chemicals which might help fight tumors and stimulate the immune system. There is some evidence that it can lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce weight in rats, but this has not been shown for humans yet.
Cautions
- Maitake mushroom is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth as medicine, but there isn’t much information about the potential side effects.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking maitake mushroom if you are pregnant or breast-feeding . Stay on the safe side and avoid use..
- Diabetes: Maitake mushroom might lower blood sugar levels. Your diabetes medications might need to be adjusted by your healthcare provider.
- Low blood pressure: Maitake mushroom can lower blood pressure. In theory, taking maitake mushroom might make blood pressure become too low in people with low blood pressure.
- Surgery:’ Maitake mushroom might affect blood sugar levels, making blood sugar control difficult during and after surgery. Stop using maitake mushroom at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Interactions
Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination:
- Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with MAITAKE MUSHROOM: Maitake mushroom might decrease blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking maitake mushroom along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.
- Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
Other Names
Champignon Dansant, Champignon des Fous Dansants, Champignon Maitake, Dancing Mushroom, Grifola, Grifola frondosa, Hen of the Woods, Hongo Maitake, King of Mushrooms, Maitake, Monkey’s Bench, Mushroom, Roi des Champignons, Shelf Fungi.
References
Source: WebMD, “Maitake Mushroom”, www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/