If there were a product that demonstrated anti-tumor activity, acted as an immune-enhancer and possessed the ability to lower glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure, would people dance in celebration of its amazing health benefits? Well, more than 3,000 years ago in Japan people did dance for joy upon finding the rare maitake, or "dancing," mushroom because of its favorable taste and wide-ranging health benefits.
Maitake, or Grifola frondosa, became known as "the king of mushrooms" because of its stature (it often reaches 20 inches in diameter at the base and a single cluster can weigh up to 100 pounds) and because of its contributions to human health. In Japanese Herbal Medicine (JHM), it is recommended as a tonic to strengthen the body and improve overall health, according to Shari Lieberman, Ph.D. and Ken Babal, C.N. in Maitake, King of Mushrooms. In the days before double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled studies, people relied on this mushroom to treat a variety of illnesses. Today, however, people are more aware of what they consume and demand evidence regarding a substance's effects. Maitake has managed to withstand the test of numerous studies and remains for many the king of medicinal mushrooms.
Cultivation of the massive mushroom began in the mid 1980s, and mycologists and pharmacologists began studies to see if all the anecdotal claims were true. According to materials supplied by Maitake Products, Inc., a company based in Paramus, NJ, the early research determined that the mushroom possesses anti-tumor, antiobesity and anti-hepatitis properties. Additionally, the literature states, anti-HIV activity was confirmed by the Japan National Institute of Health and the U.S. National Cancer Institute in 1992.
More recent research on maitake has focused on the "D-fraction." Maitake D-fraction (a registered trademark) is a standardized extract of the mushroom, noted for its immune-enhancing and anti-cancer effects, according to Lieberman in "Maitake: The King of Medicinal Mushroom." The active principles regarding these effects, she says, are beta-1,6glucan and beta-l,3-glucan, which are concentrated in the extract.
Maitake Products, Inc. has obtained an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a Phase II pilot study on the effect of Maitake Mushroom D-fraction Extract (Dfraction) on advanced breast and prostate cancer patients. The study currently is under way, investigating the effectiveness of orally-administered D-fraction in patients with these diseases. Researchers are studying various aspects of maitake in relation to indicators of the diseases, including its effect on the size of solid tumors, tumor markers and immune assays.
Mike Shirota, president and C.E.O. of Maitake Products, Inc., says that this pilot study is the follow-up to a Japanese study that reported significant clinical remission of many types of cancer, most notably breast and prostate, in patients consuming D-fraction. With approximately 181,000 new cases of breast cancer and over 120,000 new cases of prostate cancer developing each year, this study is likely to have an important impact on cancer treatment.
The company also has funded a study regarding two extracts of maitake that have been reported to have an anti-diabetic effect (provisionally called "Fraction X") and anti-hypertensive effect (called "Fraction ES"). This work is taking place at Georgetown University. Professor Harry G. Preuss, M.D., who is conducting the study, concluded that each fraction has a different mechanism to affect blood pressure, but both also have, at least partially, favorable effects on insulin metabolism. "Syndrome X" describes a scenario in which agerelated chronic disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and hyperlipidemia are all associated, at least in part, with disturbances in glucose/insulin metabolism. Dr. Preuss believes that the findings in this initial study indicate that Maitake fractions would influence the glucose/insulin system favorably and prevent the onset of age-related chronic disorders. According to information provided by the company, Phase II of the study will focus on the control of blood sugar.
Maitake Products, Inc. offers a variety of Grifron D-fraction products in capsules and liquids, as well as Grifron-Pro D-fraction, a professional strength extract newly available to consumers. These maitake mushroom products carry on the tradition of ancient medicinal mushrooms, used for centuries for their health benefits, and they now are being scientifically proven as safe and effective for a variety of ailments.