Origin, cultivation and use of the Maitake mushroom
In Germany, Maitake is officially known as the Common Hen's Sponge, but more often simply as the Hen's Sponge. It is also known in German-speaking countries as the Leaf Porling and (rarely) Spatelhütiger Porling. Worldwide, it is also known as Hen-of-the-Wood and Kumotake. The Hen's Sponge (Grifola frondosa) is native to China, northeast Japan, and North America, where it grows wild at the base of old deciduous trees—preferably oaks—and feeds on their root wood. In Europe, it is virtually extinct in the wild, partly because its substrate has become so rare. Old oak trees are now a rarity in Europe. In Japan and China, it has been used as an edible and medicinal mushroom for over 3,000 years. However, it has only been cultivated commercially since the early 1980s—before that, it was laboriously harvested by hand from the wild. Due to its pleasant aroma, it is now one of the most widely used mushrooms in Japanese cuisine, but is also important as a medicinal mushroom in Asia.
Ingredients of the Maitake mushroom
The Maitake mushroom is one of the powerhouses among medicinal mushrooms—it contains a wonderfully balanced blend of vital nutrients in high concentrations. In addition to riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, biotin, and folic acid, it also contains numerous minerals, including zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Particularly noteworthy about the Maitake mushroom, however, is its remarkably high content of the vitamin D precursor ergosterol and the mushroom-specific beta-glucan grifolan, a polysaccharide that has long been the subject of scientific research.
As with all medicinal plants, the concentration of constituents in untreated mushrooms can vary considerably. Therefore, standardized processing, as ensured with HAWLIK medicinal mushroom products, is recommended for the use and dosage of Maitake.
In our shop you can buy the Maitake mushroom in the following dosage forms:
Maitake powder capsules
The "classic," extracted from the natural mushroom. Each capsule contains 420 mg of pure maitake powder, ground from hand-picked and gently dried fruiting bodies.
Dosage: Two Maitake powder capsules twice daily with plenty of liquid at meals.
Maitake extract capsules
Highly concentrated dosage through extraction. With an extra dose of vitamin C from the addition of acerola, which increases the human body's ability to absorb the mushroom. The polysaccharides in our extract exhibit particularly high bioavailability for the human body due to the processing. Each capsule contains 300 mg of maitake extract and 40 mg of acerola extract (equivalent to 7 mg of vitamin C). Dosage: Take two maitake extract capsules twice daily with plenty of liquid with meals.
Maitake extract and powder capsules
Each vegetable capsule contains 250 mg of maitake extract powder, 150 mg of maitake powder in its original form, and 8.5 mg of natural vitamin C. Dosage: Take two capsules twice daily with plenty of liquid, morning and noon, with meals.
Maitake liquid extract
Highly concentrated with 40% polysaccharides and easy to swallow. With added vitamin C, potassium, and zinc for a balanced immune system and to protect cells from oxidative stress.
Dosage: 2.5 ml of Maitake liquid extract twice daily with meals – pure or diluted in a glass of water.
Maitake powder
Ideal for mixing into other foods or for direct consumption. Made from whole, gently dried, and ground fruit bodies. Dosage: Add 1-2 level scoops of maitake powder to plenty of liquid daily and drink. Alternatively, the powder can also be mixed into food.
Dried Maitake
The pure, hand-picked, top-quality mushroom. Gently dried to preserve the delicious aroma and valuable nutrients of Maitake.
