Maitake Mushroom

What the research shows

Per Deng et al., 2009, Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, a phase I/II dose-escalation trial gave 34 postmenopausal breast cancer patients, disease-free after initial treatment, an oral Maitake extract at five ascending doses (0.1, 0.5, 1.5, 3, or 5 mg/kg twice daily) for 3 weeks. The trial found a statistically significant association between Maitake and immune function (P<.0005), including enhanced granulocyte and monocyte response and increased interferon-gamma, alongside reduced IL-10 production and some reduced T-cell activation markers. The dose-response pattern was non-linear: intermediate doses sometimes showed opposite immune effects from both high and low doses. The trial measured safety and immune markers, not a cancer outcome like recurrence or survival.

PCOS and ovulation: a real trial, mixed result

Per Chen et al., 2010, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, an open-label trial at three Japanese clinics gave 72 newly enrolled PCOS patients either a Maitake SX-fraction extract (3 tablets, 3 times daily, each tablet containing 250 mg dried Maitake powder plus 18 mg SX-fraction) or clomiphene citrate (CC), the standard first-line fertility drug, for up to 12 weeks. By patient, ovulation occurred in 76.9% (20/26) on Maitake versus 93.5% (29/31) on CC, meaning CC performed better in this trial. In a separate combination arm, patients who had failed either treatment alone showed ovulation when given both together (7 of 7 prior Maitake failures, 6 of 8 prior CC failures). This was an open-label trial, not blinded or placebo-controlled, which limits confidence in the result.

Blood glucose: animal evidence, not yet human trial data

Per Memorial Sloan Kettering's summary, Maitake has been shown to lower blood glucose in diabetic animal models by increasing insulin receptor sensitivity. No human clinical trial on this page tests that effect. MSK separately cautions that combining Maitake with diabetes medication may not be safe, since the effects could compound.

Fruiting body vs. mycelium: the same disclosure gap as other species

For dosing detail and how the trial doses above compare to typical retail servings, see Maitake Dosage & Consumption. Maitake is also compared against Shiitake, Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, and Turkey Tail research on the Shiitake hub, Reishi hub, Cordyceps hub, Chaga hub, and Turkey Tail hub.

Named brands, checked one at a time

Beyond the source-material comparison above, named brands get a dedicated look at what their own label discloses.

Ways to take it

Maitake shows up in a couple of formats beyond capsules: gummies and multi-species blends. Check each format's page for what it discloses; none of them are compared against each other on this page.