Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries to help promote good health and different types of mushrooms like psilocybin mushrooms and Chaga mushrooms are known for their amazing health-promoting benefits. The maitake mushroom benefits are also exceptional. It’s not only a delicious mushroom but also full of nutrients.
Most of the common dietary advice you’ll receive will be something similar to, ‘include more fruits and veggies in your diet for better health’. Mushrooms promote better health, but you often overlook this group of fungi that contain a plethora of properties that can help with your wellness in different and unique ways.
What is the maitake mushroom?
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In Japanese, maitake means dancing. It got its name after people started dancing with happiness after finding it in the wild because it was so delicious and potential health and medicinal properties. This mushroom is an adaptogen because it helps your body to fight both physical and mental difficulties and also help to regulate your body systems. This is a type of edible fungi that is native to China but also grows in Japan and North America.
They commonly grow in clusters at the base of oak or maple trees and can weigh up to 100 pounds. They have a delicate texture, unique frilly appearance, and earthy flavor that you can easily mix with different foods. This is a medicinal mushroom that is associated with a wide variety of health benefits from lowering your cholesterol to regulating your blood sugar levels.
Just like other medicinal mushrooms, maitake mushrooms also contain beta-glucan, a type of polysaccharide that enhances your immune function which in turn helps to fight certain infections. It’s also said to be a natural remedy for diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, and even a potential cancer-fighter.
Maitake mushroom benefits
Lower your cholesterol levels
It’s very important to regulate your cholesterols levels if you want to maintain a healthy heart. A buildup of cholesterol levels in your arteries can make them harden and become narrow and this will prevent the normal blood flow in your body which puts more pressure on your heart as it pumps blood throughout your body. Maitake can help in naturally lowering your cholesterol levels and this will keep your heart and arteries healthy.
Balance your blood sugar
Having high levels of blood sugar in your body can have serious consequences on your health which can lead to the development of diabetes and other side effects like weight loss, headaches, blurred vision, and increased thirst, with serious long-term effects like kidney damage and nerve damage. Maitake mushrooms can help in managing your blood sugar levels by improving your glucose tolerance levels.
A maitake polysaccharide molecule, MT-alpha-glucan, can decrease your fasting blood sugars and insulin levels while increasing your glycogen levels, the short-term stored form of glucose, in your liver. Maitake can also help to increase your insulin’s ability to bind with your liver cells and improve pancreatic function.
Improve your immune system
Maitake contains beta-glucan, complex sugars, that activate a defense response by increasing your white blood cells and other immune cells like the macrophages, neutrophils, and T-cells to help fight against infections and diseases to boost your immune system. They also help your body quickly removing cellular waste and help in the quick recovery from tissue damage. If you’re receiving treatment for a life-threatening illness, maitake can help in reducing the side effects of the treatment helping your body to recover faster.
May kill cancer cells
Maitake mushrooms have powerful cancer-fighting properties. Maitake D-fraction can help in preventing the development and spread of cancer cells in your body and make chemotherapy treatment more effective. The regular intake on maitake extracts can help in slowing down the growth of certain tumors by activating the immune cells that attack the cancer cells thus preventing them from growing.
Reduces your blood pressure
High blood pressure is a very common health condition that affects many adults worldwide. This occurs when your blood passes through your arteries with a lot of force which puts a strain on your heart muscle and this can cause your heart to weaken. Regular consumption of maitake can help reduce your blood pressure and prevent high blood pressure symptoms.
Help in weight loss
Maitake mushrooms are rich in fiber and low in calories and this can help in increasing your feeling of fullness and satiety. If you’re planning on starting your weight loss journey, maitake can be your close companion by including it in your diet.
Reduce your risk of diabetes
Maitake mushrooms can positively alter your blood sugars and over time it can also protect you from and support the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The mushrooms polysaccharides are hypoglycemic which means they can lower your blood sugars and help stop insulin resistance for occurring.
Help with chronic inflammation problems
Oxidation is a natural process that occurs in your body and if it’s not checked it can lead to Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, and other diseases. Maitake mushrooms are rich in antioxidants that can help in dealing with chronic inflammation issues and fight free radicals which tend to cause damage to your tissues. Some of the chronic inflammation issues include rheumatoid arthritis, fatty liver disease, fibromyalgia, brain fog, stress, etc.
Packed with lots of nutrients
The nutrient content in the maitake mushroom suggests that it could be considered to be very nutritious food. It’s rich in B vitamins, dietary fiber, proteins, and contains proper levels of potassium, phosphorous, dietary copper, and traces of other minerals and vitamins. Taking maitake every day will help in boosting the health of your entire body because all your organs and body systems need a wide variety of nutrients to function properly.
Final thoughts
Maitake mushrooms are delicious and very versatile mushrooms that you can eat roasted, pickled, sautéed, or added to soups and other foods. With numerous maitake mushrooms benefits like boosting your immune function, reducing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, regulating your blood sugar, decreasing the growth of cancer cells, and helping in weight loss, this mushroom will help in ensuring you have better health.
