According to Japanese legend, the word Maitake comes from ancient times when Buddhist nuns and woodcutters on a mountain trail were so delighted to stumble upon this seldom found and well-revered mushroom, they began dancing around it in celebration. Their fungal loot could be exchanged with the Shogun for its weight in silver! Hence the name Maitake (dancing mushroom) was born.
Here in the UK its common name is Hen of the Woods, characterised by layers of caps that are curved like little spoons sprouting from a large tuber-like structure located underground.
The fruiting body is a potent source of beta glucan polysaccharides which stimulate innate immune cells, such as monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and dendritic cells (DCs)*. In particular, Maitake’s D-fraction and MD-fraction, have been observed to activate and work synergistically with the immune system, through activation of macrophages, T-cells, and natural killer cells.
Maitake mushroom benefits:
Immune Support
The compounds in maitake mushrooms have been shown to increase white blood cell activity and production, helping to detect and destroy bacteria and other harmful organisms.
Insulin-Sensitivity & Support
Maitake has been shown to favourably influence glucose/insulin metabolism in insulin-resistant people, which may be useful for diabetics. This impressive mechanism is also notable for menstruating people in the luteal phase of their cycle (when insulin can occur) as well as those going through menopause, and people suffering with conditions such as PCOS.
Antioxidant
Maitake mushrooms are high in antioxidants, which may help reduce oxidative stress. This is beneficial for the whole body, especially brain and heart health.
Bristol Fungarium promises:
100% Organic Certified
The only UK grown organic certified Maitake Mushroom Tincture. All our mushrooms are grown on an organic mushroom farm in the green county of Somerset UK, and are certified by the Soil Association. Our organic medicinal mushroom tinctures are triple extracted with distilled water and organic UK ethanol, on the very same farm the mushrooms are grown on.
Native UK Maitake
Our Maitake was cloned from a species we found in Wiltshire, UK. As much as possible we utilise native strains, not only to help us get closer once again to the medicine of this land (so much of the knowledge of which has been lost), but most importantly to have as little effect as possible on local biodiversity and ultimately tread as lightly as possible on the earth. By prioritising native strains we are avoiding the spread of billions of spores that come from commercial mushroom strains that have been selected specifically for their ability to grow fast and fruit heavily, and will therefore easily outcompete a lot of the native strains we have growing around the farm.
Triple Extracted, 1: 4 Ratio (Super Strength)
We carry out two hot water extractions and a final organic ethanol extraction to gain access to all the bioactive compounds responsible for Maitake’s immuno-modulating, adaptogenic and antioxidant capacity. Many capsules and supplements are shipped across the world in powder form as it is a more commercially viable way of transporting extracted products. However, our tinctures are prepared on-site at a 1:4 ratio (1g of mushrooms to every 4ml of water). Tinctures have a longer shelf life than capsules, provide a faster absorption rate, enable flexible dosage, and are easy to prepare by simply taking one squeeze of mushroom tincture twice per day either directly under the tongue or into a short glass of water.
Fully Transparent & Short Supply Chain
Each bottle of our organic Maitake tincture contains 128g of Maitake fruiting body*. Our Maitake is grown on our organic mushroom farm, where we also prepare the tinctures and pack the orders – meaning origin can be traced back to one location with absolutely no tampering by third parties. Because our supply chain is so much shorter, and we prepare our tincture in comparatively small batches, you can be sure that the extracts you buy from us haven’t lost bioactive compounds due to sitting around for a long time or being shipped halfway across the world.
