May 15, 2010
There are a variety of Maitake mushroom extract that have been made both for scientific research and for sale to the general public.
This blog is dedicated to covering the most important maitake extract that has been studied for it’s immune stimulating effects. Unfortunately the naming of this maitake mushroom extract is very complicated due to a difference in naming it in scientific reports and the Trade Marked naming of it in America. There are Maitake fractions that have letters of the alphabet before the word fraction. These fractions were first created and used in research in Japan.
The same names used in the scientific research overseas, were then trade marked in America. So it is very confusing to understand what we are buying. Is this ”_”- Fraction the same as the research proof? Or is it just a trademarked name that actually is not the same as in the scientific reports?
Since the maitake fraction starting with letters “__” is a scientific term for a patented extract and that name has recently been Trademarked by a private company who did not develop it, there is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to the commercial extracts found on the market today. And many consumers who wish to buy ”__” maitake fraction are being misled by some supplement companies. It is not your fault if you are confused when comparing the choices. Future posts will get ito how to avoid the misunderstandings.
But until then, here is a quick tip for anyone considering buying Maitake extracts:
These real fractions are not cheap for a high concentration. They are not cheap because they take very large amounts of quality grown Maitake mushroom to make just a small amount of concentrated fraction.
Some are legitimate but do not deliver the optimal daily dose, as established recently in a Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Clinical study.
The optimal dose is quite high. And I haven’t seen any American supplement maker come even close to delivering the optimal daily dose.
The cost of growing the full mushrooms and following the patented multistep extraction and purification protocol, are high. So if you are to be taking the correct number of milligrams of pure fraction for your bodyweight, it is going to take a lot of mushrooms to make the extract and therefore a lot of money.
Another health concern is where are these mushrooms and products being made?
I personally think twice about products that are made in China. First of all, I don’t trust that the wood and nutrient mixture that the mushrooms grow on are chemical free. Then I am worried about what types of sprays or chemicals they may use when actually growing the mushrooms. And finally, are they really going to follow every important step in the extraction process? Even the steps that require more time any money?
I prefer Japanese grown and processed products because of their world’s strictest food and business regualtions. The safety standards are second to none and their pride in producing only top quality products is well known. Maitake mushroom cultivation was first pioneered in Japan. And that is where most of the scientific research is taking place.
OK back to the question. What are maitake extracts and fractions?
1) It is a family of high molecular weight beta glucans. not found in other organisms).
2) These beta glucans have a unique shape and structure. Mostly 1->6 beta glucans main chain with 1->3 branches. This is a highly branched form of beta glucan and unique to the Maitake mushroom. It is thought that such a high level of branching is part of the reason it can bind so effectively to the Dectin 1 receptor of Macrophage cells. And begin the cascade of events that occur once Dectin 1 is bound.
3) This extract is water soluble and can be taken orally (through the mouth). This is a very lucky thing and makes this fraction different than some other mushroom extracts that must be injected. It can pass through our stomach without being destroyed by our stomach acids. Instead, it is absorbed into our body and can then carty out it’s function.
4) Maitake extract is non-toxic and is safe. (with the exception of people who have mushroom allergies).
This has been a brief summary and all of these points will be gotten into deeply in the next series of posts.
Until then, remember that real Maitake fraction is a unique group of beta glucans that can be taken safely. But are not cheap.
