During the summer months, my family and I love foraging for medicinal plants in the forests and meadows near our house. Once you start to learn which plant is which, it’s really fun to gather your own remedies.
But it’s not just the green stuff that can help us heal — there’s another category of forest dwellers that are packed with mood-lifting and immune-supporting nutrients that can transform your health.
Mushrooms!
Now, before we dive into this mysterious realm of natural medicine, I want to first make it very clear that foraging for mushrooms is dangerous and you should not harvest mushrooms from the wild without the guidance of a trained professional.
That said, these fun-guys (mushroom pun) are nutritional powerhouses, and many of them have been used since time immemorial to treat all manner of serious illnesses – including cancer.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to one safe and readily available mushroom whose cancer healing properties make it a medicinal force. I’m talking about maitake.
You might know maitake as Hen of the Woods or The Dancing Mushroom, coined for the way it grows at the base of oak trees. Well, scientists are beginning to discover that this little mushroom comes with some big healing benefits…
After years of studies, this VIP mushroom has proven to be an amazing preventative. It’s so powerful, in fact, that maitake extract is being tested for its cancer-fighting ability. Early tests have yielded promising results, particularly with breast cancer.
Maitake can slow tumor growth by inhibiting a cancerous cell’s ability to produce its own blood vessels, slowly starving and shrinking the tumor. It’s also used to curb the nasty side effects that come with chemotherapy.
One of the main healing constituents in maitake is beta-glucan, which regulates your immune system to kill off existing bacteria, viruses and fungi. Beta-glucan, which is usually found in oats and other fibrous foods, is currently being studied as an anti-cancer remedy. Preliminary animal studies show that beta-glucan stops the spread of cancer by triggering an immune response to fight off foreign cells.
Maitake is also a hepatic which means that it detoxifies your body while ensuring that your liver is protected. As the main organ that purifies your blood and detoxifies chemicals and drugs, it’s important for those diagnosed with cancer to keep the liver running in tip top shape (especially for those who have chosen the chemo route).
Among it’s many other benefits: maitake is rich in fiber which lowers cholesterol, regulates bathroom trips and can help maintain your body’s insulin response. It’s protein, calcium, and iron content makes for strong bones, muscles and tissues, and its B vitamins and vitamin D2 help your body convert food into energy.
It also supplies the copper, potassium, magnesium and selenium your body needs to keep up communication within your nervous system.
With all these amazing benefits, adding maitake to your regular diet is a no-brainer… at least for me. It’s completely safe to consume, so you can throw it into your dishes whenever you need a boost!
My family and I love adding this woody, mild taste to our stews and sauces — particularly during flu season. Since maitake boosts your immune system, it gives us that extra nutritive push to get better.
For an easy way to prepare this powerhouse mushroom, here’s a nourishing (and delicious!) maitake tea recipe:
Maitake Chai Tea
Ingredients:
- maitake strips
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 peppercorns
- 5-8 cloves
- 10 cardamom pods
- a chunk of ginger
- 3 cups of water
- 3 cups milk or milk substitute
- sweetener if you so choose
Instructions
- Soak Maitake in water for 30+ minutes
- Simmer Maitake in a pot for 10 minutes
- Add remaining herbs, simmer another 10 minutes
- Strain out the liquid
- Return liquid to the pot
- Add milk and warm to your preference
- Enjoy!
You can easily find maitake in most health food stores, either fresh or dried — both forms of this special mushroom have healing benefits that just may improve your life.
Again, please do not pick mushrooms from your yard or nature trails without a trained guide. If you’re uncertain about a mushroom, leave it be.
Stay curious,
Nick Polizzi
Host of Proven: Healing Breakthroughs Backed By Science
& Founder of The Sacred Science
Hi Nick, Concerning Maitake, I have been taking a liquid form- Mushroom Wisdom: Maitake D Fraction
Pro 4X for this past year on a daily basis. Will this delivery system be as effective as the actual Maitake
mushroom itself? I have had Ovarian Cancer for 4 years now. It has metastasized to my lymph nodes and I am trying to shrink some nodules that have appeared. I would appreciate your input regarding my inquiry. Thank You
Hi Felicia, Thanks for connecting! This preparation is a concentrated dose of the proteoglucans, one of the active constituents in Maitake. When it comes to nutraceuticals and supplements, sometimes they base their product on specific research. From a traditional perspective, this is simply not how this herb is used. Each herb has many (some yet unknown) components, and researchers still do not conclusively know how this herb interacts with the body and the full mechanisms of why it works so well. With that, traditionally, you consume a preparation of the whole herb – mainly, decocted or a hot-water extraction. The delivery system is only as effective as it is compatible and bioavailable in the body. If you have been having good results with the product you mention, all the better. Hope this helps!
Thanks Nick, I always enjoy your enlightening emails. Paul Stammets, one of the world’s leading authorities on mushrooms has some very informative YouTube videos that are starting to pop up on the Internet. Mushrooms really need to be studied in greater depth. They are medicinal super foods that I believe cannot only heal the body, but the planet, as well. Wishing the best of good health to you and yours.
Yes, Paul is one of our favorite mycologists! His work is groundbreaking and highly informative. Glad you have found his info 🙂
Hey, thanks for the post, Question: Are you using the liquid or the chunks left. I assume the water after boiling but it was a little muddy as to what you are using. Also, can you use a milk substitute? Coconut milk? Should you drink on an empty stomach or full or does it matter?
Hi Jon, Thanks for connecting! You use the tea that is made mushrooms, though you can absolutely eat the mushrooms after decocting. Yes, feel free to substitute any milk you like or use none at all. Traditional Chai does include milk, coconut milk is totally okay. Do not consume on a full stomach, drink in between meals or before a meal for less likelihood of digestive disturbance. Hope this helps!
Nick,
Recipe sounds good.
How many strips of maitake do you use? Also, how long do your simmer all the ingredients?
Do you use the mushrooms themselves as well after tea is made?
Thanks for all you do.
mary
Hi Mary, Thanks for connecting! A therapeutic dose of Maitake can be as little as 1 gram per day. So, are as many doses as you prefer 🙂 Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Yes, you can eat the mushrooms once cooked. Hope this helps!
For those of you who cannot or don’t want to forage for Maitake outdoors, check out Fungi Perfecti and grow your own with an indoor kit! They also have Shiitake, Enoki and many others. Paul Stamets is the founder. I have grown them all, and it’s great fun, and tasty, too!
Wonderful suggestion, Vicky! Paul Stamets is one of our favorite mycologists around here 🙂 Great products and wonderful education for those seeking a deep dive into the world of Fungal Allies!
Nick, I’m very greatful for your emails. They’re short and to the point and I definitely “stay curious” because of them. Thanks!
Awesome! glad our work resonates with you 🙂
thanks for sharing more info on cancer
Our pleasure 🙂
Thanks for taking the moments to read and connect!
My breast cancer is back after five years and it is spread to my bones, I’m trying to find out anything I can to do it naturally. I want to stay around a little while because I’m going to be a great grandmother. Thank you
Hi Charlotte, Sorry to read of this but so happy to feel your spirit is strong and your will to live is shining through! Please not only explore the herbs listed here but also Essaic Tea, Reishi mushroom, Turkey Tails mushroom, Holly homeopathic, Gerson food therapy and other interventions (coffee enema and juicing). There are many remedies out there to help out with the pattern you are experiencing! If you need any more specific resources, please reach out to us here at the Community Service desk at [email protected] 🙂
Appreciate reading the article, Thank you.
Thanks for taking the moments to read this, Deb!
Everything Mr Nick Polizzi writes sends or shares are valuable, useful and interesting. I am always looking forward to receiving a new email with a new article/medicinal herb/mushroom/recipe or meditation.
So happy to read that our work resonates with you! More to come 🙂
Thanks for the information.
About the tea recipe, as I learned from Gerson way and Dr. T. Colin Campbell, the milk which we shouldn’t take in.
Wonderful mushrooms but used with milk(like poison to our body) isn’t good match I think.
Hi Myung, Thanks for connecting! Not all milks are created equally and we do trust our community in deciding on what they prefer to consume. Certainly, there are many poor quality milks out there and of course, one can always modify the recipe as they see fit 🙂
Its so interresting and healthwise please inform me more.
I so enjoy your posts. Informative and practical without being sensational or making outlandish claims.
I love the recipes too and would like to know if the mushrooms known as lions mane and hedgehog can be used in cooking in the same way you suggest for maitake, adding some to soups and stews or sauces. If this information is in your downloable book just refer me to that. Thanks so much.
Ciao
This may sound silly but I have a little Puggle that has a lymphoma above his right shoulder, right side of his neck. I have been studying natural remedies and know mushrooms are very medicinal. He gets Shiitake Broth on his food each meal that I make. Thinking I should bump it up with the Maitake. I am very holistic with him but he was a rescue and had a lot of problems when he was younger. He was pumped full of a lot of meds. and I think this is where this stems from. Trying hard not to do surgery.
Is it best to cook mushrooms before eating or is eating them raw okay? If cooking is best, what is the best way to cook them without using oil?
I really appreciate your emails Nick even though I live In Tasmania in the land down under. I always find them interesting. So thank you very much
Hi Nick. I have started a mushroom blend in the mornings now, and would like to add Ashwaganda and Rhodiola to the mix
Can you refer me to someone or can you tell me what doses are recommended?
Hi there,
Good question – it really depends on the application you are seeking. If for tonic purposes (overall health, prolonged use, et cetera), you can use low doses, 0.5-1 gram. If looking for powdered herbs, try Mountain Rose, Banyan Botanicals, or check out the powdered formulas from Four Sigmatic.
Your guidance/information about Mashroom is very important and valueable. For the first time I came to know about nutraceuticals and medicinal characteristics of Mashroom, particularly Maitake Mashroom.
So glad that our content is helpful to you! If you can, find whole food supplements or the whole food itself in full form 🙂
Really Love when I find these and they’re very hard to confuse with any other mushroom and if I find them young enough they’re delicious sautéed
So good!
Hello Nick, have you ever helped anyone with severe mold poisoning?
Best to connect with a local clinician who can optimize and individualize treatment options for you. If you need resources, pleaser email us here: [email protected].
Are these also known as chicken of the woods?
Yes, or ‘hen of the woods.’
Hello Nick,
I have an interest in herbal medicines for many years and have collected many volumes. The best one is HERBAL MEDICINES from the European theatre of licensed practitioners. This is a PDF version of the book which allows easy searching. I know a cornucopia exist and its up to us to learn of all these gifts available.
Great resource for the community to look into! Yes, there is much to learn and this knowledge is our birthright.
Hey Nick,
Thank you for sharing this information. I have been working on including more mushrooms in my diet like rishi and lion manes. I will work on adding this one too:)
Thanks again,
Deb
Awesome, we love to read when you are inspired to take action!
Miatake mushrooms are unaffordable for almost everyone.