Ingredient Guide
Maitake Explained: Hen of the Woods and Its Beta-Glucans
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is a prized edible mushroom rich in immune-active beta-glucans. What it contains, what the research shows, and how it fits into Forage.
Explore Mushroom SupportMaitake on the Label
Exactly how much maitake is in our product, straight from the label.
How to use it (label directions): follow the directions on the Forage label. Each bottle holds 30 servings. How this compares with research doses: the human trial used bread containing 50 g of fresh maitake a day, a food amount. Forage contains 150 mg of an 8:1 maitake extract, made from about eight times its weight in mushroom, as one of seven mushrooms, so the amounts are not directly comparable. Use it as directed on the label.
The Dancing Mushroom
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) grows in large, ruffled clusters at the base of oak trees. In English it is called hen of the woods, because the clusters look like a bird's fluffed feathers, and its Japanese name is often translated as dancing mushroom. It is a prized culinary mushroom with a rich, earthy flavor.
Beyond the kitchen, maitake is studied for its beta-glucans, especially a fraction known as the D-fraction, discovered more than three decades ago. We include 150 mg of an 8:1 maitake extract in Forage, alongside shiitake, turkey tail, reishi and chaga.
Tip: Maitake is a food first. Cooked maitake is one of the easiest ways to add it to your diet alongside a supplement.
How Maitake Works
Beta-Glucans and the D-Fraction
Maitake is rich in polysaccharides, including beta-glucans and heteroglycans extracted from both the fruiting body and the mycelium. The D-fraction is the best known. Reviews describe immune-modulating, antioxidant and blood sugar effects of these polysaccharides in laboratory and animal studies.
Immune Cells
In a laboratory study with human immune cells, extracts of maitake, reishi and shiitake, chosen for their high beta-glucan content, were potent activators of macrophages, and a combination of the three was more potent than each alone. This is part of the reasoning for combining several mushrooms in one blend.
Other Compounds
Maitake also contains proteins and glycoproteins, sterols and phenolic compounds that are being studied for their own effects.
What Human Studies Found
Thinking and Memory in Older Adults
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 47 healthy Japanese adults aged 60 and over ate bread containing 50 g of one of two maitake strains, or plain bread, every day for 18 weeks. The group eating one strain improved significantly on a standard thinking and memory assessment, and no one dropped out because of side effects. Natural killer cell activity, a marker of immune function, also rose in that group. The other strain did not change memory scores, which suggests the strain and preparation matter.
Immune Research
Most of the evidence for maitake's immune effects comes from laboratory and animal studies of its polysaccharides. Controlled trials in healthy people are still few, so we describe maitake as a supporting mushroom rather than making specific immune claims.
The honest summary: maitake is a nutritious edible mushroom with strong laboratory evidence for immune-active beta-glucans and an early human trial on memory in older adults. Forage uses it as one of seven complementary mushrooms.
Maitake and Other Forage Mushrooms
Forage combines seven mushrooms. Here is how maitake compares with two of its neighbors.
| Feature | Maitake | Shiitake | Turkey tail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eaten as food | Yes, prized in cooking | Yes, very common | No, too tough |
| Key compounds | Beta-glucans, D-fraction | Lentinan, eritadenine | PSP and PSK polysaccharides |
| Human trials | Memory in healthy older adults | Immune markers in healthy adults | Gut microbiome in healthy volunteers |
| In Forage | 150 mg 8:1 extract | 150 mg 8:1 extract | 150 mg 8:1 extract |
Dosage, Timing, and Stacking
Amounts
The human trial used a food amount, 50 g of fresh maitake a day in bread. Forage provides 150 mg of an 8:1 extract per serving as part of a blend, so follow the label.
Timing
Follow the directions on the Forage label.
Stacking
Maitake already sits with six other mushrooms, Himalayan shilajit and ashwagandha root extract in Forage, a combination that fits the laboratory finding that mixed mushroom extracts can act more strongly together. Cooking with fresh maitake adds more of the same compounds as food.
Safety and Side Effects
Maitake is a widely eaten food and generally well tolerated. In the 18 week trial, no one stopped because of side effects.
Points Worth Knowing
- Blood sugar: maitake lowered blood sugar in animal studies, so people taking glucose-lowering medication should check with a clinician before using concentrated extracts.
- Immune medication: because its beta-glucans activate immune cells, people on immune-suppressing medication should ask first.
- Allergy: avoid it if you are allergic to mushrooms.
Who should be cautious: speak with a qualified healthcare professional before using maitake supplements if you are pregnant or nursing, take glucose-lowering or immune-suppressing medication, are preparing for surgery, or have a mushroom allergy.
Key Takeaways
- Maitake (Grifola frondosa), or hen of the woods, is a prized edible mushroom.
- It is rich in beta-glucans, including the D-fraction, which activate immune cells in the lab.
- In an 18 week trial, one maitake strain improved memory test scores in healthy older adults.
- Forage contains 150 mg of an 8:1 maitake extract per serving, with six other mushrooms.
- Check with a clinician if you take glucose-lowering or immune-suppressing medication.
From the Forest Floor.
Maitake is food and functional mushroom in one. In Forage it adds its beta-glucans to a blend designed so each mushroom complements the others.
Maitake FAQ
What is maitake mushroom good for?
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is an edible mushroom rich in beta-glucan polysaccharides, including the well studied D-fraction. Laboratory research shows these activate immune cells, and animal studies suggest effects on blood sugar and antioxidant defenses. In an 18 week trial in healthy older adults, eating bread made with one maitake strain improved scores on a thinking and memory test.
Which is better, shiitake or maitake?
They are both nutritious edible mushrooms with immune-active beta-glucans. Shiitake has a controlled trial showing immune changes in healthy young adults; maitake has a trial in healthy older adults on thinking and memory. Forage includes both.
Is maitake mushroom psychedelic?
No. Maitake is a common culinary mushroom and contains no psychoactive compounds.
What does maitake taste like?
Maitake has a rich, earthy, slightly peppery flavor and a firm, feathery texture when cooked, which is why it is popular in Japanese cooking.
Is maitake safe?
Maitake is a widely eaten food and generally well tolerated. Because it lowered blood sugar in animal studies, people taking glucose-lowering medication should check with a clinician before using concentrated extracts. Avoid it if you are allergic to mushrooms.
How much maitake is in Forage?
Each 2-capsule serving of Forage contains 150 mg of an 8:1 maitake extract, alongside lion's mane, cordyceps, reishi, chaga, turkey tail, shiitake, Himalayan shilajit and ashwagandha root extract.
More on Maitake
Related guides
Sources
- Wu JY, et al. Bioactive ingredients and medicinal values of Grifola frondosa (maitake). Foods, 2021. PubMed 33466429
- He X, et al. Polysaccharides in Grifola frondosa mushroom and their health promoting properties: a review. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2017. PubMed 28366857
- Mallard B, et al. Synergistic immuno-modulatory activity in human macrophages of a medicinal mushroom formulation consisting of Reishi, Shiitake and Maitake. PLoS One, 2019. PubMed 31697749
- Jogi EM, et al. Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) enhances cognitive function in healthy older Japanese: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 2026. PubMed 42055721
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Nothing here is medical advice. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication (especially for blood sugar or the immune system), or managing a health condition, consult a qualified healthcare professional before use.