MAITAKE MUSHROOM ANTI - CANCER PROPERTIES

Maitake Mushroom (Grifola frondosa) is an edible and medicinal mushroom grows in the northern part of the Temperate Zone in the Northern Hemisphere. The scientific name of Maitake, Grifola frondosa, comes from the common name of fungi found in Italy. The name refers to a mythical beast which is half-lion and half-eagle.
The Japanese name "Maitake," literally meaning "dance mushroom," is associated with its shape, which some believe resembles a dancing nymph or because in ancient times npeople who found Maitake .couls exchange it for its weight in nsilver, leading to their dancing in celebrations.

Scientists of Arizona State University tested and compared the ability of five commonly consumed mushrooms to modulate cell number balance in the cancer process using MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. They found that 2 out 5 of the mushrooms ( maitake and oyster/Pleurotus ostreatus) were most effective with maitake extracts significantly increased apoptosis or programmed cell death. This is achieved possibly by the heteropolysaccharide maitake Z-fraction (MZF) (Masuda et al, 2010)

Martin KR, Brophy SK. Commonly consumed and specialty dietary mushrooms reduce cellular proliferation in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Expp Biol Med (Maywood). 2010 Nov 1;235(11):1306-14. Epub 2010 Oct 4.