Introduction
Mushrooms are a flavorful and nutritious food group. Good sources of B-Vitamins: Thiamine, Riboflavin and Niacin. They contain all the essential amino acids. Mushrooms have also been used for thousands of years as some of the most effective, yet benign, of many plants that formed the oriental herbal tradition. Garuda International offers many species of the highest quality mushroom extract powders available in the world today. All are certified organically grown and some have standardized levels of active compounds. These are perfect powdered materials for formulating dietary supplements and natural cosmetics. Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) grows wild in the northeastern part of Japan. For hundreds of years, this rare and exquisite tasting mushroom has been prized in traditional Japanese herbology. Historically, herbalists exchanged maitake for the same weight of silver. Renowned for its many health benefits and delicious taste, maitake is referred to as the Dancing Mushroom. People who found it in the mountains knew of its health benefits and began dancing with joy. Maitake is now being cultivated thereby insuring a steady supply for the first time ever.

During the 1990’s Japanese scientists led by Dr. Hiroki Nanba carried out extensive research demonstrating the activity of Maitake beta-glucans as immune system potentiators. Their research identified and commercialized a concentrated beta-glucan called D-fraction or MT-1. This fraction has a ratio of beta-glucan to protein of 7:3.

Benefits
Maitake is classed as a polypore, a mushroom without the common feature of a singular cap and gills. Instead, it has multiple branching stems with flowery-ruffed caps. The underside of these caps is covered with a thin layer of densely packed pores. Maitake is also called the king of the mushrooms, its taste and superior health benefits distinguish it from all other edible mushrooms. It is a first-class adaptogen. Adaptogens help you adapt to any form of physical or emotional stress, help your body regulate endocrine functions and bring your body to balance or homeostasis. Adaptogens raise low blood sugar and lower high blood sugar. Adaptogens regulate and normalize organs, glands and many important body functions, plus help you cope with stress. Most herbal and mushroom immunestimulants and adaptogens contain polysaccharides. Maitake mushroom have a very high content of a unique polysaccharide compound called beta-D-glucan, which researches consider one of the most powerful polysaccharides. Unlike other mushrooms, research shows maitake to be almost as effective administered orally as intravenously. One polysaccharide fraction called MT-1, or simply the D-fraction, showed significant activity when administred orally. It is an alkali-soluble, hot water extractable compound that contains approximately 30% protein, or a ratio of beta-glucan to protein of 7:3. It occurs in a concentration of .04 mg. per gram of dried maitake mushrooms. Dried maitake mushrooms and taplets provide a safe, non-toxic, therapeutic effect. Garuda's maitake extract is made from high quality cultivated mushrooms grown naturally without pesticides or chemicals of any kind.

Quality Assurance
Mushroom extracts can be considered some of the first nutraceuticals - food concentrated into medicinal form. Garuda's extracts are carefully produced according to cGMP standards from select raw materials. Many of our extracts are standardized to contain guaranteed levels of active compounds.

References
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