Best Time to Take Maitake

The Maitake mushroom, otherwise known as the "hen of the wood," has made a name for itself as a powerful adaptogenic mushroom, but how do you use this functional fungi to reap the most benefits? Specifically, when’s the best time to take maitake to reap its wellness superpowers?

The truth is that there's no one best time to take maitake, rather there's specific times that may be better for different wellness needs. Before you dive into maitake dosing, here's what you need to know:

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Key Takeaways

• The best time to take maitake depends on how you intend to use it and various other factors in your wellness routine.
• Many people take maitake as a tea or in capsule form.
• You may also take maitake at multiple different point throughout your day, though its commonly taken in the morning.
• When in doubt, always discuss your wellness routine with your doctor to determine the best time to take maitake surrounding other supplements or medications.

Maitake Benefits

Like many mushrooms, maitake is loaded with polysaccharides that have been shown to have powerful antioxidant effects, as well as other therapeutic compounds, like vitamins B and C, copper, potassium, amino acids.

This is why maitake may be linked to immunoregulatory benefits, improved healing, reduced aging, and plenty of other potential health benefits. Research is still limited, but some evidence shows a potential link between maitake (and other mushrooms) and cancer management. Animal studies also show some potential benefits when using maitake to help manage cholesterol or type 2 diabetes. This may be because maitake has a positive impact on digestive functions that may help to regulate blood sugar.

All in all, Maitake may help you unlock a slew of beneficial health effects when used as part of a daily wellness routine.

Read “Maitake Benefits” to learn more.

When to Take Maitake

The best time to take Maitake is different for every person, and some factors that may impact your decision of when to take Maitake include:

• The reason you intend to take Maitake
• What other supplements you take and when you take them
• Your sleep-wake routine
• What time of day is most convenient for regular doses

All things considered, here are the most popular times to take Maitake mushroom throughout the day:

In the Morning

Many people take Maitake first thing in the morning alongside other vitamins and supplements. Whole mushroom powder, which needs to be added to hot water to unlock its bioactive potential, is a great addition to your morning cup of coffee or tea. This is a great way to create a daily habit, and taking maitake daily is the best way to reap it’s regulatory benefits.

Before Travelling

If taking maitake to help boost your immune system, you may consider extra doses before travelling. In this case, you can break your total dosage up into multiple doses, taken in the morning and at night.

When You're Sick

Many people believe maitake to have powerful immune stimulating and anti-inflammatory effects that can benefit you when you’re sick. This may also be a case where a day and night time dose is appropriate for sticking to a well-rounded, full coverage routine.

How Long Will It Take for Maitake to Work?

Like most superfood mushrooms, you need to take maitake regularly to reap it’s full benefits. It may take up to two weeks of regular dosing before you see any noticeable benefits. That means that while you may find that you prefer to take your maitake dose at a certain point in the day, the most important factor is taking it daily, around the same time each day.

How Much Maitake Mushroom Can You Take?

The Maitake dosage commonly used varies greatly from person to person and depends on a range of factors, like your weight, tolerance, and health conditions. The amount of Maitake you should take daily also depends on the form of Maitake you use.

Doses range from 10 to 30 mg of the extract and from 200 to 2,500 mg of whole mushroom powder depending on the reason you’re taking Maitake and the total beta-glucan content of the powder. If you are taking Maitake with other functional mushrooms, you may need a smaller dose than you’d need if taking Maitake on it’s own.

Read “Maitake Dosage” to learn more.

Tips for the Best Time to Take Maitake

• Consider taking maitake in the mornings with breakfast or mixed into your coffee or tea.
• If you drink maitake as a tea, you may not need to take it with food. For concentrated forms of maitake, consider taking it with or after a meal to avoid any potential stomach upset or other maitake side effects.
• Maitake powder is convenient since you can measure it in precise increments to meet almost any dosing need. Some blends contain an array of functional mushrooms that could increase maitake’s benefits.
• If you use a whole mushroom powder, add it to hot water to activate its bioactive benefits.
• Talk to your doctor about your maitake dose if you take other supplements or medications. You may be able to take maitake alongside other medications, but you need to to space the doses appropriately.

Resources

1. “Immunomodulatory Effects of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms and Their Bioactive Immunoregulatory Products” https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Major-immunomodulatory-terpenes-and-terpenoids-from-medicinal-mushrooms-and-their_tbl4_346759543
2. “Immune-enhancing effects of Maitake (Grifola frondosa) and Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) extracts” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4202470/
3. “Effect of Dietary Maitake (Grifola frondosa) Mushrooms on Plasma Cholesterol and Hepatic Gene Expression in Cholesterol-Fed Mice” https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jos/62/12/62_1049/_article
4. “Submerged-Culture Mycelia and Broth of the Maitake Medicinal Mushroom Grifola frondosa (Higher Basidiomycetes) Alleviate Type 2 Diabetes-Induced Alterations in Immunocytic Function” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26349512/