Maitake Mushroom

BENEFITS

Maitake, also known as Hen of the Woods, is a prized mushroom celebrated for its delicious taste and exceptional health benefits. Its beta glucans are uniquely branched with peptide side chains, similar to turkey tail, making them especially potent for supporting your dog’s wellness. Studies have shown promise in targeting canine lymphoma cells in vitro studies, while also supporting digestive health, a balanced microbiome, and healthy metabolic function. Maitake also helps regulate blood sugar and may help precondition puppies before their first vaccinations, making it a powerful addition to whole-body support for dogs of all ages.

FREQUENCY

Mushrooms need to be given regularly over long periods of time for their best effect. Even small amounts like a single mushroom serving a week has been found to improve health in human populations.

• For Wellness: If your intention in providing the mushrooms to your dog is for wellness and general good health, the above daily serving size given regularly over a long period of time will be effective.
• For Health Conditions: If your intention is to help your dog through a health crisis, Dr. Rob Silver recommends administering 2-4x more than the wellness amount. Start with a lower dose and gradually increase it over time to the desired amount appropriate for your dog. If you are treating a health condition, you may want to also give dried powdered mushrooms that have been hot water extracted in order to provide your four-legged family member with substantial supplement power.

HOW TO SERVE

You can serve your dog mushrooms 3 different ways.

Cooking store-bought mushrooms:

1. Wash the fresh mushrooms.
2. Chop them up finely to better allow them to cook through and make them more bioavailable for your dog.
3. Cook at 300-400° F for at least 10-20 minutes. The longer, the better.
4. Cooking mushrooms in soups, stews, and sauces where they are simmered for long periods of time is best to prepare them for optimal absorption and effectiveness.

Buying dried mushrooms:

1. Cut the dried mushrooms into smaller pieces.
2. Soak them for several hours until soft.
3. Cook the dried mushrooms.

Dried mushrooms are the way mushrooms have been preserved throughout history. They tend to be a bit fibrous when dried, which is why soaking and cutting them into smaller pieces will facilitate their absorption.

Using mushroom extract powder:

1. Sprinkle ⅛ tsp of Maitake mushroom extract powder per 10 pounds of body weight directly onto your dog’s regular meals once or twice.

Mushroom powder that is hot water extracted is the most bioavailable form of the mushrooms. It will work best for health purposes, especially if your dog has a health condition you are using the mushrooms for.