Maitake mushroom is a fungus that has been eaten as food in Asia for thousands of years. People also use it to make medicine. Maitake mushroom is used to treat cancer and also to relieve some of the side effects of chemical treatment (chemotherapy) for cancer. It is also used for HIV/AIDS,chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), hepatitis, hay fever, diabetes, high blood pressure,high cholesterol, weight loss or control, and infertility due to a condition calledpolycystic ovary syndrome. If you decide to harvest maitake mushrooms, make sure you can tell them apart from poisonous mushrooms. This job is probably best left to experts.