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Dietary supplement

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Nature's Answer

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan label
See full label image
Liquid Category: Non-nutrient/non-botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
Clinical methodology reviewed by · Updated Sep 16, 2026 · Label data from the NIH DSLD
What is this page for?

First and foremost: checking Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan against your medications. The heart of this page is the interaction checker and the full interaction report — how this product’s ingredients may interact with prescription and over-the-counter medicines you may be taking.

Around that, we add a pharmacist’s high-level view of the product as a whole — what’s inside, the evidence for its stated use, how transparent the label is, and what safety data exists — so you can see the full picture in one place. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases and the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist — not medical advice — and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan is a dietary supplement by Nature's Answer with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for immune support, blood sugar support in diabetes, high blood pressure.Based on those ingredients, 260 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Maitake mushroom fruiting body extract. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

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Check Your Meds Against Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer

Ask about any prescription or over-the-counter medication and we check it for interactions with Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer — and tell you which ingredient is responsible.

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HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

Generated from HelloPharmacist’s pharmacist-curated databases and editorial rules · Last generated Aug 20, 2026

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 1 of its 1 active ingredient.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

This product contains one active ingredient: maitake mushroom fruiting body extract, a concentrated form of a culinary mushroom traditionally used in Asia. The extract is supplied as a liquid in a base of coconut glycerin and purified water.

Does it work?

Couldn't assess
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not assessable

We hold no graded evidence for this product's ingredients for its stated purpose.

Why this rating?
  • The label markets this product for: promote a healthy immune system.
  • We looked for evidence on: Immune function, Immune response, Immunomodulation, Infection resistance.
  • Our graded evidence for these ingredients doesn't cover that particular purpose.

The evidence we hold doesn't establish that maitake mushroom works for the conditions it's marketed for. Effectiveness ratings for allergic rhinitis (hay fever), chemotherapy-induced anemia, laryngeal cancer, chemotherapy-induced diarrhea, and chronic fatigue syndrome are all listed as insufficient reliable evidence to rate — meaning clinical trials either don't exist, are too small, or show mixed results.

If you're considering this for one of these uses, talk with your doctor about what the current evidence actually supports.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Maitake Mushroom

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Maitake mushroom is generally well tolerated when taken by mouth. The most common side effects reported in clinical trials were gastrointestinal — a small number of trial participants experienced diarrhea, nausea, or stomach pain (epigastric pain).

One person reported a rash and itching after two doses, though it resolved on its own. The supplement safety data overall hasn't been fully studied.

There isn't enough safety data to know whether this concentrated supplement is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The safety data advises against it in both cases.

If you're pregnant or nursing, talk with your doctor or pharmacist before considering this product.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Maitake Mushroom

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Maitake Mushroom.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: anticoagulant / antiplatelet drugs; diabetes medications.
  • For scale: 260 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before using this product if you take warfarin or other blood thinners — maitake may increase bleeding risk. Also confirm it with blood pressure medications and diabetes drugs, since maitake can lower both blood pressure and blood sugar on its own.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with no assessable stated purpose. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

Maitake mushroom extract is generally well tolerated but raises concerns if you take blood thinners (especially warfarin), blood pressure medications, or diabetes drugs — it may strengthen or interfere with how these work. The evidence for what it treats isn't established in our data.

Before you start, check your exact medications with your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you're on any of those three categories.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 1 of 1 active ingredient matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Aug 24, 2012.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan, straight from the product label.

Brand Nature's Answer
Barcode (UPC) 083000007507
Net contents 1 fl. Oz.; 30 mL
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Aug 24, 2012
DSLD ID 12658
Product type Non-nutrient/non-botanical
Supplement form Liquid
Dietary claims / uses All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Vegetarian, Adult (18 - 50 Years), Kosher, Dairy Free
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
1 mL
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 mL
Servings per container
30
UPC/BARCODE
083000007507
IngredientAmount% DV
Maitake mushroom fruiting body extract50 mg--

Other ingredients: Coconut glycerin, USP purified Water

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Formulation

Alcohol-Free

General Statements

from the Orient

FDA Statement of Identity

SUPPLEMENT

Seals/Symbols

K PARVE

(Image)(TM) NATURE'S ANSWER(R) SINCE 1972

UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED

Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement take 1 mL (approx. 28 drops) 3 times a day in a small amount of water.

- SHAKE WELL.

Brand IP Statement(s)

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan(TM) is a highly active fraction of the Maitake Beta-1,6-glucan chain with Beta-1,3-branches. Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan(TM) has been shown to promote a healthy immune system.

FDA Disclaimer Statement

This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Precautions

KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

- WARNING: DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR NURSING.

- DO NOT USE IF SAFETY SEAL IS DAMAGED OR MISSING.

Is this label outdated? Report a formula or label change and our pharmacy team will review it.

See for yourself

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan label

Label images are published by the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database for the version of this product on file. Always read your actual product label.

View the full label (PDF)
What’s inside

The Ingredients in Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size1 mL Dosage formLiquid Servings per container30 Amounts shown are per serving.

Maitake mushroom fruiting body extract

Interacts with
260 drugs
50 mg per serving

Maitake is an edible mushroom long used as food and in traditional Japanese medicine, and it is being studied for possible immune, blood sugar, and bl...

Maitake mushroom fruiting body extract monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: Coconut glycerin, USP purified Water. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

 Go to the checker
260Drugs
260 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Maitake mushroom fruiting body extract 260

Individual Drug Interactions

The ingredients in Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan interact with 260 drugs. Click any drug to see the details.

1 of the 1 ingredient in Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan interact with drugs. Each result below shows which ingredient is responsible. Maitake mushroom fruiting body extract

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

Maitake mushroom fruiting body extract3 drug types · 260 drugs

Antidiabetes Drugs

Theoretically, combining maitake mushroom with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Clinical research shows that taking maitake mushroom polysaccharide (MMP) can lower blood glucose levels in patients with types 2 diabetes.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B
Antihypertensive Drugs

Theoretically, combining maitake mushroom with antihypertensive drugs might increase the risk of hypotension.
Animal research shows that maitake mushroom can lower blood pressure.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Warfarin (Coumadin)

There is limited evidence that maitake mushroom may increase the anticoagulant effects of warfarin.
In a case report, a patient previously stabilized on warfarin developed an elevated international normalized ratio (INR) of 5.1 after taking maitake mushroom (Grifron-Pro Maitake D-Fraction) 1 drop/kg daily in three divided doses for one week. The elevated INR resolved after holding warfarin for two days, then reducing the dose by 11%. It is thought that the beta-glucan constituent of maitake mushroom might cause warfarin dissociation from proteins, resulting in increased free warfarin levels and increased warfarin effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Maitake mushroom fruiting body extract full monograph & interactions
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan, from the product label.

Nature's Answer

See all Nature's Answer products
Name
NATURE'S ANSWER(R), Inc.
City
Hauppauge
State
NY
ZipCode
11788-3943
Web Address
www.naturesanswer.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer: Common Questions

Does Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan by Nature's Answer interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan has a known interaction with 260 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
What's maitake mushroom extract, and why is it in a liquid?
Maitake is a mushroom used in Asian cooking and traditional medicine. This product concentrates the fruiting body (the visible mushroom part) into a liquid extract so you get more of it per dose than you'd get eating the mushroom whole. The liquid is dissolved in coconut glycerin and water.
Can I take this if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
The safety data advises against concentrated maitake supplements during pregnancy and breastfeeding — there isn't enough research to know either way. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about whether this product is right for you in these situations.
What side effects have been reported?
Most people tolerate it well. In clinical trials, some participants experienced stomach upset — diarrhea, nausea, or stomach pain — and one person reported a rash and itching that went away on its own. Gastrointestinal effects are the main concern.
Does this actually work for what it claims?
The evidence we hold isn't strong enough to confirm maitake works for hay fever, chemotherapy-related anemia or diarrhea, laryngeal cancer, or chronic fatigue syndrome. The ratings are all insufficient reliable evidence. Ask your doctor what the current research actually supports if you're thinking about it for one of these.
Is this safe to take with my blood pressure or diabetes medication?
Not without checking first. Maitake can lower blood pressure and blood sugar on its own, so it might make your medications work too well and push your pressure or glucose too low. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting — they can help you figure out if it's safe and whether dosing adjustments are needed.
What if I'm on warfarin or another blood thinner?
Check with your doctor or pharmacist before using maitake. One case report shows a patient's blood-thinning level jumped after taking maitake for a week, which could raise your bleeding risk. Your provider may need to monitor you more closely or adjust your medication.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Not sure if Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan is safe with your meds?

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Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan label
Go deeper

The Full Monographs Behind Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan’s Ingredients

Every ingredient we hold a full HelloPharmacist monograph for — uses, evidence, safety, and the complete interaction list.

Herb & supplement monograph

Maitake Mushroom

Interacts with 260 drugs

Maitake is an edible mushroom long used as food and in traditional Japanese medicine, and it is being studied for possible immune, blood sugar, and blood pressure effects. The human evidence...

Read the full Maitake Mushroom monograph →
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Maitake Bio-Beta-Glucan's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 8 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Maitake Mushroom 8 references
  1. Kabir Y, Kimura S. Dietary mushrooms reduce blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 1989;35:91-4. PubMed
  2. Kabir Y, Yamaguchi M, Kimura S. Effect of shiitake (Lentinus edodes) and maitake (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms on blood pressure and plasma lipids of spontaneously hypertensive rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 1987;33:341-6. PubMed
  3. Konno S, Tortorelis DG, Fullerton SA, et al. A possible hypoglycaemic effect of maitake mushroom on Type 2 diabetic patients. Diabet Med 2001;18:1010. PubMed
  4. Chen JT, Tominaga K, Sato Y, et al. Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) extract induces ovulation in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a possible monotherapy and a combination therapy after failure with first-line clomiphene citrate. J Altern Compl
  5. Hanselin MR, Vande Griend JP, Linnebur SA. INR elevation with maitake extract in combination with warfarin. Ann Pharmacother 2010;44:223-4. PubMed
  6. Talpur, N. A., Echard, B. W., Fan, A. Y., Jaffari, O., Bagchi, D., and Preuss, H. G. Antihypertensive and metabolic effects of whole Maitake mushroom powder and its fractions in two rat strains. Mol.Cell Biochem. 2002;237(1-2):129-136. PubMed
  7. Deng, G., Lin, H., Seidman, A., Fornier, M., D'Andrea, G., Wesa, K., Yeung, S., Cunningham-Rundles, S., Vickers, A. J., and Cassileth, B. A phase I/II trial of a polysaccharide extract from Grifola frondosa (Maitake mushroom) in breast cancer patients: i
  8. Wesa KM, Cunningham-Rundles S, Klimek VM, et al. Maitake mushroom extract in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): a phase II study. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2015;64(2):237-47. PubMed

See these in context on the Maitake Mushroom monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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