Best Agaricus blazei
Veggie Capsules
Ingredients per
capsule:
Agaricus blazei extract .................400
mg
__Supplies 160 mg of polysaccharides
Bioperine®
.................................5 mg
Other ingredients:
Modified cellulose (veggie caps), cellulose, magnesium
stearate.
Suggested Adult Use: 3 capsules daily.
Ingredients
Agaricus blazei is a medicinal mushroom that
contains a special class of polysaccharides known as "beta
glucans." Studies show beta glucans stimulate activity of
natural killer (NK) cells, which are an important part of the
immune system.
The Agaricus blazei in this product is
extracted with the preferred hot water/alcohol method to
increase its digestibility and enhance bioavailability of the
polysaccharides.
Originally discovered in Brazil, Agaricus
blazei is widely consumed in many countries, where it is
regarded as a health food, due to its medicinal properties. The
mushroom is used both in tea form and as a food. Since 1965,
strains of Agaricus blazei have been imported to Japan, where it
is now widely cultivated and researched.1
Folk Use
The folk
use of this herb encompasses a broad profile of reported
effects,1,2 including:
__1) Fighting physical and emotional
stress.*
__2) Immune support.*
__3) Maintaining normal blood
sugar levels.*
__4) Maintaining already normal cholesterol
levels.*
__5) Digestive support.*
__6) Bone health.*
__7)
Liver support*
Among the above properties attributed to
Agaricus, immune support is the major focus of usage scientific
research to date. Like other medicinal mushrooms, Agaricus
contains complex polysaccharides that stimulate the immune
system. It is reported that Agaricus is utilized for this
purpose by 300,000 to 500,000 people in Japan annually, where
yearly production of the dried mushroom ranges from 100,000 to
300,000 kg.2
Benefits
Supports immune function*
Agaricus
blazei has been the subject of research in Japan, where
investigations have focused on the role of mushroom
polysaccharides as "biological response modifiers that can
stimulate immune function. Studies have shown that beta glucans
extracted from Agaricus are the active polysaccharides, with 1,6
beta-glucan as the most potent immunomodulator.3 Fungi-derived
beta glucans have been found to stimulate the release of tumor
necrosis factor from immune cells called "macrophages."4 While
activating the immune response to abnormal cells, beta glucans
have no effect on normal cells.5 Additional experiments have
shown that Agaricus blazei activates the alternative complement
pathway, which is an important part of the body’s immune defense
against foreign organisms.6 Agaricus extracts have demonstrated
an ability to help maintain cellular health through an
antimutagenic effect on cells.2,7 In the test tube, isolated
fractions of Agaricus blazei have been found to inhibit
proliferation of white blood cells and cytokines that can cause
inflammation if over expressed. These results suggest Agaricus
may help regulate immune over-activity.8
Liver protection
against toxins*
A water extract of Agaricus blazei was tested
on rat liver cells exposed to the toxic chemical
diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Rats were administered the mushroom
extract for two weeks and then injected with the toxin. Compared
to control rats that did not receive the extract, the rats given
Agaricus showed markedly less liver damage. Different doses of
the toxin where used to gauge the level of protection exerted by
the mushroom. Liver enzymes were lower in rats that received
moderate, but not high, doses of the toxin, leading researchers
to conclude that Agaricus protects against moderate, but not
severe, chemical-induced liver toxicity. No adverse effects were
seen.9
A group of medical researchers in China has reported
that 10 hepatitis patients given Agaricus blazei showed
improvements in liver function and hematology tests.10
*This
statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat,
cure or prevent any disease.
Scientific References
1.
Menoli, R. et al. Antimutagenic effects of the mushroom Agaricus
blazei Murrill extracts on V79 cells. Mutation Research 2001;
496:5-13.
2. Takeshi, T, Kimura, Y, Okuda, H. Isolation of an
antitumor compound from Agaricus blazei Murrill and its
mechanism of action. J. Nutr. 2001;131:1409-13.
3. Ohno, N, et
al. Antitumor beta-glucan from the cultured fruit body of
Agaricus blazei. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2001;24(7):820-28.
4.
Olson. E, et al. Fungal beta-glucan interacts with vitronectin
and stimulates tumor necrosis factor release from macrophages.
Infection and Immunity 1996; 64:3548-54.
5. Fujimiya, Y, et al.
Tumor-specific cytocidal and immunopotentiating effects of
relatively low molecular weight products derived from the
Basidiomycete, Agaricus blazei Murril. Anticancer Research
1999;19:113-18.
6. Shimizu, S, et al. Activation of the
alternative complement pathway by Agaricus blazei Murrill
Phytomedicine 2002; 9(6):536-45.
7. de Olivera, JM, et al.
Antigenotoxic effects of aqueous extracts of sun mushroom
(Agaricus blazei Murrill lineage 99/26) in mammalian cells in
vitro. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002; 40:1775-80.
8. Kuo,
Y-C, et al. Cell cycle progression and cytokine gene expression
of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells modulated by
Agaricus blazei. J Lab Clin Med 2002; 140:176-87.
9. Barbisan,
LF, et al. Influence of aqueous extract of Agaricus blazei on
rat liver toxicity induced by different doses of
diethylnitrosamine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2002;
83:25-32.
10. Li Rong, W, et al. Observation on the treatment
effect of Agaricus blazei Murrill to the liver function of
chronic hepatitis patients. Unpublished report.
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