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.

Folk Use

The folk use of this herb encompasses a broad profile of reported effects, including:

• Fighting physical and emotional stress
• Immune support
• Maintaining normal blood sugar levels
• Maintaining already normal cholesterol levels
• Digestive support
• Bone health
• 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.

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. Fungi-derived beta glucans have been found to stimulate the release of tumor necrosis factor from immune cells called "macrophages." While activating the immune response to abnormal cells, beta glucans have no effect on normal cells. 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. Agaricus extracts have demonstrated an ability to help maintain cellular health through an antimutagenic effect on cells. 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.

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.

A group of medical researchers in China has reported that 10 hepatitis patients given Agaricus blazei showed improvements in liver function and hematology tests.