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Mushroom Derived Compound Improves Immune System Function in the Elderly

Dr. Anke Zimmermann, BSc, ND, FCAH
Naturopathic Physician and Classical Homeopath

Immune system function can decline as a result of aging, which is one of the main reasons older people are more prone to developing infections, including colds and flus as well as more serious conditions such as cancer. In fact, about 77% of cancers are diagnosed in people over age 55. New studies show that compounds from medicinal mushrooms can stimulate T-cell as well as Natural Killer cell function and other immune system parameters.

Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of being used to increase vitality and longevity in many Asian countries including China and Japan. In recent decades scientific research has discovered certain active ingredients from those mushrooms which appear to have powerful immune system strengthening properties.

Active hemicellulose compound (AHCC) is a Japanese supplement, or functional food, made from the hybridized mycelia of shiitake and other mushrooms fermented in rice bran. AHCC was originally designed as a therapeutic aid for life-style related diseases, including liver diseases and diabetes but subsequently was discovered to have immuno-supportive and anti-cancer properties.

Discovered in 1989, AHCC has been widely used in Japan and China as an adjunctive therapy in cancer, hepatitis, HIV/AIDs and other disorders characterized by immunodeficiency. It is also used in hundreds of Japanese hospitals as standard preventative regiment for all incoming patients to reduce the risk of hospital infections.

AHCC and Cancer

AHCC is used to protect the immune system of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation in over 700 clinics and hospitals in Japan alone. Several studies have shown an improved quality of life and fewer side effects from chemotherapy and radiation in patients taking AHCC. AHCC has been studied to be safe in conjunction with chemotherapy.

A study published in the Journal of Hepatology compared the outcomes of 113 post-operative liver cancer patients taking AHCC with 156 patients in the control group. The results showed the rate of recurrence of malignant tumors was significantly lower (34% versus 66%) and patient survival was significantly higher in the AHCC group (80% vs. 52%). The level of speculation was low because actual survival figures were recorded and the patients had all been carefully observed internally at the time of surgery with photographs of tumors and lesions. [1]

The same research team from the Kansai Medical University in Osaka, also undertook a 3-year study of 127 patients with stage III and IV gastric and breast cancers and found that patients taking AHCC showed a 40% increase in mean survival rates when matched with Japanese national averages for patients of similar age and cancers. AHCC and Immune System Function in 50-plus A study performed at the Yale School of Medicine studied immune system function in a group of healthy individuals aged 50 and older who took AHCC for 60 days. CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells number were measured as was the cells production of interferon (IFN) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF), two so-called cytokines which play a key role in the defense against cancer cells. Cytokine production was measured at baseline, after 30 and 60 days on AHCC and 30 days after treatment. Consistent and significant increases of both interferon and TNF were found within four weeks of AHCC supplementation and remained slightly higher even at 30 days post-treatment [2].

Benefits of AHCC

In vivo and human clinical trials have shown that AHCC modifies both the innate and adaptive immune response, by:

• Increasing the production of cytokines
• Increasing the activity of natural killer cells by as much as 300-800%
• Increasing populations of macrophages, in some cases doubling them
• Increasing the number of dendritic cells
• Increasing the number of T cells by as much as 200%

AHCC is an interesting substance with significant immune system stimulating properties. It is potentially highly beneficial as a preventative functional food in the elderly to prevent and treat infections as well cancer.

Dr. Anke Zimmermann, ND

[1] Matsui Y, Uhara J, Satoi S, Kaibori M, Yamada H, Kitade H, Imamura A, Takai S, Kawaguchi Y, Kwon A, Kamiyama Y, Improved prognosis of postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma patients when treated with functional foods: a prospective cohort study, J Hepatology 37(1): 78-86, 2002

[2] Yin Z, Fujii H, Walshe T Effects of active hexose correlated compound on frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells producing interferon-γ and/or tumor necrosis factor-α in healthy adults. Human Immunology 2010 Dec;71(12):1187-90. Epub 2010 Aug 21

 

Dr. Zimmerman can be reached at: –

Suite 2A – 2563 Penrhyn Road, Victoria, B.C.
Tel. 250-590-5828
www.drzimmermann.org

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