How does it help's the immune system ?

The immune system is the body's defense against invasion by foreign substances, such as microorganisms, environmental toxins, and cancerous cells. The immune system is an intricate network of specialized tissues, organs, cells, and chemicals that work together in order to seek out and destroy foreign invaders and cancerous cells before they cause illness or death. The lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, thymus gland, and tonsils all play a role, as do lymphocytes (specialized white blood cells), antibodies, and interferon.

Challenges to a healthy immune system include poor nutrition, physical and/or mental stress, environmental pollution, chronic lack of sleep, overwork, and advancing age.

When their immune systems work properly, humans remain healthy. However, the immune systems in many people are weakened by stress, poor eating habits and pollution, such as air pollution. These people can suffer from a number of diseases.

It is widely believed that cancer is caused by a decline in the immune system caused by aging and other factors. It is also known that atopic dermatitis asthma, pollinosis and rheumatism result from an excessive immuno reaction. The AIDS virus destroys immuno cells and triggers diseases.

Your immune system basically consists of several lines of defense that exist exclusively to seek and destroy foreign bacteria and viruses in your system which may potentially cause anything from the common cold to cancer. When your immune system is weak, or declines with age, you become more susceptible to illnesses.

A large number of diseases are allowed because of a dysfunctional immune system. As we know, the HIV virus causes AIDS which leads again to multiple infections. The positive result is, that the Agaricus blazei Murill includes Beta Glucan, which build up the natural Killer.

b-Glucan has been studied in the lab and found to enhance natural killing of tumor cells, bacteria, fungi and virus infected cells. Due to the nature of the immune response to b-Glucan, resistance does not occur. It has been shown to be an excellent adjuvant to many types of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery and also seems to protect against ionizing radiation (up to lethal doses).

In medicine, we have made great progress in this area of infectious disease with our ever-growing array of antibiotics and even some antivirals. However, there are problems with this. The bacteria and viruses have become increasingly resistant to our weaponry.

You ask, Why doesn't my wonderful immune system take care of all of these problems? First, the immune function is to a great extent, genetically programmed. Some of us get great immune systems while others do not. Secondly, our environment has become increasingly toxin-filled and nutritionally depleted. Both of these conspire to slow down some of our most active and energy-consuming cells.

The key to immunity is the bodys ability to distinguish what is self and non-self. Every cell in our body carries identification to let the immune system know that they are OK and are to be left alone. Foreign invaders such as bacteria, viruses and fungi do not have these markers and are destroyed, if possible.

Agaricus blazei Murill, which is enjoying growing attention, contains a large amount of polysaccharide, which is believed to enhance immunity. It does not only bolster immunity but reduces excessive immuno reactions to maintain a balance. Of all fungi, Agaricus blazei Murill is particularly rich in polysaccharides, and has shown particularly strong results in treating and preventing cancer.

The human immune system, comprised mainly of tissues and cells defends the body against diseases. More specifically, Natural Killer cells or NK cells, play a critical role in neutralizing outside organisms such as viruses and bacteria that enter the body.

The polysaccharides in mushrooms are similar to those found in other well-known healing herbs, such as echinacea and astragalus. It is thought that the polysaccharides trigger an immune response, specifically by increasing macrophage and killer T-cell activity. Consequently, the body is better equipped to prevent disease induced by infectious agents or cancerous cells it may later encounter.

Of all fungi, Agaricus blazei Murill is particularly rich in polysaccharides, and has shown particularly strong results in treating and preventing cancer. We believe that Agaricus blazei Murill is the ideal food for the people of today, who are exposed to a difficult living environment.

Related to the general immune-boosting effect of mushrooms is the possibility that certain mushrooms can be useful in those with HIV. For example, there are some case reports from Japan suggesting that shiitake and maitake can be useful in this regard, although the research remains preliminary.

Agaricus blazei Murill has also shown promise in the treatment of HIV. Measuring a patient's level of T-helper cells is a common way of charting how quickly the HIV infection is progressing into full-blown AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). This is where Agaricus blazei Murill steps in. The hypothesis is that Agaricus blazei Murill may be able to slow the progression of HIV into AIDS by significantly preventing the destruction of T-helper cells. Of course, more research is necessary to confirm this benefit.

Beta glucan and other polysaccharides specifically activate the immune system's cells (such as macrophages, interferon, T cells, and natural killer cells) in order to prevent the multiplication, metastasis (spreading), and recurrence of cancer cells.

The Agaricus blazei Murill mushroom contains a specific polysaccharide, which is believed to be responsible for the many health benefits of this mushroom. The majority of research conducted with the Agaricus blazei Murill mushroom has centered on cancer prevention. Past and current FDA trials, clinical research, and case reports have attributed an immune-enhancing role for this extract in cancer and AIDS.

Although maitake isn't believed to kill cancer cells directly, it does protect the body from cancer development by stimulating the immune cells that, in turn, fight off cancerous cells. Some experts believe that Agaricus blazei Murill may help inhibit tumors that are already growing, prevent the initiation of new cancers, and stop (or at least slow down) the severe secondary symptoms associated with cancer.

A 1995 animal study by Hiroaki Nanba, which appeared in the prestigious Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, looked at the anticancer/cancer-prevention activity of a specific isolate of maitake mushroom (1,6-beta-glucan). Cancer spread in the liver was reduced by 91.3 percent versus the placebo group. In a cancer-prevention part of the study, liver-cancer occurrence in the maitake-fraction-treated group was 9.7 percent compared to 100 percent in the control population.

Agaricus blazei Murill can also provide a measure of relief to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. One of the side effects of chemotherapy is impaired immune function, since anti-cancer drugs tend to knock out everything in their path, including some innocent immune system bystanders.

Therefore, taking maitake in conjunction with chemotherapy could conceivably increase benefits while making the treatment easier for the patient to endure.

Certain medicinal mushrooms have also been researched for their role in cardiovascular health. For example, maitake and shiitake (in animal models) were found to lower cholesterol and triglyercide levels in the blood, even when the diet was high in fat.

Blood pressure also benefits from mushrooms, with research being conducted successfully with maitake, reishi, and shiitake.

In addition, there have been suggestions that reishi can be useful in treating altitude sickness and chronic hepatitis B, and that maitake can aid those with diabetes.

While maitake is not associated with any side effects, some people have reported symptoms such as dizziness, dry mouth, and upset stomach from reishi mushrooms, and shiitake has been reported to cause temporary diarrhea at high doses in some.

Research performed at universities in Japan, Hong Kong and the United States have suggested that the polysaccharides derived from either medicinal plants and mushrooms, such as Agaricus blazei Murill do indeed have a positive effect in stimulating lym-phocyte T-cell and helper T-cell production in laboratory mice and guinea pig experiments.

In 1995, Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum Ph.D., from King Drew Medical Center of UCLA, found that the Agaricus mushroom increases the total number of all immune cells within the body. In addition, he discovered that the Agaricus not only increased the number of NK cells, but also made each individual NK cell more powerful. He presented his findings to the Ninth World Immunology Congress held in San Francisco:

"In the present study, we evaluate the ability of Agaricus to stimulate in vivo Natural Killer (NK) cell activity in mice. The results demonstrated that the induction of NK activity was very significant (38-49 fold increase over control)."

Beta glucans have indeed been found in other mushroooms, such as Maitake, Shitake and Reishi, which can now be found in many health food stores. However, Agaricus Blazei Murill is known to contain the highest levels of beta glucans of any mushroom known in the world.

The table shows that agaricus blazei Murill produced high results for both a complete recovery and for its anti cancer effect. The experiment used guinea pigs of between five and six weeks old, which is equivalent to 15 and 16 years old in human terms.

Table 1 - Results of tests on anti cancer properties of Agaricus blazei Murril conducted on guinea pigs at the Medical Department of Tokyo University, the National Cancer Center Laboratory and Tokyo College of Pharmacy.

Name of fungus	Daily dosage	Rate of complete recovery	Anti cancer effect
Agaricus blazei Murill	10mmg	90.0%	99.4%
Grifola umbellate	10mmg	90.0%	98.5%
Phellinus yucatensis	30mmg	87.5%	96.5%
Phellinus igniarius	30mmg	66.7%	87.4%
Lenzites betulina	30mmg	57.1%	70.2%
Tricholoma matsutake	30mmg	55.5%	91.3%
Lentinus edodes	30mmg	54.5%	80.7%
Coriolus versicolor	30mmg	50.0%	77.5%
Pleurotus osteatus	30mmg	45.5%	75.3%
Elfringia applanata	30mmg	45.5%	64.9%
Fomitopsis pincicola	30mmg	33.3%	61.2%
Fomitopsis cytisna	30mmg	30.3%	44.2%
Pholiota nameko	30mmg	30.0%	86.5%
Flammulina velutipes	30mmg	30.0%	81.1%
Ganoderma Lucidum	30mmg	20.0%	77.8%

Vaccinating sarcoma 180 (a type of cancer cell) into the femur of these guinea pigs normally causes cancer to spread to the entire body over four to five weeks, resulting in the death of almost all these animals. The fungus extract was first administered 24 hour later when the cancer cells were firmly embedded in the animals tissues, and the process continued for 10 consecutive days. The results were then recorded four to five weeks later. The experiment was repeated on groups of between five and ten Guinea pigs, which were each given a different fungus extract. The mean values taken from these experiments were expressed as percentages.

The anti cancer effect rate represents the percentage of guinea pigs which fully recovered from the cancer induced by an initial vaccination of sarcoma 180 and in whom a second vaccination of sarcoma 180 failed because the cancer cells could not be successfully embedded.

From these results, it was deduced that the fungus extract (component primarily comprising a high-molecular polysaccharide) activates the immunity of normal biological tissue, so that even when a virus or other external factors enter the tissue, macrophage and interferon production within the tissue is vitalized to prevent the multiplication, metastasis and reoccurrence of cancer cells.

Examples of Gastronomic Effect and Treatment	Researched Elements
Anti tumor effect (Sarcoma 180/mice, ip method) Agaricus blazei Murill activates macrophage, immunocytes such as complements retculoendothelial system, acts to induce cytokine such as interferon as well as BRM, and prolongs the biological life through its immunological effects.	Polysaccharides b-(1,3)- D-glucan, b-(1,6)- D-glucan protein compounds, acid heteroglucan, Xyloglucan, heteroglucan protein compounds, RAN protein compounds glycoprotein (lectin), etc.
Cancer prevention effect Effect of absorbing and discharging cancerous materials	Dietary fiber Non digestive b-D-glucan, heteropolysaccharide, chitin
Reducing blood glucose	Polysaccharide (b-D-glucan) Polysaccharide protein compounds, RNA compounds
Hypotensive effect, reducing cholesterol, reducing arteriosclerosis	Dietary fiber and unsaturated fatty acid such as linolic acid composing lipid
The Chemical Times,ISSN 0285-2446 Kanto Chemical Co., inc., 1989, No.1(131 Volumes in all) extract from P.12.P21 Takashi Mizuno: Phamacological and Gastronomic Effects of Fungi and its Applications

We believe that Agaricus blazei Murill is the ideal food for the people of today, who are exposed to a difficult living environment.

The second most common cause of death in the world is cancer, accounting for 1 in 5 deaths with anticipation to increase to 2 in 5 in the year 2,000. But what is cancer? Cancer is any of a group of more than 100 diseases which symptoms are unrestrained growth of cells in one of the body organs or tissues. The fact is you probably get cancer up to six times per year, but your immune system when at peak destroys the cancerous cells before growth and multiplication!

When not destroyed immediately by your immune system, the cancer-invaded cells deviate from the usual controls over cell growth. The growth begins when the genes controlling cell growth and multiplication (oncogenes) are transformed by cancer-causing agents known as carcinogens. After a cell has a malignant transformation, the small group of abnormal cells divide more rapidly than the normal surrounding cells. The abnormal cells usually show a lack of "differentiation," meaning they no longer perform the specialized task of their host tissue. Thus, the cancerous cells are in fact parasites avoiding control of hormones and nerves and consuming nutrients while contributing nothing.

This rapid multiplication results in invasion and destruction of other body cells. These cancerous cells can then spread (metastasize) via the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body from their original site. A cancer differs from a benign (non-dangerous) tumor in two ways: cancers grow, spread and infiltrate the tissues around them, in addition to spreading to form new tumors that grow independently.

Cancerous tumors develop and multiply when the immune system surveillance team fails to identify the cancerous cell invaders and then is overwhelmed when recognition does occur, due to the massive number of corrupted cancer cells that have multiplied rapidly when undetected and unchecked.

We are our own worst enemies in that we first suppress our immune systems with excessive free radicals, or rogue molecules, that damage cells due to the impact of toxins on our systems. Polluted air, water, fast food; in addition to pathogens such as parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses joined with heavy metals and toxic chemicals, assault us daily. Genetic factors join immunological weakness in certain cancer cases.

The most common treatment in 50% of cases is chemotherapy, but success occurs in only a few cases (2 to 25%), such as ovarian cancer in women and testicular cancer in men, in addition to Duke's C, a form of colon cancer.

The logical question to ask would be, if chemotherapy has such a low rate of success, why is it used so often? Dr. Ralph Moss, author of Questioning Chemotherapy, explains that most people confuse decreased tumor size with disappearance of disease. The association appears logical, but no known proof exists to support the connection.

It is troubling that alternative therapies are often criticized for not being tested according to scientific standards, but many "accepted" treatments, including chemotherapy, have only limited success and little correlation between tumor shrinkage and patient survival. The answer unfortunately often appears to be economics, with chemotherapy treatments frequently costing six figures. We must understand the facts, which are often difficult to accept in the midst of such suffering and fear for life caused by these dreaded cancer diseases.

The most common form of cancer is carcinoma which originates in the skin, or in the glandular tissue such as the breast or prostate gland. Another form of cancer, sarcoma, affects connective and supportive tissue such as bone, muscle, cartilage and fat. Still another type are melanomas which are skin cancers. Lymphomas affect the lymphatic system, while leukemias are cancers of the blood-forming organs.

The inability of the immune system to first recognize and then to appropriately respond to cancer tumors is a major contributing factor to the ability of the disease to multiply and spread before recognition by the body. Good news! The immune response can be potentiated to more ably recognize the cancer attempting to hide in normal cells by a naturally occurring biomolecule named Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan.

A particularly potent immune potentiator is an insoluble particulate Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan extracted and purified from Baker's yeast (no harmful yeast proteins remain that cause an allergic reaction). Beta glucan is a non-toxic nutritional biomolecule classified G.R.A.S. by the FDA, that significantly potentiates the macrophage, the large white immune cell; increasing its ability to recognize cancerous cells, particularly as we age.

According to research by Peter Mansell, Donald Carrow, M.D., Nicholas DiLuzio, D.L. Williams, M.L. Patchen and others at Harvard, Baylor, Tulane, the Armed Services Radiobiology Research Institute and a multitude of other scientific research centers, Beta glucan extracted from yeast cell wall enhances immune system awareness of the cancerous cells and nutritionally aids in control.

When boosted by Beta glucan, the immune alarm to activate the entire immune response is sounded against the cancer, enabling the macrophages to attack the cancerous cells with enhanced cytotoxic granules (toxic chemicals) that kill the cancer cell and prevent further multiplication and spreading. Results have been particularly dramatic in breast, sarcoma and melanoma cancers.

The research demonstrates Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, particularly in small particle sizes (micronized) for better absorption and more rapid response, increases protection of the immune cells from the damage of radiation treatments and then, after treatments, enhances recovery of platelets and white immune cells.

The macrophage is also enhanced to more ably and rapidly remove the toxic debris (phagocytosis) created by radiation and chemotherapy in the body, thus reducing or eliminating the negative side effects such as nausea, hair loss, inability to sleep and skin radiation injury.

Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan in NSC-24 Immunition(tm) products is micronized and purified in a proprietary process to provide maximum potentiation of the macrophage immune cell with minimum amounts. Science demonstrates particulate Beta glucan can nutritionally enable your immune response to fight back against cancer, reduce or eliminate the negative side effects of many treatments, and, as an adjuvant, make chemotherapy treatments more effective than acting alone.

Cancer affects us all and we must now utilize all available science to provide answers. Nature has provided Beta glucan; science has demonstrated the benefits; now we must begin using this incredible biomolecule for potentiating the immune response not only to fight cancer, but the legion of pathogens that attempt to rob us of good health daily.

Cancer - Carcinoma of the Breast: Mansell P.W.A., Ichinose H., Reed R.J., Krements E.T., McNamee R.B., Di Luzio N.R.; "Macrophage-mediated Destruction of Human Malignant Cells in Vitro". Journal of National Cancer Institute; 54: 571-580. 1975. Quote: "The initial 9 patients studied had malignant carcinoma of the breast. Control and experimental lesions were injected; subsequently biopsies were performed at varying intervals for histologic evaluation. Always when glucan or glucan and RF fraction were administered intra-lesionally, the size of the lesion was strikingly reduced in as short a period as 5 days. ...In small lesions, resolution was complete, whereas in large lesions, resolutions was partial."

Cancer - Melanoma: DiLuzio N.R. Williams D.L. et al, "Comparative evaluation of the tumor inhibitory and antibacterial activity of solubilized and particulate glucan," Recent Results Cancer Res 75:165-172. 1980.* Quote: "Intravenous administration of soluble or particulate glucan resulted in significant reduction in the growth of a syngeneic anaplastic mammary carcinoma and melanoma B16 and enhanced survival."

Cancer - Sarcoma and Melanoma: Williams DL, et al, "Therapeutic efficacy of glucan in a murine model of hepatic metastatic disease," Hepatology 5(2):198-206. Mar 1985.* Quote: "...coincubation of particulate glucan with diverse populations of normal or tumor cells in vitro indicated that glucan exerted a direct cytostatic effect on sarcoma and melanoma cells and, in contrast, had a proliferative effect on normal spleen and bone marrow cells."

Cancer : Carrow, D.J.; "Beta-1,3-glucan as a Primary Immune Activator," Townsend Letter; June 1996. Quote: "Over the past 11 months I have been able to convince five out of eight breast cancer patients who were undergoing radiation therapy, to consume one capsule of beta 1,3/1,6 glucan (NSC-24 3 mg) three times per day. To date, I have observed that none of the patients using NSC-24 have suffered from any type of radiation injury to the skin, while the three patients who chose not to use NSC-24 all show signs of extensive radiation damage to the skin."

Hemopoietic Stimulation: Patchen M.L., McVittie T.J.; Temporal Response of Murine Pluripotent Stem Cells and Myeloid and Erythroid Progenitor Cells to Low-dose Glucan Treatment. Acta Hemat; 70:281-288. Experimental Hematology Dept, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Insti, Bethesda, MD. 1983. Quote: "Clearly, there are numerous possible uses for an agent such as glucan, which is a potent stimulator of hemopoietic [formation of blood cells] activity. Currently, we [U.S. Armed Services] are using glucan to enhance hemopoietic proliferation in conjunction with hemopoietic injury induced by radiation."

Platelet and White Blood Cell Recovery: Pachen ML, MacVittie TJ, "Comparative effects of soluble and particulate glucans on survival in irradiated mice," J Biol Response Mod 5(1):45-60. Experimental Hematology Dept, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Inst, Bethesda, MD. Feb 1986. Quote: "Both glucan-P and glucan-F enhanced the recovery of peripheral blood white cell numbers, platelet numbers, and hematocrit values. In addition, both agents increased endogenous pluripotent hemopoietic stem cell numbers in sublethally irradiated mice."

Everyone can benefit from enhancement of his or her immune system to provide a longer and better quality life. All of us are subjected to the immune suppressing action of aging, environmental contaminants, chemicals in food an water, disease and the stresses of a fast paced lifestyle. Cuesta Agaricus mushrooms are nutritional dietary food supplements with an active ingredient proven by research to be an incredibly effective enhancing agent to the immune system.

Based on research on the active ingredients in Agaricus blazei Murril mushrooms , the following people may obtain beneficial results from Cuesta Agaricus mushrooms due to active ingredient, Beta-1,3 / 1,6-glucan: