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
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