Is There a Fungus Amungus?? How Eating Shiitake Mushrooms/Taking a Supplement Can Boost Immunity!

     Food is medicine. That is one of my core beliefs. Mushrooms have long been used for medicinal purposes. Lately, scientists have been studying their effects on the immune system. While I was studying integrative medicine in Arizona, my project was on the effects of the AHCC supplement (derived from Shiitake mushrooms) on cancer prevention. At the University of Florida, 52 participants eat four ounces of cooked Shiitake mushrooms daily for four weeks. Their blood work showed improved functioning of their T cells (cells of our immune system that help attack foreign invaders) and decreases in inflammatory proteins. Thus, adding some Shiitake mushrooms in your soups, salads, and sandwiches could keep infection at bay and decrease inflammation.

    If one does not like the taste of mushrooms or cannot find Shiitake mushrooms throughout the year, the AHCC supplement is available. AHCC stands for active hexose correlated compounds. Don’t let the fancy scientific name fool you! The supplement is derived from Shiitake mushrooms combined with several other mushrooms from the Basidiomycota family. The hair-like root structures, rather than the cap, are used and then cultured in rice bran extract until they form a colony. They grow and multiply for 45-60 days and then undergo multiple steps before becoming a functional food supplement.

AHCC contains many nutrients including carbs, fats, proteins, B vitamins, fiber, minerals, and water. Its immune boosting component is in its carbohydrates including alpha and beta glucans!

     

http://foodsforlonglife.blogspot.com/2014/12/shiitake-and-maitake-mushroom.html

  What are the benefits of taking the AHCC supplement?

1. Improved Functioning of Immune System: AHCC has been shown to enhance your immune systems surveillance system against cancer cells, including melanoma and lymphoma, by increasing numbers of natural killer cells and T cells. These cells recognize cancerous cells and attack them. (Gao 2005)
2. Reduced Side Effects of Chemotherapy: In a study done with AHCC supplementation during cisplatin chemotherapy, AHCC significantly reduced tumor size, improved anorexia, decreased nephrotoxicity, and decreased bone marrow toxicity. (Hirose 2007)
3. Improving Survival in Liver Cancer or Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Supplementation with AHCC after surgical resection of tumor with patients who have hepatocellular carcinoma can improve their prognosis by extending time before recurrence and increasing overall survival rate. (Matsui 2002)
4. Improving Survival in Breast Cancer: One study showed that when AHCC was supplemented with UFT (tegafur plus uracil chemotherapy) in mice with metastatic mammary adenocarcinoma, natural killer cell activity was enhanced and metastasis to axillary lymph nodes was inhibited. (Matsushita 1998)
5. Improving Survival in HPV and/or Cervical Cancer: Daily dosing of AHCC can help to eradicate HPV 16/18 infections and may have a role in the prevention of HPV-related cervical cancer. One could also use AHCC in primary cervical cancer to improve response rates to chemotherapy and help prevent recurrence. (Smith 2007)

References: 

1. Xiaoshuang Dai, Joy M. Stanilka, Cheryl A. Rowe, Elizabethe A. Esteves, Carmelo Nieves, Samuel J. Spaiser, Mary C. Christman, Bobbi Langkamp-Henken, Susan S. Percival. ConsumingLentinula edodes(Shiitake) Mushrooms Daily Improves Human Immunity: A Randomized Dietary Intervention in Healthy Young Adults. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2015; 1 DOI:10.1080/07315724.2014.950391
2. "10 Must-Know Cancer Statistics for 2014." 10 Must-Know Cancer Statistics for 2014. American Cancer Society, 31 Jan. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
3.  Cheetham, Philippa, MD. "The Patient's Guide to AHCC." Woodland Publishing, 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.
4.  Gao, Yunfei, Dongqing Zhang, Buxiang Sun, Hajime Fujii, Ken-Ichi Kosuna, and Zhinan Yin. "Active Hexose Correlated Compound Enhances Tumor Surveillance through Regulating Both Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses." Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 55.10 (2006): 1258-266. Web.
5.  Hirose, A., E. Sato, H. Fujii, B. Sun, H. Nishioka, and O. Aruoma. "The Influence of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) on Cisplatin-evoked Chemotherapeutic and Side Effects in Tumor-bearing Mice." Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 222.2 (2007): 152-58. Web.
6.  Matsui, Yoichi, Junya Uhara, Sohei Satoi, Masaki Kaibori, Hitoshi Yamada, Hiroaki Kitade, Atsusi Imamura, Soichiro Takai, Yusai Kawaguchi, A-Hon Kwon, and Yasuo Kamiyama. "Improved Prognosis of Postoperative Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients When Treated with Functional Foods: A Prospective Cohort Study." Journal of Hepatology 37.1 (2002): 78-86. Web.
7.  Matsushita, K., Y. Kuramitsu, and Y. Ohiro. "Combination Therapy of Active Hexose Correlated Compound plus UFT (tegafur and Uracil) Significantly Reduces the Metastasis of Rat Mammary Adenocarcinoma." Anticancer Drugs (1998). PubMed. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.
8.  Sumiyoshi, Y., K. Hashine, Y. Kakehi, K. Yoshimura, T. Satou, H. Kuruma, S. Namiki, and N. Shinohara. "Dietary Administration of Mushroom Mycelium Extracts in Patients with Early Stage Prostate Cancers Managed Expectantly: A Phase II Study." Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 40.10 (2010): 967-72. PubMed. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.
9.  Shigama, K., A. Nakaya, and K. Wakame. "Alleviating Effect of Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) for Anticancer Drug-induced Side Effects in Non-tumor-bearing Mice." Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology (2009): n. pag. PubMed. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.
10.  Turner, Jeffrey, and Uzair Chaudhary. "Dramatic Prostate-specific Antigen Response with Activated Hemicellulose Compound in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer." Anti-Cancer Drugs 20.3 (2009): 215-16. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.