Six Mushroom Extracts Report

Compiled by: Bonnie O'Sullivan

Disease and Beta-Glucan Chemistry

The human body is a marvelous creation. It carries us through life with style and grace. And it is a self-repairing mechanism, or at least it should be. But sometimes things go wrong, seemingly ahead of schedule. Disease occurs. And then we are in for the fight of our lives, literally. But there are options in caring for our health. We all know that we need to feed the body the right fuel for it to function properly. But what about when disease strikes, could there be another fuel perhaps? Something better than what we have been feeding it all along? We all know about antibiotics, and other ‘specifically targeted’ medicines, but what about a medicine that seemingly supports the whole body in its struggle to get well? That is what Immune-Assist does. We will try to explain in simple terms how Immune-Assist works. We have all heard of miracle cures. Well, this could be one.

In the plant and fungus kingdoms, sugars are produced within the cells. These sugars are used both as sources of energy and arranged into structural units, which make up the cell walls. These arrangements take many forms, some of which we are quite familiar with, such as starches and cellulose (which is the cell wall material in plants). The particular arrangements of the sugars and their binding with other substances determine the biological activity of these compounds. In the same way that Iron is used in automobiles, table spoons and multivitamin tablets, sugars are used in nature to assemble a broad range of dissimilar compounds. Some of these compounds, which have potent medicinal properties, are found in mushrooms. These are called the Alpha and Beta-Glucans. (The Beta-Glucan form is thought to exert the primary effect in the human immune system against disease).

These Glucans are long chain polysaccharide molecules, consisting of thousands to millions of glucose molecules bonded together in particular fashions. Alpha or Beta-Glucan is not any one particular compound or structural arrangement, but refers to the way in which the sugars sub-units are attached to one another. Both of these arrangements (alpha and beta) are found in all of the Medicinal Mushrooms. These compounds are in fact, what give the mushrooms their profound medicinal properties.

The designations of Alpha and Beta glucans are determined by the position on the sugar molecule at which the bonding occurs. As glucose is a 6 carbon sugar, the linkage can occur between any combination of the 6 positions. Thus when a polysaccharide is referred to as 1-3 Beta-Glucan the linkage is between the 1 position on one glucose molecule and the 3 position on the next molecule. Side branches can also occur at some particular points on the molecule, such as 1-3(1-6) Beta-Glucan (1-3 bonding with side branches at the 1-6 position) which is one of the polysaccharides found in Maitake, Shiitake, and a few other mushrooms. This is one of the first chemicals which was found to have specific anti-cancer properties.

Note: Immune-Assist inhibits platelet aggregation, improves diabetic parameters, decreases cholesterol, decreases inflammation of the liver from viral and chemical aggravation and insult, boosts the immunity for resistance to infection, and combats neoplastic action within tissues. Safety: Rare/occasional diarrhea and dermatitis. Do not mix with anti-coagulation medications, and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Diabetic medicines should be monitored.

In America and a few other western countries, a diagnosis of Cancer is so often a death sentence. This need not be so. In many countries alternatives to western treatment are being used as the standard therapy in the fight against cancer. For instance, in Japan, the cure rate for breast cancer is 97%! Likewise, in China the cure rate for Lung Cancer is over 80%! These figures come directly from the government health statistics of those countries.

We must ask ourselves why is this so? The reason for such effective treatment of this terrible disease is that these countries are using Mushroom based medicines in the fight to regain control of the bodies’ defenses. In America, it is interesting to note that every single pharmaceutical company is researching the amazing potential of these medicinal compounds. None have yet been brought to FDA clinical trials. This appears to be, at least in part, an economic consideration. The active ingredients have been identified, but are difficult to synthesize. As naturally occurring compounds, they do not lend themselves to being easily patented. However, in many other countries, medicinal products are being produced from the mushroom extracts, and are being used with great success.

Thousands of years ago, people learned that different kinds of herbs were useful for different illnesses. We tend to forget sometimes that nature is where almost all of our medicines still come from — not the laboratory — nature.

Plants, animals, minerals, these are all useful in our quest for health. But by far the largest group of medicinal substances come from the fungus kingdom. Virtually all of our antibiotics, anti-rejection drugs for organ transplants, high cholesterol medications, and many others pharmaceuticals still come from the fungi.

Mushrooms are the highest evolved and most developed form of fungi. As bio-chemical factories, the fungi have no equals. There are innumerable compounds produced in the mushrooms, some of which are found nowhere else in nature. Mankind, in all our glory has still not learned to reproduce these chemicals in a test tube.

The most important class of medicines yet found in mushrooms are the BETA-GLUCANS. These are extremely complex, long polysaccharides chains, made up of thousands to millions of individual sugar molecules. In the same way that steel is used to build a car, nature has used these sugars to create a completely new substance. One that has an amazing feature when put into the human body. They activate the immune system to fight disease! Science has not yet found a way to synthesize these compounds in the laboratory. We must turn to nature for this.

The Beta-glucans, which are found in several types of medicinal mushrooms are the most potent immune system stimulants yet discovered by science! Beta-glucans come in several different structural arrangements, such as linkage at the 1-3 position with 1-6 side branches on the molecule. This is the type of glucan present in MAITAKE mushrooms. 1-6 linkage is the variety found in AGARICUS BLAZEI mushrooms and 1-3 (1-4) beta glucan is found in CORDYCEPS SINENSIS. Each particular type is believed to stimulate a different aspect of the immune function. Some activate the production of T-cells, some the production of B-cells and some the bodies’ own Natural Killer (NK) cells.

THE MOST POTENT ANTI-CANCER SUBSTANCE YET FOUND!

Agaricus Blazei

Agaricus Blazei is one of the most amazing medicinal mushrooms discovered. It is sure to revolutionize medicine, as we know it in the next few years. It is as important a finding as was penicillin in the 1920’s. And it will have just as much impact upon the treatment of immuno-deficient diseases such as CANCER and AIDS, as did the discovery of antibiotics upon infections.

The main medicinal properties of this mushroom are anti-tumor and immune enhancement. In almost all of the studies published to date, the rate of cure for all types of cancer has been in the high ninety percentile range. This is true even for STAGE 4 LUNG CANCER, where many complete cures are seen in just a few weeks. Most of these studies have been done with rats or guinea pigs, but the belief is that results should be similar in humans. The largest and most complete human trials are being done in China and Japan. There is a delay in these reports being widely circulated in America due to the language difference. As we have these studies translated, we will be posting them to this web site.

The mushroom Agaricus blazei is the only source found so far which contains significant amounts of 1-6 Beta-Glucan. This particular Beta-Glucan has shown extremely potent action in all tests against Human Cancer conducted to date. Specifically, this Beta-Glucan seems to significantly increase the number and activity of the body’s Natural Killer cells (NK cells).

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

There are several active ingredients that have been identified. The more important of these are the following;

Beta-(1-3)-D-glucan, Beta-(1-4)-a -D-glucan & Beta - (1-6)-D-glucan. Known collectively as Beta-glucans, these substances are the most potent immunopotentiating (immune enhancing) substances yet found. They also have very powerful anti-tumor properties. It is thought by most scientists that the anti-tumor properties of these chemicals are directly resultant from the immune enhancement. That is, the beta-glucans do not directly cause the anti-tumor effect, but rather they trigger the bodies’ own anti-tumor response. This is relatively easy to measure, as the human body produces a type of anti-tumor white blood cell known as Natural Killer cells (NK cells). When human subjects are given BLAZEI in their diet, a 3000% increase of NK cells in the blood is seen within 2-4 days. Please see the CANCER section of this site for more of a discussion on cancer causes and treatments.

Ergosterol derivatives, also known as provitamine D2 is a potent anti-tumor agent.

Double stranded RNA — Anti-viral agent.

Mushroom farmers have done much research to determine the optimum conditions under which to grow this mushroom. It is now being grown by just a few farmers outside of Brazil, mostly in China and Japan. There are also a few farmers in the United States who are growing this mushroom indoors under controlled atmospheric conditions. We have grown this mushroom in Hawaii both indoors under controlled conditions and outdoors. It is very obvious to us that the best quality mushrooms are produced indoors. This determination is based both upon laboratory test results and the size and flavor of the mushrooms grown indoors. With indoor cultivation, we are able to completely control the climatic conditions: temperature, humidity, air flow, CO2 levels, even the amount and quality of light and the lighting cycle itself. All of these parameters are set to develop the highest quality mushrooms. When cultivated outdoors, the grower is subject to the vagaries of nature. Sometimes good mushrooms are produced, sometimes not. Generally though, the overall quality of the mushrooms are less predictable when grown outdoors. Be aware that there is a great variation in the quality of health supplements on the market. Make sure that any Agaricus blazei you purchase is tested and standardized to insure the highest possible beta-glucan content.

Shiitake

Shiitake, known scientifically as Lentinus edodes, is the best known and most studied of all the world’s Medicinal Mushrooms. They are the source of some of the the most widely prescribed pharmaceutical medicines in the world for cancer therapy today.

Shiitakes are well known to most people as they are available throughout America on the grocery store shelves. Widely used in oriental cuisine, they have become more and more popular in common western cooking in the last few years. Quite delicious as a gourmet dish, these mushrooms tend to blur that fine line between good food and good medicine.

Shiitakes are the oldest cultivated mushroom. Native of the highlands of interior China, they have been cultivated for at least 1300 years. The city of Qingyuan in Zhejiang province is where shiitakes are thought to have been first cultivated. This city is still the world’s largest producer of shiitakes, with nearly every farmer growing them for at least a portion of the year. It is estimated that there are approximately 125,000 mushroom farms in and around Qingyuan today. These mushrooms are grown on hardwood sawdust, or for the best grades of white shiitake, grown on oak logs. There are existent textbooks detailing shiitake cultivation dating back to 1000 AD.

Although known by oriental healers for their health giving properties since ancient times, the medicinal properties of these mushrooms first came to the attention of western science in 1969. In that year, the Japanese government first published the report of a health survey done in that country. It was found that two areas of Japan had a very low incidence of cancer. When this information was looked at by science, it was noted that these two areas were shiitake growing regions where most of the populace was involved in the cultivation of this mushroom. The consumption of shiitakes in these areas was consequently much higher than the national average. Since this was the first time any specific anti-cancer agents had been hinted at, research soon started at universities around the world. The anti-cancer agents were soon identified and clinical trials started. By 1975, the drug LENTINAN was approved and is now the number one drug prescribed in the world for primary cancer therapy. Since then, several other drugs have been produced from shiitake and are now available in most countries. Some of these drugs are KS-2, LEM and GVHR.

CHEMISTRY

In the plant and fungus kingdoms, sugars are produced within the cells. These sugars are used both as sources of energy and arranged into structural units, which make up the cell walls. These arrangements take many forms some of which we are quite familiar with, such as starches and cellulose (which is the cell wall material in plants). The particular arrangements of the sugars and their binding with other substances determine the biological activity of these compounds. In the same way that Iron is used to build automobiles, table spoons and multivitamin tablets, sugars can be used by nature to assemble a broad range of dissimilar compounds. Some of these structural arrangements which have profound medicinal properties are found in mushrooms. These are called the Beta-Glucans.

Beta-Glucans are long chain polysaccharides consisting of thousands to millions of glucose molecules bonded together in particular fashions. Beta-Glucan is not any one particular arrangement, but refers to the way in which the sugars are attached to one another. There is another possible method of attachment between the individual sugar sub-units which is called Alpha-Glucans. Both of these arrangements are found in shiitake, as well as the other medicinal mushrooms.

The designations of Alpha and Beta glucans are determined by the position on the sugar molecule at which the bonding occurs. As glucose is a six carbon sugar, the linkage can occur between any combination of the six positions. Thus when a polysaccharide is referred to as 1-3 Beta-Glucan the linkage is between the 1 position on one glucose molecule and the 3 position on the next molecule. Side branches also occur at some particular points, such as 1-3(1-6) Beta-Glucan which is one of the polysaccharide which is found in shiitake. This is the first chemical found in shiitake, which was found to have specific anti-cancer properties. This is the drug which is known as LENTINAN.

The human body has a complex system of immune defense, which functions as a guardian of the body against foreign invaders and against our own aberrant cells. This immune system consists of many different types of cells, such as the T cells, B cells and Natural Killer cells (NK cells). One of the functions of the Beta-Glucans is that it attaches to receptor sites on the immune cells and activates them. When disease occurs in the body, it is always due to a deficiency in the bodies’ immune response. By supplying a larger amount of Beta-Glucans in the body, a higher state of immune response is created. This is the primary pathway by which shiitake and the other medicinal mushrooms help the body fight off invasion by cancer cells. This is called IMMUNOMODULATION. Modulation of the immune system. Perhaps better referred to as stimulation of the body’s immune system.

Sugars are not produced in the human body (or if at all, only in very tiny amounts) and must be taken in from plant and fungus sources. Since certain mushrooms are the highest sources of Beta-Glucans known, it stands to reason that these sources of the complex polysaccharides are the best bet in the fight against depressed immune function and the diseases that follow. And since the effect of the mushroom is to enhance the bodies own defense system, there are no side effects from this treatment. This is quite a a different ball game in comparison to conventional cancer therapy which tends to poison and destroy the body’s immune function. Infectious agents cause more deaths in modern cancer treatment than does the cancer itself. In most of the world, these Beta-Glucan containing mushrooms are used as an adjunct to conventional Chemo-Therapy to help boost the immune system against the onslaught of the damaging chemical agents used to directly kill the tumor cells.

In clinical trials at the Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, it was found that conventional Chemo-Therapy for lung cancer was approximately 10% effective while the chemo-therapy with the addition of 3 grams per day of a Beta-Glucan concentrate (from Maitake mushroom in this case) boosted the efficiency to over 80% cure! This is now the standard treatment for advanced lung cancer in China, and has been since 1994. With an 80% cure rate against this dreaded disease, how can we even think to argue?

It was noted early on in the research that LENTINAN (1-3{1-6} Beta-Glucan) was not effective orally and had to be administered by injection. Modern research has found the reason for this and the way around it. In many cancer patients, digestive function is also impaired. This means that the extremely large organic molecules, such as Beta-Glucan are not readily absorbed in the stomach and intestines but pass through unchanged. But as the Beta-Glucans are long chain molecules, it has been found that breaking the chain into shorter segments makes the substance more readily bio-available while maintaining the same clinical properties. One way to do this is to co-administer vitamin C with the mushroom extracts. It is not possible to mix the vitamin C with the medicine ahead of time, as the breakdown process continues and ultimately leaves behind just simple sugar molecules. The addition of 1000 mg (1 gram) of vitamin C at the same time the mushroom or mushroom extracts are taken logarithmically increases the absorption of the Beta-Glucans. It is thought that Ginger has this same effect.

Another effective anti-cancer ingredient found in Shiitake is the pharmaceutical drug KS-2. This is an Alpha-Glucan, much smaller in molecular size than LENTINAN and bound to a protein molecule. this substance is easily absorbed by the body and is quite effective orally. It is produced from the remaining liquid broth when shiitake is cultivated in large batches with liquid culture techniques (much the same way that penicillin is produced). It is thought to be a metabolic by-product of shiitake and is found only in small amounts in the whole mushroom.

While this course of Cancer Therapy is not followed in America, It is well known in much of the rest of the world. It is far from being fringe science or charlatanism, and a search of the scientific literature will reveal hundreds, if not thousands of research papers verifying these findings. A good place to review these research articles is on the U.S. Governments own National Library of Medicine web site, PubMed. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Shiitake is also a very good source of vitamins, minerals and high quality proteins. It is one of the few sources in nature of pro-vitamin D. The protein in shiitakes (25-30% protein) is especially high quality, providing 7 of the obligatory amino acids used in human nutrition. High in potassium and calcium, shiitake makes a good health supplement for anyone interested in maintaining optimum health. As a regular addition to the diet, or taken as a daily supplement, it tends to promote health and vigor. In fighting off a disease state, perhaps the concentrated extracts are a better choice for a daily regimen.

CORDYCEPS SINENSIS

Wow, what a fascinating creature! A mushroom that only grows off of the head of a buried caterpillar!

This mushroom comes from the high Himalaya Mountains, where it is found between 14,000 and 16,000 feet in elevation. The mycelium (which is the ‘vegetative’ growth form of the organism) grows in the soil in these high, cold and arid mountains. At a certain point in the life cycle, the mycelium finds the buried caterpillar, which is the larvae of the bat moth, and colonizes it. The caterpillar becomes mummified by the growth of the mycelium, and although it still looks like a caterpillar, when studied under the microscope, it is almost entirely mycelium. the mycelium then forms into a mushroom, which sprouts off of the back of the caterpillars’ head! The mushroom pokes through the soil and grows up through the grass. The mushroom itself, the part sticking up out of the ground, looks much like blades of grass, but iridescent blue in color. The local people find the caterpillar by watching the wild yaks. Where the yaks graze, the mushroom is found. The local name for this mushroom is Dong Chong Xia Cao, which means “summer grass, winter worm”

For centuries in the Orient this mushroom has been highly prized for its medicinal properties. It has been traditionally traded for its weight in silver, except in times of shortage or illness, when it went for its weight in gold! As such a rare and expensive item, its use was basically reserved for the royalty in the court of Beijing. Imagine the arduous journey, traveling by yak pack, from the highest and remotest mountain valleys, all the way to the court in Beijing, a thousand miles away! No wonder it was held in such high esteem. One of the truly miraculous aspects of our culture today is that this medicine can now be grown in the lab and made available for use by the common man, all over the world.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

The medicinal properties of this mushroom are equally amazing. One of the highlights of modern research has been the discovery of novel new antibiotics in this mushroom. One of these, Cordyceptin, is very effective against all sorts of bacteria that have developed resistance to the other antibiotics. Especially notable is its effectiveness against TUBERCULOSIS! It is also effective in all sorts of lung and respiratory infections, as well as in the treatment of LEPROSY. All too many bacteria have, or are, developing resistance to the more common antibiotics such as penicillin. (Another fungus product!)

The best known medicinal action of Cordyceps is as an adaptogen for the increase of physical stamina. The Chinese national games in 1993 brought this mushroom to the attention of the worlds’ sports authorities. A group of nine women athletes who had been taking Cordyceps shattered NINE WORLDS RECORDS! The record for the 10 km run was beaten by an unprecedented 42 SECONDS. Not too bad in a world where records are usually broken by a few hundredths of a second! The number of stories of amazing increases in sports performance are many. There has even been talk of banning it from sporting events as an unfair advantage to those who can get it! Most professional athletes who use it now are unwilling to admit it, due to the possibility that some sporting authority will outlaw its use.

Another major use of this mushroom is in the treatment of LEUKEMIA. It has shown outstanding activity against human Leukemia in many trials in China, Japan and elsewhere. One of the main uses in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been for asthma and other bronchial conditions. Modern research has proven this over and over again. See the Research Papers section for more information on this amazing medicinal mushroom.

Wild Cordyceps vs Laboratory Cultivation

There has been concern over the rumor of contamination of Cordyceps with heavy metals, particularly lead. This is a well founded concern. As the wild mushroom is collected in the high mountains by very poor village folks, there has been a long history of slipping a small stick up the tail end of the caterpillar to increase the weight of the product that is delivered to market. In recent years, these sticks have been replaced more and more with small bits of lead solder. A good way for them to increase the weight perhaps, but not at all what you want to eat! There have even been several recorded instances in Taiwan of full blown lead poisoning caused by use of Cordyceps. However, this only applies to the wild collected form of Cordyceps and not to the laboratory grown variety.

Which brings us to how it is grown. As the wild range of Cordyceps is quite limited and very far away, the cost of the wild variety is astronomically high. As of December 1999, the wholesale cost in China for lots of 100 kg or more was between $1000 - $2000 per kilogram. This is expensive enough to keep it out of the hands of most people. Modern research however, has developed a method for cultivating the mycelium in large sterile tanks. The mycelium is grown out in a liquid broth medium for a couple of weeks under very carefully controlled sterile conditions. It is then separated from the liquid by centrifuge and freeze dried. It is not necessary to grow out the mushroom on caterpillars to gain the medicinal benefits. In fact, it has been found that the cultivated mycelium has consistently more active ingredients than the wild collected variety. This, coupled with the fact that there is no heavy metal risk when cultivated in the lab, makes it the preferred form for human consumption. The freeze dried, powdered mycelium is then encapsulated and made available for use. We can now offer this product to you at a cost far below the wild variety, and well within reason for most people.

FURTHER READING

To learn more about this amazing medicinal mushroom, We highly recommend the book “CORDYCEPS, CHINAS HEALING MUSHROOM” by Dr. George Halpern MD, PhD, of U.C. Davis. Dr. Halpern is one of the worlds foremost authorities on Cordyceps and has written many articles on this subject in easy-to-understand laymen’s terms.

The other booklet that we recommend everyone to read is Paul Stamets’ book “MYCOMEDICINALS” available for $5.95 at Fungi Perfecti (800)780-9126 or online at www.fungi.com This small but informative booklet is a masterpiece for presenting information on Medicinal Mushrooms. Written by the worlds’ foremost authority on mushroom cultivation, this is a ‘must read’ for anyone interested in this subject.

MAITAKE

Known in Latin as Grifola frondosa, This is a medicinal mushroom found growing on oak trees throughout the temperate regions of the world. Well known to the early American Indians, this mushroom was considered to be one of their most important mushroom medicines. As is so often the case, when western science looks at the claims of native peoples regarding their medicines, it is found that the grandmothers were right all along.

Maitake has recently been proven through research to have some incredible health-giving properties.

Traditionally, consumption of this mushroom was thought to prevent high blood pressure and cancer. These two applications have been a focal point of modern research. While both these medical benefits have proven to be true, another startling and important discovery was made along the way . . . Maitake is effective in combating AIDS and HIV!

Maitake has been proven in a number of studies to stimulate the production of T-cells in the blood. In Immuno-deficiency Disease, it is often the reduction of T-cells that creates all the havoc. By the regular consumption of Maitake, these patients now have a natural way to increase these beneficial T-cells, with no detrimental side effects.

There is also no indication that Maitake does anything to hinder the conventional treatments of these diseases. Rather, it acts as an adjunct to such therapy, with patients who use it showing a higher rate of remission than those receiving therapy without its use.

It is currently believed that the immune enhancing properties of Maitake are due to the high content of polysaccharides it contains. These are very long chain sugars of the beta-Glucan variety. These totally natural, time tested remedies are now being shown in the research to not only have tumorcidal activities, but seem to have the ability to restore balance to the immune system that results in enhanced resistance to attack on the bodily systems.

CURED OF AIDS!

There is a very well known professional basketball player in America that retired several years ago due to contracting AIDS. He underwent conventional therapy, which, as usual, had very little effect on the disease. When he started taking MAITAKE as an immune system stimulant, he quickly regained his feelings of health and well being. It is reported that he is now testing negative for the HIV virus, and has none of the symptoms of AIDS. He is publicly attributing this miraculous cure to the use of MAITAKE. He is now considering a return to the professional sports arena!

Granted, this is a circumstantial case, and no one can say for sure just what caused the apparent reversal of this virulent disease. It is also unknown at this point whether use of MAITAKE will provide some protection against contracting such diseases. It is generally believed in the scientific community however, that immune stimulation will significantly reduce the incidence of illness, as well as shorten the course of any illnesses that do occur, whether it be the common cold, or some more serious issue.

It would seem from the current research that anyone who’s immune system is under stress, or who is at risk of developing any of these types of diseases could benefit from the addition of MAITAKE as a regular part of their health supplementation. Who has too much immunity to illness?

CORIOLUS VERSICOLOR

Known as Turkey Tails, this is a common shelf fungus found growing in woodlands all over the world. It is a hard, woody bracket fungus found growing on dead trees. Not at all what you would be likely to eat as an edible mushroom. But it contains some quite amazing medicinal compounds.

Some of the most commonly prescribed anti-cancer drugs in the orient are produced from this fungus. Krestin is widely used in Japan to treat a number of different types of cancers. Also known as PSK, this drug is being actively studied by many universities and pharmaceutical companies around the world. It shows exceptional promise in the treatment of prostate and breast cancer. Another formulation is extracted from Coriolus in China for pharmaceutical use there. It is known as PSP and is similar to PSK, both in Chemistry and in medicinal properties. These are both Protein bound Polysaccharides of the Beta-Glucan variety.

American National Cancer Research Center has put PSP on record as a fungous anticancerous substance. (Applied Microbiology, Vol. 34, p. 183-264. 1989)

Like other mushroom derived Beta-Glucans, the polysaccharides from Coriolus act in the human system as IMMUNOMODULATORS. That is, they activate (or modulate) the immune system. Within 48-72 hours of administering Beta-Glucans to humans, it is typical to see an increase of active immune cells by as much as 3000%. Increases of more than 10,000% have been seen in some cases!1

Besides the structural arrangements of the glucan molecules, there is another factor that helps determine biological activity, and that is whether or not there are any other molecules joined to the glucan molecule. It is quite common in nature to find proteins and peptides attached to the end of the glucan molecules. This “protein bonding” changes the way in which the human body uses this glucan in the immune system. PSK and PSP (from Coriolus versicolor) are examples of these “protein bound polysaccharides”.

In repeated studies, Coriolus has shown activity against Sarcoma 180 in the high 90% range. Sarcoma 180 is a standard cancer cell line that is used in research all over the world. By standardizing tests with this one cancer type, the results from different research labs are directly comparable. While this activity against Sarcoma 180 does not necessarily mean that it will be as effective against all other cancers, it is a good indicator of biological activity in humans. The best and most reliable tests are the clinical trials where the investigated drug is administered to patients and compared against other forms of therapy. In clinical trials with Coriolus, it has been shown to be more effective than conventional therapy without it’s use. Several clinical trials are underway at this time in several countries using Coriolus, and the results should be available within the next couple of years. Unfortunately, other concerns besides the medical efficacy come into play when determining whether a particular drug will come to market in one country or another. The cost of research and clinical trials is astronomical high and the patentability and profit potential of any medicine is looked at carefully before an attempt is made to put that drug out on the market.

It is interesting to note that when Coriolus Beta-Glucans are introduced directly into a test tube with the cancer cells, NOTHING HAPPENS! But when the Beta-Glucans are given to human subjects, the body sees it as an invasion of some unknown organism and triggers a huge immune defense. This radical increase in immune function means that there are many more immune cells available to fight the cancer or other invader in the body. Because of this host modulated immune response, Beta-Glucan therapy has many uses other than just directly anti-cancer. It has also shown good action against Hepatitis and invasion by the HIV virus. And since it works by stimulating the bodies’ own immune system, there are very few side effects. It is not like the case where toxic chemicals are injected into the body (Chemo-Therapy) in the hopes that the ‘bad’ cells will die before the ‘good’ cells. What a harsh way to treat a sick person. If this approach worked at all well, maybe it would be worth it. But the remission rates for chemo-therapy is not very good. Partly because the chemo-therapeutic agents also destroy the bodies’ immune cells. Infections are a serious risk anytime chemo-therapy is used. It is this authors opinion that anyone undergoing chemo-therapy (or radiation therapy) should also consider taking mushroom derived Beta-Glucans concurrently to help boost the immune system and regain some of the balance that is lost through the use of these extremely toxic chemicals. This co-administration of direct anti-tumor chemicals and naturally derived Beta-Glucans will become the standard treatment in years to come. Just as penicillin changed the way medicine dealt with infectious agents, Beta-Glucans will change the way we view the treatments for Cancer, AIDS and Hepatitis.

You can read for yourself what the Universities and Pharmaceutical companies are finding out about this incredible medicinal. These articles are all published on the U.S. Government’s own National Library of Medicine web site. Hopefully this mushroom and it’s extracted and derived medicines will be available to the American public soon. If you can afford to wait for the major pharmaceutical companies to get this out on the market, great. But if you or a loved one has need for this now, please check out the references we are providing. Talk it over with your doctor and make informed decisions regarding your health.

REISHI

Ganoderma lucidium, which is known in Japan as REISHI and in China as LING ZHI has a long history of use as a medicinal and herbal supplement. This mushroom has been known since the earliest recorded medical texts in China over 3000 years ago. As with most other herbs of long medicinal use, modern science has just recently proved what native healers have known for a long time.

ACTION AND CHEMISTRY

Reishi has been used primarily as an immune system enhancer and as an anti-tumor agent. Recent research confirms these actions, and has deciphered some of the mystery as to exactly how this mushroom works to accomplish these goals.

Like most other medicinal mushrooms, Reishi contains the chemical group Beta-Glucan (in particular, beta-8-(1,3)-glucan). This has been shown by the overwhelming majority of scientific studies to be a potent immune system stimulant.(1) In fact, Reishi contains more Beta-Glucan than any other mushroom we have yet tested, up to 40% by weight in some samples.(2) Reishi also contains other chemicals that are believed to have health stimulating properties, called triterpenoids (ganoderic acid -R, -T, -U, -V, -W, -X, -Y, and -Z) . These chemicals, and Reishi’s biological effects have been extensively studied and documented by Dr. Fukumi Morishige, M.D., Dr. Med. Sci., Ph.D., one of the leading experts in the world concerning Reishi’s health aspects. Dr. Morishige’s ground breaking work with cancer treatment and Reishi is well detailed in the book “Reishi Mushroom: Herb of Spiritual Potency and Medical Wonder” by Dr. Terry Willard. We highly recommend this book for anyone interested in reading more about this amazing medicinal mushroom.

The Beta-Glucans found in Reishi are extremely large organic molecules with a molecular weight of approximately 1,050,000, which makes absorption by the intestines difficult. In Dr. Morishige’s work, he found that by co-administering Vitamin C with the Reishi, these Beta-Glucan molecules were broken down into sub-units of approximate size 30,000. As these are chain like molecules, the shorter sections of the chain have all the same properties as longer segments, but are much more easily absorbed through the stomach and intestines. By administering Vitamin C along with the Reishi, the active ingredients become orally active. This is believed to be true with other mushroom Beta-Glucans as well.

As well known as Reishi is in the orient, it is still comparatively new to the U.S. Health Supplement Industry. This is due in part to the difficulty of cultivating this mushroom. In recent discoveries, the mushroom growing industry has found ways to easily cultivate this mushroom. There are two forms of growing used for this (and some other) mushrooms. The first is to grow out the fruit body (mushroom) on sawdust or hardwood logs. The other way is to grow the Mycelium in large sterile vats of nutrient medium, much the way penicillin is produced. The mycelium is the “vegetative growth” part of the organism, just as the fruit body is essentially the “flower” of the organism.

While the Mycelium and the Fruit Body are similar in effect, there are some differences. The Mycelium contains from 15-40% Beta-Glucan and none or only trace amounts of the highly oxidized triterpenoids. The fruit body on the other hand, contains this same 15-40% Beta-Glucan and about 3-5% triterpenoids. The Mycelium product is cheaper to produce, but does not have as much research behind it showing the same level of medicinal actions. This is not to say that it does not work. Quite the opposite may be true. But it is this authors opinion that the fruit body is probably more effective in treating such diseases as cancer.

There is another form of Reishi that is well worth mentioning. That is the spore powder. Spores are the “seeds” of a mushroom. Incredibly small, they are difficult to harvest so specially designed electrostatic filters must be used to harvest these from the air of the grow room in which the Reishi is grown. As such, the Spore Powder is quite a bit more expensive then either the Fruit Body or the Mycelium. But the spores have a unique quality that make them well worth the additional expense. They contain the highest level yet found in nature of Beta-Glucan, about 70-80% by weight! There are little or no triterpenoids present. It should be noted that the spores are covered with a coating of the hardest known organic substance, Chitan. This is a completely indigestible layer, making the Beta-Glucans unavailable. The spores must therefore be broken or damaged in some way to expose the interior or else the spore powder will just pass through the body unchanged. If you decide to take Reishi Spore Powder, make sure it is of the “Broken Cell Wall” type.

All this must sound confusing. The question arises, “which Reishi product should I take to treat my illness or maintain my health”? I wish we knew the definitive answer to that. In all likelihood, the different formulations are probably useful for different conditions. We are convinced that in time, research will provide us with the answers to these questions. In the meantime though, perhaps the best option would be to take two or even all three of the Reishi products available. Since the constituents of Spore Powder and Mycelium are identical, the better option in our opinion, is the Broken Cell Wall Spore Powder.

ALZHEIMERS

There is another activity found in the Spore Powder, and that is a stimulation of Nerve Cell Growth. The actual chemical(s) responsible for this have not yet been identified. Research is presently being conducted in Shanghai, China by a Professor Dr. Chen, who is one of the technical advisors to Hawaii Health Products. His research seems to indicate that the consumption of Reishi Spore Powder may have a reversing effect on such nerve system degeneration as Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, Hearing Loss, etc. We are presenting this as an informative topic for discussion only. We would like to hear from any other researchers that may have information on this property of Reishi spores so we can exchange test results and information.

To order Immune-Assist call (800) 651-7080. VISA and MC Accepted.

Note: For a full report on current research on each of the six mushroom extracts call (800) 651-7080 — the cost is $5. — or it is free with any order). (This information is free on the Internet at our Web Site www.road-to-health.com)