Last month I wrote about elderberry, an amazing antiviral supplement that can help to fight off viral infections like cold and flu. It works in part by preventing viral replication, so a viral infection is easier for the body to fight off (see our entire article on elderberry and how it works on our website here).
This month I wanted to write about a lesser known immune supplement that works in a different way from elderberry, a patented extract derived from mushrooms known as AHCC. Unlike elderberry, which works specifically on the viruses causing an illness, AHCC works by affecting the immune system directly.
There are a variety of white blood cells in our bodies that are involved in immune response, recognizing and fighting the foreign invaders that cause illness, whether bacteria, viruses, or even abnormal cells resulting in tumors. Studies have found that AHCC can boost the effectiveness of our own immune system in a variety of ways, including increasing the activity of our body’s NK, or “natural killer” cells, that identify and destroy viruses, bacteria, and abnormal cells in the body.
Research has also found that AHCC is able to affect other types of immune cells in the body known as dendritic cells which are found throughout the respiratory tract. These dendritic cells work to fend off foreign invaders as they enter the body through the respiratory tract and try to infiltrate the body.
To think of these immune cells in another way would be to liken it to a medieval army. I imagine the dendritic cells as the footmen leading the charge against invaders, with the NK cells being the knights on horseback that are really getting things done. You’re going to protect your castle much better if both parts of your immune fighting force are working the best they possibly can.
Numerous research studies have confirmed AHCC’s ability to significantly boost immune system functioning, both by measuring increased production of immune cells in the body after supplementing with AHCC as well as measuring the immune response to specific strains of bacteria and viruses.
AHCC is widely used as an immune therapy in Japan, and I’m glad that it’s becoming better known in the United States since I do believe that it’s a unique and powerful supplement to aid our immune system functioning. Our body’s immune system is at work twenty-four hours a day, and that is what is it always comes down to with an illness- is our immune system able to keep invading bacteria and viruses in check? When the answer to that question is no, that is when we fall ill.
AHCC can be especially helpful for people whose immune systems are not working as they should. As we age, there is a gradual deterioration of the immune system over time, which results in increased susceptibility to infection as well as more serious diseases. This deterioration of the immune system over time is also a main contributing factor to the increased risk of cancer in older people. According to the Alliance for Aging Research, 77% of all cancer cases occur in people over the age of 55.
Healthy lifestyle and diet are helpful in reducing the deleterious effects of aging, but at this time, there is little that doctors can do with conventional medicine to boost the immune system in the aging population. Thankfully, there are natural supplements like AHCC that are scientifically backed that can make a real difference in immune system functioning in people of all ages.
While in this article I’ve mainly focused on AHCC as a therapy for seasonal immune wellness, AHCC has also been researched (and continues to be researched) as a complimentary cancer therapy, and is regularly used in Japan as an adjunctive therapy for cancer, hepatitis, HIV, and a host of other disorders caused by improper immune function.
One Japanese study on patients with liver cancer found that survival times were two times higher in the group using AHCC when compared with the placebo group. The same researchers from Kansai Medical University in Osaka, Japan did a three year study on stage III and IV gastric and breast cancer patients and found a 40% increase in average survival rates when compared with the national averages in Japan for patients of similar ages with the same cancers.
Unlike elderberry, which can be used effectively at the onset of an illness to fight off a virus, AHCC is most effective when used on a regular, daily basis, at least during cold and flu season if you’re seeking to help to boost your immune system. Most studies on AHCC used high amounts of the extract (especially for cancer patients), around 3,000mg a day, though it stands to reason that lower amounts are still helpful, particularly when used preventatively, since every bit of improved immune response makes a difference!
