Oyster Mushrooms Improve the Immune System and Help Fight Cancer
“Beta Glucan from oyster mushrooms helps fight inflammations, has a significant impact on mycosis, the symptoms of HPV disease, regulates the menstrual cycle and reduces premenstrual syndrome” says Dr. Eva Žďárská, from the Glucan advisory clinic in Brno.
Scientists have proven that the beta glucan contained in oyster mushrooms helps, in combination with traditional medicine, suppress the negative side effects of medicine and also makes the course of treatment easier.
Glucan was discovered by scientists in the 1960s. Discoveries came from two directions: from the US and Europe, and also from Japan. The Japanese began their research mainly after the Second World War. The reason for this was simple. Many people from Hiroshima and Nagasaki were suffering from health problems caused by radiation after the explosion of the atomic bomb. One of the few substances which helps relieve health problems was the healing oyster mushroom. Firstly, oyster mushrooms were used to produce various preparation, and even treatments. They were used and are still used today, as a supplementary therapy in the treatment of cancer, mainly for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. As well as mushrooms, glucans are also found in brewer’s yeast or baker’s yeast, in seaweed and cereals. For pharmaceutical purposes, they are most often isolated from oyster mushrooms or baker’s yeast.
Glucans Are Suitable for Inflammations and Infections
In many Asian countries, beta glucan is today considered an important means of treating certain types of cancer. In the USA, it is being tested as part of the treatment of leukaemia, the nervous and lymphatic system and other diseases. “I am best aware of the action of glucans in patients with gynaecological problems, because this is the field in which I work,” states Dr. Eva Žďárská from the Glucan Advisory Clinic in Brno. “Beta Glucan fights inflammations, has a significant impact on mycosis, the symptoms of HPV disease, regulates the menstrual cycle and reduces premenstrual syndrome; after its use, some patients even ‘lost’ the myoma in their womb.” In Dr. Žďárská’s work, children with chronic ENT infections are frequent patients who react very well to the use of Beta Glucan. Patients with skin problems, stomach ulcers, urological infections or high blood pressure also come to see her. “A particular group are patients with auto-immune diseases, where the substance needs to be carefully dosed, but the results are very encouraging,” adds the doctor. “Quite a few patients have an oncological diagnosis, where at the very least their quality of life is improved during the complicated treatment of these diseases.“
Based on the large amount of research and studies, as well as the practical use of beta glucan, the following effects are known:
- Anti-tumour effects– significant support to the immune system during various types of treatment for cancerous diseases. Patients undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy feel subjectively fitter when taking beta glucan at the same time; they cope better with the course of treatment,
- Regulation of cell growth – positive impact on the reproduction and activation of cells during radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment,
- Supports the immune system – in virus, bacterial, fungal and parasitical diseases and when the organism is physically tired or stressed,
- Lowering LDL cholesterol – triglycerides in the blood, improves the profile of blood lipids,
- Protection against radiation – helps protect against the effects of different types of radiation and eliminate their negative effects (for example on long-haul flights, X-ray and UV rays etc.),
- Antioxidant effects – eliminates the consequences of the actions of free radicals,
- Reduces the symptoms of allergies – has a positive effect on the organism’s sensitivity to allergens,
- Influences the growth of probiotic cultures – proven positive influence on gastrointestinal microflora,
- Supports blood creation – in diseases and treatments causing a reduction in the number and lifespan of red and white blood cells.