The following effects are known as a result of numerous research and studies, as well as the practical use of beta glucan:

Activation of the immune system and protection against infections

The function of the immune system can be disturbed as a result of several factors such as stress, environment, lifestyle and way of life, the side effects of a treatment or medicine, etc. If the immune system does not work properly, effectively and fast enough, it is not capable of protecting the organism against pathogens, resulting in illness. Beta glucan is capable of activating the immune system, optimising its functions to reach a normal, natural level, leading to the body being able to protect itself against infections.

  • Brown G.D. and Gordon S. Role and Mechanism of Fungal Glucans Effects in Immunology. MicroReview. Cellular Microbiology 7 (4): 471–479 (2005).
  • Brown G. D., Gordon S. Minireview: Fungal Glucans and Mammals Immunity. Immunity, 19: 311–315, (2003)
  • Rajewska J., Balasinska B. Biologically Active Components of Edible Fungi and Their Favorable Effect on the Health. Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online). 2004; 58: 352-7. Review.
  • Wasser SP. Healing Fungi as Source of Anti-Tumor and Immunomodulation Polysacharides. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 60: 258-274 (2002)
  • Novak M, Vetvicka V: β-glucans, History and the Present: Immunomodulatory Aspects of Mechanisms of Action, J Immunol 5:47-57, 2008
  • Lull C, Wichers HJ, Savelkoul HFJ. Antiinflammatory and Immunomodulating Properties of Fungal Metabolites. Mediators Inflamm. 2005 June 9; 2005(2): 63–80
  • Reynolds J.A., Kastello M.D., Harrington D.G. et al. Glucan-Induced Resistence Increase of the Host against Selected Infection Diseases. Infection and Immunity, Oct. 1980, Vol. 30, No. 1: p. 51-57.

Anti-tumour effects

A well-known effect of medicinal mushrooms is their anti-cancer effect. This fact was the main reason for the intensive study of beta glucan. Beta glucan helps with the therapy of several types of cancer, and this property is the reason beta glucan was included in adjuvant therapy in Japan in the 1980s. Beta glucan also supports the immune system during the therapy of oncological diseases, since immunity is significantly harmed as a result of the use of various treatments for cancer, leading to unwanted side effects and infections. Experiments such as our own clinical study show that patients who take beta glucan during their oncological therapy have a better quality and comfort of life.

  • Novak M, Vetvicka V: β-glucans, History and the Present: Immunomodulatory Aspects of Mechanisms of Action, J Immunol 5:47-57, 2008
  • Yan, J., Vetvicka, V., Xia, Y., Coxon, A., Carroll, M. C., Mayadas, T. N., and Ross, G. D. 1999. {J-glucan, a “specific” biologic response modifier that uses antibodies to target tumors for cytotoxic recognition by leukocyte complement receptor type 3 (CDIIb/CDI8). J. lmmunol. 163:3045-3052.
  • Matsuoka, H .. Sen, Y., Wakasugi, H., Saito, T., and Tomoda, H. 1997. Lentinan potentiates immunity and prolongs survival time of some patients. Anticancer Res. 17:2751-2755.
  • Takeshita, K., Saito, N., Sato, Y., Maruyama, M., Sanagawa, M., Habu, H., and Endo, M. 1991. Diversity of complement activation by lentinan, an antitumor polysaccharide, in gastric cancer patients. Nippon Geka Gakkai Zasshi 92:5-11.
  • Borchers A.T., Stern J.S., Hackman R.M., Keen C.L., Gerschwin M.E.:Mushrooms, tumors and imunity. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 221: 1999, 281-293
  • Wasser SP, Medicinal mushrooms as a source of antitumor and immunomodulating polysaccharides. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2002 Nov;60(3):258-74. Epub 2002 Sep 10.

Radiation protection

Various sources of radiation harm the organism and immune system, harm immune cells as well as the body’s positive bacteria. Experiments on the impact of beta glucan on the protection of the organism during increased radiation have shown that the immune system is significantly less damaged, leading to a more rapid recovery from radiation compared to the control group of animals, who died rapidly after being exposed to increased radiation, as a result of post-radial infections. This positive effect of beta glucan is a result of its ability to impact positively the proliferation (creation and viability) of non-specific stem cells which are formed in bone marrow. The function of the bone marrow can be negatively influenced by several factors such as the use of medicine, exposition to increased radiation etc.

  • Patchen ML, D´Alesandro MM, Brook I, Blakely WF, McVittie TJ.: Glucan: mechanisms involved in its “radioprotective” effect. J Leuc Biol, 1987, 42: 95-105.
  • Gu Yeun-hwa et al.: A study of the radioprotection effect of macro glucan (beta 1,3 glucan) in the fetuses of ICR mice. Journal of oriental medicine, Vol. 5 No 1, December 2000.
  •  Patchen et al.: Effects of pre- and post-irradiation glucan treatment on pluripotent stem cells, granulocytes, macrophage and erythroid progenic cells and homopoietic stromal cells. Experientia, 1984, Nov 15, 40 (11).
  • Patchen et al.: Survival enhancement and homopoietic regenration following radiation exposure: therapeutic approach using glucan and granulocyte colony stimulating factor, Exp. Hematol., 1990 Oct, 18(9): 1042-1048.
  • In one of the world’s most important oncological centres, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, in cooperation with the National Cancer Institute, clinical tests are currently being carried out with beta glucan on patients with serious oncological diseases such as leukaemia, metastatic neuroblasts, progressive lymphoma etc.