Immune System

The Power of Medicinal Mushrooms

Many mushrooms have been widely recognized for their healing properties for thousands of years, particularly in Asia. They have been considered foods of longevity, and certain fungi such as Tremella fuciformis and Grifola umbellata are in the earliest written records of Chinese herbal medicine. Ganoderma lucidum is known in China as the "mushroom of immortality" (Ling zhi), and in old Japan Grifola frondosus (Maitake) was so prized that it was worth its weight in silver. Medicinal mushrooms are established in traditional herbal medicine with a rich and sophisticated lore on their properties and use.

It is, however, only in recent times that medicinal mushrooms have become the object of concerted modern scientific study and research. The growing body of research and clinical experience confirms the tremendoushealth maintenance and adjuctive therapeutic benefits of these humble but constituent-rich bounties of nature. Mushrooms have been proven time and again to be powerful and potent sources to fortify the body against a host of environmental- and pathogenic-caused ailments and diseases. The scientific and clinical research pointing to the potent efficacy of medicinal mushrooms is compelling.

It has been confirmed repeatedly in human and animal studies that key constituents are powerful immune system stimulants. They energize the body's natural defense mechanisms to help prevent the onset of common ailments such as colds and influenza, as well as a range of more serious illnesses. The most potent immune energizing mushrooms also usually inhibit tumor growth - directly through cytocidal action and indirectly through their immunostimulation properties. A wide range of mushrooms also exhibit antibacterial and antitoxin activities to fortify the liver and kidneys.

The complex compounds in medicinal mushrooms act synergistically as powerful adaptogens. Adaptogens are plant-derived biological response modifiers which are specifically known for their ability to aid the body in reducing fatigue and building endurance. They exert a strong influence in aiding the body's adaptation to the many and varied environmental and psychological stresses. They exert a non-specific action supporting all the major systems (nervous, hormonal, immune), as well as optimizing their functions. Adaptogens particularly support adrenal function, helping the body's cells utilize oxygen more efficiently and increase the efficiency of cellular respiration.

The effects of the adaptogenic properties of medicinal mushrooms upon the endocrine system are particularly important. Optimal endocrine function is important in countering the effects of stress upon the body and premature aging. It is also widely supported among research theorists that adaptogens which stabilize the hormonal balance in the body can consequently enhance immune system function. (Hobbs)

In addition to indirect immunostimulation by supporting the endocrine system, mushrooms contain compounds that directly stimulate the immune system in a complex manner. As Dr. A. Weill comments, the "most fascinating aspect of the medicinal mushrooms is immuno-modulation - enhancing the function and activity of the body's immune system." (Weill 1995)

In particular, compounds called polysaccharides play a powerful immune-energizing role and have been studied extensively. Again and again, polysaccharides have been found to have immunostimulation and anti-tumor properties. A large number of polysaccharides and protein-bound polysaccharides have also been shown to have antibiotic and anti-viral properties. (Lindequist)

While the exact mechanism by which polysaccharides cause the immune system to be activated is still open to debate, it is well established that different polysaccharides stimulate T-cell function, Natural Killer (NK) cells and macrophage activity. Their influence is particularly strong upon macrophages, which are a type of white blood cell that "eats" pathogens such as yeast cells,bacteria, virus-infected cells, etc. Macrophages concentrate in the mucous membranes of the body - especially throughout the digestive, respiratory and urinary tracts. Polysaccharides, and mushroom's triterpene compounds, also play a supporting and energizing role in the reticuloendothelial system. This is the system of immune cells (including macrophages) centered in the spleen, liver and lymph tissues that engulfs and stores wastes and toxic chemicals.

MycoSurge™ contains the concentrated essences of twelve medicinal mushrooms and delivers the widest range of polysaccharides and triterpene compounds availablein a single formulation. A summary of the specific confirmed pharmacological properties of each of the mushrooms in MycoSurge™ is presented in the following pages. A review of this material, and the appended research references, demonstrate the unusually potent efficacy of this product. This efficacy is backed by a wide range of human clinical trials, many of them randomized placebo- controlled studies which meet the exacting standards of modern scientific research.These trials, backed by rigorous animal studies, confirm the immunostimulation, antibiotic, antitoxin, anti-tumor and organ support function properties of the valuable compounds found in the medicinal mushrooms.