Fight AGAINST CANCER with Beta Glucan. How Beta Glucans Fight CANCER CELLS & Boost Your Immunity

Beta Glucan and the Fight Against Cancer. The Health Benefits of Beta Glucan Much of the chronic disease of the 21st century is due to a breakdown in the coordination and balance of the immune system. Immunomodulation is a key term that refers to the control and coordination of the immune system. Specific herbs, nutrients and botanical co-factors help to improve the immunodulatory systems of the body. Beta glucans have been shown to be one of the best immunomodulating substances with powerful health benefits. The immune system is designed to be highly sensitive to the presence of pathogenic microorganisms that pose a threat to the body. It is also designed to produce a strong inflammatory reaction with minimal collateral damage to the body. When the body becomes overstressed it impairs the coordination of the immune system. This can lead to lowered or elevated immune activity. One with a lowered immune activity is at risk for various infections and cancer cell development. An individual with elevated immune activity is at risk for chronic inflammatory disorders such as allergies and asthma and auto-immune disorders. Beta Glucan and the Immune System: Beta glucan is a powerful immune stimulating compound found in several mushrooms, yeasts and other foods. Beta glucan is a polysaccharide that is made up of multiple sugar molecules linked together. The major beta glucan molecule is called 1,3-D glucan. Polysaccharides are a diverse class of macromolecules that have a high capacity for carrying biological information due to their large structural variability. Polysaccharides interconnect at various points and form a wide range of branched structures. The position and length of the branching gives them specific labels such as the Beta 1,3D glucan. Beta glucans are known by scientists as “biological response modifiers” that bind to the surface of innate immune cells which allows the cells to have better coordination in their attack. This reduces the tendancy towards auto-immune reactions and hyperinflamatory activity when the body is under attack. Beta Glucan and Cancer: Even a healthy immune system can get easily overwhelmed with fast growing cancer cells. Beta glucan acts to bind to the surface of the antibodies, macrophages and NK cells in order to activate them and coordinate their attack. This provides a significantly stronger and more efficient immune response. Beta glucan also helps the anti-body antigen response by priming the immune cells to recognize complement –antibody complexes in order to kill the tumor cells. The cooperation of antibodies with beta glucan is more potent than radiation or chemotherapy. This also acts without the delirious side-effects that these traditional treatments have. This compound activates certain immune cells such as key T-cells, macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells and the cytokines interleukin (IL) 1 and 2. Studies have shown that it inhibits the growth of cancer and strengthens the immune response to microbial invaders. NK cells are a critical player in keeping tumor growth under control as that is there primary life focus. These cells are designed to search the body, target and eliminate cancerous growths all day long. Beta Glucan and Immune Stem Cells: Beta glucan also helps stimulate the production of immune stem cells within the bone marrow. This leads to the release of new immunocytes into the bloodstream and various lymphoid organs. This increases the immune surveillance against potential invaders and improves the attack against cancer cells. This is even more important when the individual is also receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation. These conventional therapies lower circulating immune complexes and decrease immunocyte numbers making the body more susceptible to infection. Beta glucan also stimulates various cells in the body to release anti-cancerous molecules throughout the body. These include tumor necrosis factor, interleukins 1 & 6, hydrogen peroxide and gamma interferon which are all proven effective in the fight against cancer and invading microorganisms. Beta Glucan Helps Fight Infection: Beta glucans have been studied for their ability to mitigate cancer cell growth and reduce the symptoms of the common cold. In one report by the Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism they studied firefighters and tracked their cold/flu symptoms. Firefighters have very physically and emotionally stressful positions that demand a lot out of them. The results of the study showed that those who took beta glucan instead of the placebo had a 23% reduction in upper respiratory tract infections. “These results are consistent with previous clinical research involving marathoners, individuals with high stress lifestyles and the general population,” wrote Brent C. Rudy, the director of the Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism.