AHCC is an Active Hexose-Correlated Compound, which is the active ingredient extracted from artificially fermented basidiomycetes and was first published by Professor Toshihiko Okamoto of the Department of Pharmacology, The University of Tokyo
The main components of AHCC are amino acids, minerals, lipids, and polysaccharides (rich in α-glucan), which are considered to have antioxidant, immunomodulatory and other effects, so they are widely used in adjuvant cancer treatment and infection-related symptoms
Do you know AHCC benefits and side effects?
Table of Contents
- What are the benefits of AHCC?
- Are there any side effects of AHCC?
- Where can I buy the most recommended AHCC capsules?
What are the benefits of AHCC?
1. Beneficial breast cancer treatment
Breast cancer accounts for 25% of all female cancer cases. About 1.5 million women are diagnosed each year. The factors are related to age, reproductive factors, personal or family history, genetic susceptibility, and environmental factors.
Chemotherapy is currently the first-line therapy, and its related side effects include: nausea, vomiting, hair loss, bone marrow suppression, hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy, etc., often causing serious deterioration of the patient’s quality of life.
A retrospective study (for 41 patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer) pointed out that compared with the untreated control group, the use of AHCC can reduce the phenomenon of neutropenia caused by chemotherapy and reduce the treatment of leukemia treatment drugs ( G-CSF) frequency of use.
*Conclusion: AHCC can reduce the side effects of breast cancer chemotherapy, which may help to achieve better treatment results, but the results still need to be further verified.
2. Improve immune function
Cancer cells are caused by cell mutation. Under normal conditions, immune cells can detect slight differences in the structure of target proteins from the atomic level and eliminate them.
However, when the immune system is unable to function due to certain factors, cancer cells begin to develop and grow by various means (local immune escape, induction of tolerance, and destruction of T cell signals), so good immune function is considered to be resistant An important role in the cancer process.
A randomized double-blind controlled trial (4 weeks, 21 healthy adults) pointed out that the use of AHCC (3 g per day) can help increase the number of dendritic immune cells (dendritic cells) and the function of their differentiation clusters, Thus playing an important role in acquired immunity.
Another open trial (60 days, for 30 healthy adults) pointed out that the use of AHCC (3 g per day) can help increase CD8+ and CD4+ T cells to produce tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interference The ability of prime gamma (Interferon-γ) cytokines.
*Conclusion: AHCC has the effect of improving immune function, but it is limited by the small sample size, and more research is needed to prove it.
3. Improve vaccine protection
Vaccination is currently the most important way to prevent influenza virus infection and its related complications, but despite this, with age, the immune function gradually degrades, resulting in reduced antibody production capacity and the protection provided by the vaccine is not as good as before.
A randomized controlled trial (a three-week, 30 healthy adults who received influenza vaccine) pointed out that compared with those who did not supplement, supplementing with AHCC can improve the percentage of lymphocytes and antibody titers, which means Helps improve the protection of influenza vaccines.
*Conclusion: Oral AHCC may help improve the immune response after vaccination and enhance the protection of the vaccine.
4. Beneficial pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma treatment
Pancreatic cancer ranks second among cancer-related causes of death, of which 90% is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and the lifetime prevalence rate is about 1.49%. About 1 in 67 people suffer from the disease, and males and African Americans People with lower socioeconomic status have a higher incidence.
Because pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is often diagnosed in the middle and late stages, coupled with the characteristics of rapid growth and easy metastasis, it is often difficult to use surgical resection treatment, resulting in a patient’s 5-year survival rate of only 7%.
A controlled study (a 2-month study on 75 patients with pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma) pointed out that the use of AHCC can help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy (Gemcitabine)-related treatments (eg, C-reactive protein elevation, taste disturbance, whiteness) protein decline, improve the quality of life of patients.
*Conclusion: Oral AHCC can improve the related side effects caused by chemotherapy of pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma.
Are there any side effects of AHCC?
Based on the current limited research, it is safe to use AHCC at an appropriate dose (4.5 to 6 grams per day for half a year). Possible side effects or adverse reactions that have been reported include nausea, diarrhea, bloating, headache, fatigue, and foot Spasms, but most are mild and transient.
Safety Precautions
Do not use for pregnant women or breastfeeding women (because the relevant safety is unknown).
Do not use in patients with autoimmune-related diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc., because AHCC has an immune-boosting effect, which may cause symptoms to worsen.
Do not use if you have been allergic to Basidiomycota mushrooms, it may induce allergic reactions.
Do not use it for patients taking immunosuppressive agents, which may affect the efficacy of the drug.
Where can I buy the most recommended AHCC capsules?
In recent years, food safety problems in various countries have exploded, and it is not healthy but black-hearted products that everyone spends on. Therefore, European and American products with relatively strict quality control have become popular products.
And iHerb.com is a large-scale medical cosmetics e-commerce company in the United States. It has a high satisfaction rate of 97% in the evaluation of Google customers. It provides global home delivery so that you can buy it without risking buying fakes through purchasing high-quality health products.
