The question that everyone is asking themselves is how they can protect themselves from the flu pandemic in the U.S. While the flu shot is most popular, those who have not been vaccinated can still be affected. What else is there that can be done? Japanese medicinal mushrooms are being sought out by some experts.
New human clinical study published in the journal “Nutrition Research”That is what it says “AHCC”Natural extract taken from the Japanese roots medicinal mushrooms— may increase the effectiveness of the flu shot.
Researchers followed 30 healthy adults who had received the flu shot. Half of them also took AHCC. The AHCC supplement users had higher levels of infection-fighting white cells three weeks later than the vaccine-only group. AHCC users also showed significantly lower antibody titers
This is a measure of the amount of antibody an organism has produced to the influenza B virus. The main purpose of vaccination is to stimulate antibody production. This study showed that AHCC works in conjunction with flu shots.
“This collection data is promising as it suggests that supplementing with AHCC can help boost immunity and help make the vaccine more effective,”Elizabeth Gardner from Michigan State University was the lead author of the paper.
These results are consistent in the Yale Medical School’s previous study which found that AHCC enhanced immune responses in healthy older subjects. Preclinical research has confirmed that AHCC can be used to combat a variety viral infections such as the H1N1 flu virus (common flu), H5N1 avian Influenza (bird flu), West Nile virus, and many other hospital-borne illnesses like MRSA.
AHCC can be purchased at many health food stores across the country from nutritional supplement companies. You can learn more about this natural compound by visiting www.AHCCresearch.org.
