Prevent Cancer, Infections & Other Illnesses with Beta Glucans
Remember when your parents made you eat mushrooms and you thought they were disgusting? Well, turns out mom and dad were right in making sure you got some beta glucans in your system.
Beta glucans are an active compound found in the cell walls of yeast, fungi and seaweed. They are called “biological response modifiers” because they activate the immune system to help the body fight cancer, infection, and other diseases.
Beta glucans bind to specific cells in the immune system and attack their targets.
And since they do not naturally occur in the body, you have to get them elsewhere – food or supplements.
Beta Glucans and Immunity
It’s important to distinguish that beta glucans do not stimulate the immune system. Why the distinction? Because stimulation can actually over-stimulate, which can throw your immune system off-balance.
Over-stimulation can also lead to diseases like lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and allergies.
To get more scientific, beta glucans are an immune modulator. They bind to “a specific receptor site on the surface of all immune cells with CR3 receptors. This binding enhances the readiness of these immune cells to attack any foreign body perceived as non-self (i.e. viruses, bacteria, fungi, cancer, parasites etc.)” (source).
Immunomodulation
A response system known as immunomodulation can help support the immune system using biological co-factors along with specific nutrients and herbs. Immunomodulation is crucial for modifying the immune response to properly defeat infections in the body. One of the greatest immunomodulating weapons for the immune system is found in compounds called beta glucans. (source)
Many believe that this can be stronger therapy than chemotherapy or radiation. Plus when they work in cooperation with antibody complexes, it poses no adverse health reactions, like conventional cancer treatments do.
Why is your immune system important when it comes to cancer? Because cancer is thought of by many to be a disease of the immune system (source).
Beta Glucans and Cancer
According to the Cancer Tutor, The University of Louisville’s School of Medicine is now working other cancer research centers testing beta glucan on cancer patients. And they have been credited with the first use as an immunostimulant for human cancer therapy
Also, Brown Cancer researchers discovered that they can markedly enhance the immune response of mice to injected tumors. This treatment is now being tested for the first time in humans at the University of Louisville and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
What else can beta glucans do?
- Fight infections
- Lower cholesterol
- Lower blood sugar
- Reduce stress
- Increase antibodies
- Heal wounds
- Heal radiation burns
- Help with diabetes
- Naturally prevent metastasis
Foods High in Beta Glucans
Here are the foods that are high in beta glucans:
- Barley
- Oats and whole grains
- Mushrooms – reishi, maitake, and shitake
- Seaweed
You can also get beta glucans from supplements; I recommend this one from Amazon. It’s suggested that you take two capsules daily on an empty stomach. This chart from the manufacturer can help:
If you would like to know other supplements that a health coach keeps on hand, check out my Supplements Page.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.