Beta Glucan for Boosting Your Immune System

Written by Webster Kehr, Independent Cancer Research Foundation, Inc. | Last updated on November 28, 2014 | Filed under: Products, Supplemental Treatments

Why is the Immune System so important?

Cancer (or any disease) simply cannot exist in someone with a healthy immune system.
Watch this short video and you will hear 17 Experts, Researchers, Medical Doctors, and Cancer Survivors, tell you about the importance of your immune system
As you heard in the video, a healthy immune system is the most important thing in the fight against cancer.
Bob Wright, the founder of the AACI (American Anti-Cancer Insitute) stated that “No doctor has ever healed anyone of anything in the history of the world; the human immune system heals and that is the only thing that heals.”
Dr. Rashid Buttar, D.O. said that “cancer first and foremost is a problem with the immune system. You cannot have cancer if you have an intact immune system.”
Dr. Keith Scott Mumby stated that “Many people, I’m one of them, see cancer as basically a disease of the immune system. Especially in our modern world, I don’t think there is any way you are going to stop cells from firing off and going wrong and turning into rogue cells. There are just too many toxins. But a good immune system will pick them up very quickly and eliminate them. So in a very strong sense, cancer is a disease of the immune system. So, you want to do everything in your power to help the immune system; that means you know the right kind of nutrients that will help it. It also means removing the stresses that will stop it from working.”
Now that we understand how critical the immune system is in the fight against disease, if you have cancer you may be wondering, what went wrong with my immune system, and how can I help it?
Now there are many factors that can play into a weakened immune system, not enough sleep, stress, eating the wrong diet, not enough exercise, etc.

What is Beta Glucan?

β-Glucans belong to a group of physiologically active compounds called “biological response modifiers” and represent highly conserved structural components of cells walls in yeast, fungi, and seaweed.
Technically Beta Glucan is an immunomodulator which helps make your immune system smarter. It can help raise your immune system’s response so your body can naturally fight off and kill cancer. The term immunomodulator here is the real key; it is not an immune stimulate. Immune stimulation presumably occurs with substances like Echinacea and Colostrum. Beta Glucan modulates or activates but never over stimulates, which is key to the safety of this product.
Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka Ph.D. said in his book on beta glucan “there are other agents that stimulate the immune system. However, glucans are in a class apart, because those other agents can push the immune system to over stimulation. This means they can make matters worse in the case of auto-immune illnesses such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and yeast functions. Glucans however do stimulate the immune system, but never to the point where it becomes overactive. In addition glucan is one of the few natural immunomodulators for which we know not only the composition but also the mechanism of action.”
Beta Glucan is a safe all natural fiber molecule that scientists all over the world are researching. In fact Beta Glucan is the most studied natural immunomodulator on earth. More and more classically trained medical doctors are even waking up and using and/or recommending its use. They are finding and proving that it has many benefits, not only helping the immune system, but also in combination with certain drugs, doing a better job to overcome cancer once it has established a foothold in the body.
There are many different sources Glucans are derived from. Glucan Derivatives are contingent upon what natural resources the country has. Most popular are yeast, mushrooms, grains, seaweed. (Glucans can be isolated from almost every species of yeast. Wikipedia shows that 1,500 are currently described). With all these different sources you must be careful on which one you choose.

Which Beta Glucan is the Best?

If you do not want to read through all the research and information on laboratory testing for yourself, then you can just go here and buy the Transfer Point Beta Glucan that I recommend.
For those of you who want to see the research and testing for yourself, please see my extensive list of studies at the bottom of this page.
You can read more about Beta Glucan and see how other Immune Supplements like MGN-3, NSC-24, RM-10 Ultra and over 50 others compare to the Transfer Point Beta Glucan I recommend here
In an interview I found with Dr. Vetvicka on his website, he was asked:
“So if I had cancer, or if I wanted to avoid it, which Beta Glucan should I buy?”
Dr. Vetvicka answered: “We asked ourselves the same question! So we carried out a study called B-1-3 Glucans, Silver Bullet or Hot Air? An evaluation of the immunological activities of commercially available Beta Glucan. We found that Glucan #300 from Transfer Point in the USA was the most effective one against cancer. (Please note that I am a scientist. This is an objective result. I do not sell beta-glucans for Transfer Point or any company).

Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka, Ph.D.

Dr. Vetvicka has over 20 years of research, 200 peer-reviewed publications, seven books, and five international patents. Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka is the world’s leading researchers on beta glucan and s member of the American Association of Immunologists. He is currently the head of the pathology department at the University of Louisville and researcher at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center. Dr. Vetvicka research and books are mostly focused on the topics of the immune system, cancer, and beta glucan.
You can read more about him here

Interview with Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka, PhD. on Beta Glucan from Better Way Health on Vimeo.

Beta Glucan used to Treat Cancer and other Disease

Beta Glucan has been approved as a drug in Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Taiwan as an immunoadjuvant therapy for cancer for the last 30 years.
But helping with cancer is just the beginning of what this amazing supplement can do. There have literally been thousands of studies showing this product can;
protect against infections, lower your cholesterol, lower blood sugar, reduce stress, increase your antibody production, heal wounds, help radiation burns, overcome mercury induced immunosuppression (like the Thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines), help with diabetes, and even naturally prevent Metastasis (or the spreading of your cancer).
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 of beta-glucan as an immunostimulant for human cancer therapy

Brown Cancer researchers, led by Dr. Gordon Ross, discovered that beta-glucan 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.

In fact Dr. Gordon Ross has shown in some of his studies that Beta Glucan administered alone has reduced tumor weight by almost half in the subjects.

Most common Questions on Beta Glucan

Q: Why haven’t we heard about beta glucan before?
A: For over 50 years now, the benefits of beta glucan have been studied by universities, medical schools, teaching hospitals, and even Canada’s defence department. However in the past, for the general public this supplement may have been too expensive to be on anyone’s radar. Recent breakthroughs in manufacturing processes have brought this supplement to be affordable to anyone.
Dr. Vetvicka said “You have to remember that since 1983 it is an official drug in Japan and It’s used ever sense; so the rest of the world knows about Beta Glucan. It’s more that the western world doesn’t know.
It is a problem of the philosophy because in Eastern medicine, meaning the Chinese medicine, the Japanese medicine, they are more interested about results. So If it works, let’s use it.
Here in Western Europe, the United States, we have to know everything. We have to know exactly what each molecule is doing, how long, how fast, where it goes, how it goes back in our body, etc. And as long as we don’t understand it fully, it is not approved or accepted here.
Q: Will beta glucan made from yeast cause a yeast infection or yeast allergy, or make either worse?
A: No. Beta 1, 3-D Glucan is intensely purified from baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and does not contain enough yeast proteins to cause an allergic reaction. Also, beta glucan is not live yeast, therefore it cannot cause or aggravate a yeast infection. The Beta 1, 3-D Glucan I recommend is rated GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Q: Is beta glucan safe to take with other medicines?
A: Yes. The Transfer Point brand I recommend, when taken with prescription drugs, has no known adverse effects. In fact, research shows Beta 1, 3-D Glucan enhances the effectiveness of many drugs, including anti infection, cholesterol-lowering, and chemotherapy drugs. However, make sure you do not take it with immuno suppressants (for transplant patients)
Q : Do you think that beta-glucans have a place in the medicine of the future?
Dr. Vetvicka says: “There are no doubts in my mind that beta-glucan will eventually be approved as a drug. Its effects are just too significant not to be officially used in the treatment of serious diseases.”
Q: Can I just eat bread or Mushrooms to get all the Beta Glucan I need?
Although the new Cheerios Beta Glucan advertisements on TV may lead you to believe otherwise, the answer is a definite, NO. Whole Yeasts alone are not the optimal source of active beta glucan. The content of available glucan in whole yeast is not high enough, which may result in the impurities acting against the biological effects of glucan molecules. In addition, due to their large size, they are normally not phagocytosed by the gut cells and, therefore insufficient potential glucan can enter the body. For mushrooms the beta-glucans need to be separated from the rest of the raw material. They need to go through a process that will free up their health enhancing properties. But eating lots of mushrooms is already a good start, and Japanese people who eat a lot of them have a lower cancer rate because of their beta-glucan content.
Q: How do we know Beta 1, 3-D Glucan enhances the immune system?
A: For decades, researchers have studied how Beta 1, 3-D Glucan works on the immune system. Thousands of scientific papers have been published by researchers from the University of Louisville, Tulane University, and Harvard University, to name a few. These research papers describe in detail how Beta 1, 3-D Glucan acts on the immune system. Many of these papers have shown our Beta 1, 3-D Glucan to be a highly effective immune modulator.
Q: Why are baker’s yeast beta glucans better than other kinds of beta glucans?
A: Research shows that beta glucans purified from baker’s yeast enhances the immune system better than any other type of beta glucan studied because they are highly-branched and biologically active particles. The Transfer Point brand of Beta 1, 3-D Glucan is intensely purified from the cell walls of baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), yielding the highest purity and concentration of Beta 1, 3-D Glucan per capsule for the most economical price. Studies show that our Beta 1, 3-D Glucan is a superior immune modulator.
Q: Will beta glucan over-stimulate the immune system?
A: No. Beta glucan is an immune modulator. It binds 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.) It is the presence of these non-self/foreign bodies that cause these immune cells to become stimulated.
Q: How much Beta 1, 3-D Glucan do I need each day to enhance my immune system?
A: The immune system is more enhanced with the more beta glucan you take. With the Transfer Point brand I recommend (highly potent Beta 1, 3-D Glucan) the immune system is greatly enhanced when taken daily. For Cancer Patients, how much you need is determined by body weight.
Dosage Instructions- To maximize the benefit of Beta Glucan, it should be taken on an empty stomach, with water. Then wait at least 30 min before eating or drinking. To reach a therapeutic value you need to take doses based on your body weight. 1 capsule of 500mg per 50 lbs. of Body Weight per day. Please understand these doses only apply to Transfer Point Beta Glucan, many other products out there on the market do not contain any therapeutic value at all and taking 100 of their pills per day will do little to nothing for your immune system.
● Weight Guide:
● 100 lbs or 45kg = 1,000mg daily (2 capsules)
● 125 lbs or 57kg = 1,000mg – 1,500mg alternating daily
● 150 lbs or 68kg = 1,500mg daily (3 capsules)
● 175 lbs or 80kg. = 2,000mg daily (4 capsules)
● 225 lbs or 102kg and any weight above = 2,500mg daily (5 caps)
For a younger healthy person, I would suggest you take 100mg per day for effective immune support. For older folks, I would suggest 500mg per day.
Q: Is it a good idea to take beta-glucans to prevent cancer?
Dr. Vetvicka said : yes, to protect yourself against cancer and many other illnesses that would normally be eradicated by a strong immune system. But remember, I am a scientist and not in business selling glucan : I cannot give you any guarantee that you will avoid cancer or any other illness, because there is still a lot we do not know. Even though we can say that beta-glucans are the most significant anti-cancerous immuno-stimulants we know, they have not been tested against all kinds of cancers.
Also, we are exposed to carcinogens in our everyday life that are extremely powerful. Unless we run tests on beta-glucans against all of them, and find they work, we will not be able to say that it is a guarantee against everything. It is certainly effective against many carcinogens, though, so you would greatly reduce your risks of cancer).

*Many of these questions and answers came from:
AJ Lanigan here- http://aboutbetaglucan.com/faq
and
Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka here – http://glucan.us/glucanfaq.html
Also here is a link to a YouTube Playlist with questions on Beta Glucan answered by AJ Lanigan, the world’s best manufacturer of the purest and best Beta Glucan, the Transfer Point brand that I recommend.

Studies done on Beta Glucan and Cancer

Cancer & Tumor Studies.

Beta 1,3-Glucan Cancer Research (overview of research)
β-Glucans in promoting health: Prevention against mutation and cancer
(Mutation Research 2007)
Medicinal importance of fungal β-(1-3), (1-6)-glucans
(Mycological Research 2007)
Therapeutic Intervention with complement and β-Glucan in Cancer
(Immunopharmacology 1999)
Oral β-Glucan adjuvant therapy converts nonprotective Th2 response to protective Th1 cell-mediated imimune response in mammary tumor-bearing mice
(Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica)
β-Glucan, a “Specific” Biologic Response Modifier That Uses Antibodies to Target Tumors for Cytotoxic Recognition by Leukocyte Complement Receptor Type 3 (CD11b/CD18)1
(The American Association of Immunologists 1999)
CR3 (CD1 ib, CD18): a phagocyte and NK cell membrane receptor with multiple ligand specificities and functions
(Clinical and Experimental Immunology 1993)
Regulation of CR3 (CD11b/CD18)-dependent natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity by tumour target cell MHC class I molecules
(Clinical and Experimental Immunology 1999)
Soluble b-Glucan Polysaccharide Binding to the Lectin Site of Neutrophil or Natural Killer Cell Complement Receptor Type 3 (CD11b/CD18) Generates a Primed State of the Receptor Capable of Mediating Cytotoxicity of iC3b-Opsonized Target Cells
(Journal of Clinical Investigation 1996)
Effects of β-glucans on benign hyperplasia of prostate
(Herbert Open Access Journals, Pathology Discovery 2014)
The application of fungal β-glucans for the treatment of colon cancer
(Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry 2013)
β-Glucans and their applications in cancer therapy: focus on human studies.
(Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry 2013)

Chemotherapy And Radiation.

Beta 1,3-Glucan Radiation Research (overview of research)
Effect of Beta Glucan on White Blood Cell Counts and Serum Levels of IL-4 and IL-12 in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
(Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014)
Positive Effects of Oral β-Glucan on Mucositis and Leukopenia in Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant FOLFOX-4 Combination Chemotherapy
(Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014)
Oral WGP Beta Glucan Treatment Accelerates Myeloid Recovery after Radiation Exposure
(BTR: Unified Science & Technology for Reducing Biological Threats and Countering Terrorism 2003)
Glucan-immunostimulant, adjuvant, potential drug
(World Journal of Clinical Oncology 2011)
Orally Administered marine (1-3)-β-D-glucan Phycarine stimulates both humoral and cellular immunity
(International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 2007)

Monoclonal Antibodies and Cancer.

Yeast-Derived B-Glucan Augments the Therapeutic Efficacy mediated by Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Monoclonal Antibody in Human Carcinoma Xenograft Models (Clinical Cancer Research 2008)
Beta-Glucan enhanced killing of renal cell carcinoma micrometastases by monoclonal antibody G250 directed compliment activation
(International Journal of Cancer 2004)
Oral (1-3),(1-4)-B-D-Glucan Synergizes with Antiganglioside GD2 Moncolonal antibody 3F8 in the Therapy of Neuroblastoma
(Clinical Cancer Research 2002)
Yeast whole glucan particle (WGP) β-Glucan in conjunction with antitumour monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer
(Expert Opinion in Biological Therapy 2005)
β-Glucan Functions as an adjuvant for monoclonal antibody immunotherapy by recruiting tumoricidal granulocytes as Killer Cells
(The Journal of Cancer Research 2003)
Mechanism by which orally administered β-1,3-Glucans enhance the tumorcidical activity of antitumor monoclonal antibodies in murine tumor models
(Journal of Immunology 2004)
C5a-Medicated Leukotriene B4-Amplified Neutrophil Chemotaxis is essential in tumor immunotherapy facilitated by Anti-Tumor monoclonal antibody and β-Glucan
(Journal of Immunology 2005)

Templeton Times

Thursday, January 22, 2015