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Agaricus blazei

The Brazilian AlmondAgaricus (Agaricus blazei) is originally from Brazil, but is now also grown commercially in China and Japan. A solution containing chemicals extracted from the Agaricus mushroom is used as a medicine.

Agaricus is used to treat cancer, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol levels, arteriosclerosis, liver disease, blood vessel disorders and digestive problems. Other uses include the prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis and stomach ulcers. Agaricus mushrooms are also used to promote the functioning of the immune system and to treat physical and emotional stress. In Japan, extracts from the Agaricus mush room are approved as food additives. Agaricus is also consumed as a food and in the form of tea.

How does Agaricus work?

Agaricus contains chemicals that may improve the body's use of insulin and reduce insulin resistance in people suffering from type 2 diabetes. Recent research also suggests that Agaricus may be able to strengthen the immune system and fight tumor development. Agaricus also appears to act as an antioxidant.

How effective is Agaricus?

Agaricus may be suitable for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes often have insulin resistance, which means that their body is unable to use insulin properly. Insulin is the hormone that allows sugar to be transported into cells for use as an energy source. Many medications used to treat diabetes work by reducing insulin resistance. Some studies show that certain drugs can better reduce existing insulin resistance when administered in combination with an extract of Agaricus.

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement regarding the effectiveness of Agaricus in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy in the context of cancer treatment. Some research suggests that taking Agaricus or its extracts may reduce some of the side effects of chemotherapy including weakness and loss of appetite.

There is also insufficient scientific information on the effectiveness of Agaricus for high cholesterol levels, arteriosclerosis, chronic hepatitis, digestive problems, stress and osteoporosis, as well as for preventing heart disease, strengthening the immune system and preventing stomach ulcers. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Agaricus in these applications.

Are there any safety concerns?

Taking extracts of Agaricus for up to 12 weeks appears to be safe and harmless for most people. Ground Agaricus appears to be safe for most people for up to 6 months. Agaricus products may cause excessive drops in blood sugar levels in some people who suffer from diabetes. Other possible side effects include itching, nausea and diarrhea. Some people who have used Agaricus during cancer treatment have experienced serious liver damage and some have experienced allergic reactions.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of Agaricus during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid products made from this plant to be on the safe side. Liver disorders: There are concerns that Agaricus may cause liver disorders or aggravate existing liver disorders. For this reason, people suffering from liver disease should not use products made from Agaricus.

Operations: Agaricus can lower blood sugar levels. There are concerns that products made from these mushrooms may interfere with blood sugar control during surgery. For this reason, you should stop taking such products two weeks before an operation.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining products made from Agaricus with the following medications:

Diabetes medications

Products made from agaricus can lower blood sugar levels in people suffering from type 2 diabetes. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar levels. Taking products made from Agaricus in combination with diabetes medication could result in an excessive drop in blood sugar levels. For this reason, blood sugar levels should be carefully monitored. It is possible that the dosage of diabetes medication may need to be adjusted.

Dosage

The following dosages have been scientifically investigated.

Oral: For diabetes: 500 mg of an extract of Agaricus three times a day.

References

  • Ahn WS, Kim DJ, Chae GT, et al. Natural killer cell activity and quality of life were improved by consumption of a mushroom extract, Agaricus blazei Murill Kyowa, in gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2004;14:589-94.
  • Barbisan LF, Miyamoto M, Scolastici C, et al. Influence of aqueous extract of Agaricus blazei on rat liver toxicity induced by different doses of diethylnitrosamine. J Ethnopharmacol 2002;83:25-32.
  • Bernardshaw S, Johnson E, Hetland G. An extract of the mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill administered orally protects against systemic Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in mice. Scand J Immunol 2005;62:393-8.
  • Chen L, Shao H. Extract from Agaricus blazei Murill can enhance immune responses elicited by DNA vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2006;109:177-82.
  • Delmanto RD, de Lima PL, Sugui MM, et al. Antimutagenic effect of Agaricus blazei Murrill mushroom on the genotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide. Mutat Res 2001;496:15-21.
  • Guterrez ZR, Mantovani MS, Eira AF, et al. Variation of the antimutagenicity effects of water extracts of Agaricus blazei Murrill in vitro. Toxicol In Vitro 2004;18:301-9.
  • Hashimoto T, Nonaka Y, Minato K, et al. Suppressive effect of polysaccharides from the edible and medicinal mushrooms, Lentinus edodes and Agaricus blazei, on the expression of cytochrome P450s in mice. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2002;66:1610-4.
  • Hsu CH, Liao YL, Lin SC, et al. The mushroom Agaricus Blazei Murill in combination with metformin and gliclazide improves insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Altern Complement Med 2007;13:97-102.
  • Kaneno R, Fontanari LM, Santos SA, et al. Effects of extracts from Brazilian sun-mushroom (Agaricus blazei) on the NK activity and lymphoproliferative responsiveness of Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice. Food Chem Toxicol 2004;42:909-16.
  • Kasai H, He LM, Kawamura M, et al. IL-12 production induced by Agaricus blazei fraction H (ABH) involves toll-like receptor (TLR). Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2004;1:259-67.
  • Ker YB, Chen KC, Chyau CC, et al. Antioxidant capability of polysaccharides fractionated from submerge-cultured Agaricus blazei mycelia. J Agric Food Chem 2005;53:7052-8.
  • Kim YW, Kim KH, Choi HJ, Lee DS. Anti-diabetic activity of beta-glucans and their enzymatically hydrolyzed oligosaccharides from Agaricus blazei. Biotechnol Lett 2005;27:483-7.
  • Kimura Y, Kido T, Takaku T, et al. Isolation of an anti-angiogenic substance from Agaricus blazei Murill: its antitumor and antimetastatic actions. Cancer Sci 2004;95:758-64.
  • Kobayashi H, Yoshida R, Kanada Y, et al. Suppressing effects of daily oral supplementation of beta-glucan extracted from Agaricus blazei Murill on spontaneous and peritoneal disseminated metastasis in mouse model. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2005;131:527-38.
  • Kuroiwa Y, Nishikawa A, Imazawa T, et al. Lack of subchronic toxicity of an aqueous extract of Agaricus blazei Murrill in F344 rats. Food Chem Toxicol 2005;43:1047-53.
  • Lee YL, Kim HJ, Lee MS, et al. Oral administration of Agaricus blazei (H1 strain) inhibited tumor growth in a sarcoma 180 inoculation model. Exp Anim 2003;52:371-5.
  • Martins de Oliveira J, Jordao BQ, Ribeiro LR, et al. Anti-genotoxic effect of aqueous extracts of sun mushroom (Agaricus blazei Murill lineage 99/26) in mammalian cells in vitro. Food Chem Toxicol 2002;40:1775-80.
  • Menoli RC, Mantovani MS, Ribeiro LR, et al. Antimutagenic effects of the mushroom Agaricus blazei Murrill extracts on V79 cells. Mutat Res 2001;496:5-13.
  • Mukai H, Watanabe T, Ando M, Katsumata N. An alternative medicine, Agaricus blazei, may have induced severe hepatic dysfunction in cancer patients. Jpn J Clin Oncol 2006;36:808-10.
  • Nakajima A, Ishida T, Koga M, et al. Effect of hot water extract from Agaricus blazei Murill on antibody-producing cells in mice. Int Immunopharmacol 2002;2:1205-11.
  • Ohno N, Furukawa M, Miura NN, et al. Antitumor beta glucan from the cultured fruit body of Agaricus blazei. Biol Pharm Bull 2001;24:820-8.
  • Ohno S, Sumiyoshi Y, Hashine K, et al. Phase I clinical study of the dietary supplement, Agaricus blazei Murill, in cancer patients in remission. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2011, doi 10.1155/2011/192381.
  • Shimizu S, Kitada H, Yokota H, et al. Activation of the alternative complement pathway by Agaricus blazei Murill. Phytomedicine 2002;9:536-45.
  • Takaku T, Kimura Y, Okuda H. Isolation of an antitumor compound from Agaricus blazei Murill and its mechanism of action. J Nutr 2001;131:1409-13.