AHCC may help boost immunity, according to a small 2008 clinical trial in Nutrition and Cancer. For the study, 21 healthy volunteers took either an AHCC supplement or a placebo every day for four weeks. At the study's end, members of the AHCC group showed a significantly greater increase in the number of dendritic cells (a type of cell involved in the immune response).
2. Chemotherapy Side Effects
Animal-based research shows that AHCC may help reduce certain side effects of chemotherapy. For instance, in a 2009 report from the Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology, scientists discovered that treating mice with AHCC helped shield them from chemotherapy-induced liver damage and bone marrow suppression. However, it's too soon to tell whether AHCC may also help alleviate chemotherapy side effects in humans.
3. Cancer
AHCC may help inhibit cancer development, according to a 2006 animal-based study inCancer Immunology and Immunotherapy. In an experiment involving mice inoculated with cancer cells, AHCC treatment significantly enhanced immune response and delayed tumor development.
5. FluIn tests on mice, scientists have demonstrated that AHCC may help rev up immune response to flu infection. For example, in a 2006 study from the Journal of Nutrition, AHCC appeared to reduce the severity of flu infection and boost activity in natural killer cells (a major player in immune response) in influenza-infected mice.
Application
In alternative medicine, AHCC is said to stimulate the immune system and increase your defense against viral infections, including the flu and the common cold.
Many proponents also suggest that AHCC can help protect against cancer and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. In addition, AHCC is said to help prevent heart disease and treat hepatitis.
