Boost the immune system with beta glucan

Beta glucan has been licensed in other countries as a drug to kill cancer. And baby formula manufacturers in these countries have deemed it safe to add it to their formula.

by Debbie Williams — 

Do you ever get the feeling you have been duped by the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and traditional medical industries? You may be a member of the growing group that is questioning and asking, “Do I really need to take that drug or is there something natural that does not have side effects and will not hurt my liver and kidneys?”

Do you find yourself looking at the fine print of food and beverage labels? Ten years ago people rarely looked, but today you see them doing it more and more. Why? It is because the food manufacturers are putting toxic ingredients into foods at the consumers’ expense. How is it that six-month-old babies are included in an “obesity epidemic?” If you examine the labels, you will understand why. Unfortunately, it all boils down to the food industry trying to save money.

The bulk of the population blindly trusts food manufacturers, traditional doctors and government agencies. Unfortunately, this means people’s bodies have to fight off more toxins than ever before. No wonder more people are being diagnosed with debilitating diseases and getting cancer at a higher rate than any other time in history.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and aspartame are among the worst culprits of obesity and poor health. Just today I opened up a jar of pickles and looked at the label. HFCS was on the label. Then I grabbed some salad dressing — it was in there, as well. I looked at the horseradish jar. I was dumbfounded, as it was in there, too!

The key to health is a strong immune system, and yet the immune system is being taxed like never before. A healthy immune system enables the body to fight off colds, the flu and most diseases. A typical healthy person’s immune system works at around 30 percent, but would it not be great to ramp up that number to 70 percent? The good news is that it is possible with beta glucan.

What is beta glucan?

Beta glucan is a polysaccharide that is found naturally in seaweed, Japanese mushrooms, grains and the walls of baker’s yeast. One study shows that the insoluble, yeast-derived beta glucans have a superior ability to modulate the immune system — but not all beta glucans are created equally. So buyer beware, as many commercial brands are ineffective. The manufacturers that use inferior beta glucans show little, if any, immune response.

Most people, including traditional doctors, have never heard of beta glucan. In fact, you are among the first people in the U.S. to learn about this amazing compound. Many people ask: “Why have I not heard of this before if it is so great?” One reason could be that 10 years ago a single capsule cost $200.

Beta glucan is the number one immunomodulator on the planet. It has been studied for more than 50 years, and more than 11,000 studies from Harvard, Baylor, Tulane and other prestigious universities can be found on www.pubmed.gov.

Beta glucans are significant because they bind to the CR3 receptor of neutrophil cells, which are the most abundant white blood cells in the body. These cells become activated to recognize “non-self” cells. Essentially, after taking beta glucan, trillions more fighter cells are generated inside the body, which is why people are calling this specific proprietary product life-changing and miraculous.

Beta glucan has been licensed in other countries as a drug to kill cancer. And baby formula manufacturers in these countries have deemed it safe to add it to their formula.

What makes beta glucan appealing to many is that it has no known side effects and it does not interfere with other medications. The FDA gives beta glucan the GRAS rating, which stands for “generally regarded as safe.” Studies show beta glucan can actually make medicines more effective. For example, beta glucan, when taken while undergoing chemo/radiation treatments, can make the treatments far superior because many patients do not experience the debilitating side effects and the good cells are protected since more fighter cells are activated.

Who needs beta glucan? 

My family has been taking beta glucan for more than a year now and we have not been sick once, which is highly unusual. I have seen miraculous results from cancer patients and people with various immune issues including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, allergies, lupus, fibromyalgia, meniere disease, arthritis, fungus, candida, IBS and HIV/AIDS.

Some people say, “I do not have any health challenges, so I do not need to take beta glucan.” My opinion is that anything that breathes will benefit from beta glucan, as it enhances the body’s ability to stay healthy.

Athletes are more susceptible to illness because they push their bodies to and past the limit. Beta glucan offsets exercise-induced immune suppression due to overworking the body, allowing athletes to recover much more quickly between workouts. Beta glucan helps animals too. Pets can suffer from compromised immune issues, just as we do.

Doctors all over the world are beginning to help their patients with this amazing compound. Unfortunately, not all beta glucans are created equally. One manufacturer rejects 90 percent of the beta glucan that comes into the plant. The remaining manufacturers buy the unwanted beta glucan, which makes most other commercial brands worthless by comparison.

Is beta glucan a silver bullet? Not at all. It actually does not cure anything; the body’s immune system does that. Beta glucan simply activates trillions of cells in the body to fight the fight.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If pregnant or lactating, consult a physician before using.

Debbie Williams is an immune health coach and Reiki master. For more information, contact her at 623-444-0557.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 31, Number 6, December 2012/January 2013.