Comparison
of Optimum Mushroom Complex in GlycoEssential 7 to AHCC & MGN-3
In
the 1980s, a blend of mushroom mycelium extracts was formulated
by researchers at Daiwa Pharmaceuticals in Japan and marketed
under the name AHCC. This same research group later improved
on their work and came up with a second formulation, which they
named MGN-3. These two products have been the most common immune
system enhancers available on the US market. They both work pretty
well, and for the same reason. They are both polysaccharide immune
activators.
It was this initial research on AHCC and MGN-3 that lead to the discovery of
our Optimum Mushroom Complex. While these earlier supplements are each single
polysaccharide compounds, Optimum Mushroom Complex is much more complex, being
a combination of over 200 different polysaccharides immune activators. What
does this mean?
The human immune system is made up of more than 230 different types of cells.
Cells with names like T-cells, Macrophages and Natural Killer cells. These
are all specialized cells and each carry out one specific function, and one
function only. These cells are normally in a dormant state, circulating through
the body looking for invaders and aberrant cells. They are on guard, so to
speak. But each cell has activation receptors on their surface that come into
play as needed. When a challenge is encountered, these surface receptors attract
and bind to different polysaccharides. As these different polysaccharides attach
to the immune cells, they cause those cells to become activated. They either
turn the cell on, or they turn it off, or they trigger the release of specialized
chemical messengers, or they trigger other functions appropriate to the challenge.
But these receptors are very specific. Each receptor will bond to only one
specific polysaccharide. Like a key fitting a lock, the Polysaccharide has
to be an exact match for the receptor, or it will not work. Supply the wrong
polysaccharide, and nothing happens.
These different polysaccharide immune enhancers can be compared to antibiotics.
There are many antibiotics – penicillin, tetracycline, and keflex for
example. While each of these drugs does the same thing, they all fight infection,
each one does it in a slightly different way. While one antibiotic might be
the correct choice for one disease, a different one is called for in a different
disease. It is the same in activating the human immune system. Different triggers
for different effect.
While it is now well understood how this mechanism of immune activation works,
what is not so clear is why it sometimes fails. The truth is, that at this
stage of our medical understanding, once a disease occurs it is impossible
to say what aspect of the immune system misfired and let that disease in. In
one patient, one type of immune activator is called for, while in another something
else has gone wrong and different immune activators are required. Since we
cannot determine what has gone wrong once the disease progression has begun,
it only makes sense to activate as many points of the immune function as possible.
These immune activator polysaccharides will not over-activate the immune system,
rather they only activate the cells in response to other outside stimulus.
As the cell is presented with a specific challenge, it responds by reaching
for a specific gun. If the correct weapon is available, the appropriate polysaccharide,
then the immune cell is able to adequately address the challenge and the cell
wins.
This is where Optimum Mushroom Complex differs from AHCC and MGN-3. It is a
combination of more than 200 different polysaccharides, derived from the enzymatic
breakdown of complex organic plant material by six different species of medicinal
mushrooms. Where AHCC and MGN-3 are both single mushroom derived compounds,
Optimum Mushroom Complex is much more complex. Consequently, it has a much
broader spectrum of immune enhancement. Imagine if you had an infection of
unknown cause, and the doctor could prescribe a combination of 200 different
antibiotics all at once! Pretty good chance you would be getting the right
one to address that infection!
Another advantage of Optimum Mushroom Complex over AHCC and MGN-3 is that it
is American Made and USDA Certified Organic! Even though the other immune supplements
have proven not to work as well as Optimum Mushroom Complex, they actually
cost more since they are imported, with all the extra pockets and that import
duties that involves. They are also grown on non-organic plant material, raised
in the most industrialized nation on earth! What would you rather have?
The 1980s brought you AHCC from Japan
The 1990s brought you MGN-3 from Japan
Now… Optimum Mushroom Complex in GlycoEssential 7 - the American Supplement
of the 21st century!
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