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Beta 1,3-D Glucan Safely Enhances Immune
Function
by Jim English
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but results
of a recent human clinical study suggest far better results may
be obtained with a dietary supplement called Beta 1,3-D Glucan.
Beta 1,3-D Glucan is a highly purified and patented carbohydrate
extracted from the cell walls of Baker’s yeast.
An independent study conducted by Biophage Pharma
Inc., a Canadian biopharmaceutical company, treated normal human
volunteers with 250 milligrams of Beta 1,3-D Glucan for 10 consecutive
days. The subjects were monitored for 30 days. The results of the
human clinical study found that the Beta 1,3-D Glucan—the
identical Betra Glucan carried by VRP—was safe and well tolerated,
as evidenced by the lack of significant changes in key blood and
liver enzymes. It also significantly increased phagocytic capacity—the
ability of the innate immune cells to eat and destroy foreign intruders
(Fig. 1).
On day ten of the study Beta Glucan had increased
the percentage of immune cells able to phagocytose one target particle
from 63.8 percent to 83.2 percent. The number of highly phagocytic
cells —those consuming at least three particles—increased
from 37.3 percent to more than 50 percent. These results show that
taking Beta Glucan enhanced the human immune system to defend the
body against a challenge.
“The results are consistent with the biological
activity of Beta 1,3-D Glucan observed in numerous animal studies,”
said Rosemonde Mandeville, Chief Scientific Officer of Biophage
Pharma. In addition, researchers also found that Beta 1,3-D Glucan
increased plasma cytokines INF-y and TNF-a, which play an important
role in regulating the body’s immune response. There was no
significant increase in cytokine IL-1, which can cause fever, chills
and muscle aches associated with other immune-enhancing supplements
(Fig. 2).
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