Agaricus Blazei

Unlike the other medicinal mushrooms sold in the supplemental form, Agaricus blazei was never used in Traditional East Asian herbalism.  However, Agaricus blazei does have a long history of use as a folk remedy in the areas of Brazil where it grows in the wild.

It was the popularity of this mushroom as a folk remedy that first spurred researchers to take a closer look.  They discovered that Agaricus blazei contained the same type of active compounds found in the medicinal mushrooms used in traditional Chinese and Japanese herbalism, immuno-modulating beta glucans.*

This mushroom is now cultivated all over the world, with most of the production occurring in Japan and the USA.

There are suppliers of these mushrooms from Brazil that claim Agaricus blazei must be grown in Brazil to be effective and to have the full range of benefits for immune support.  However, this point of view is not supported by the research.*

The vast majority of research demonstrating the immune supporting health benefits of this mushroom has been conducted on hot water extracts of Agaricus blazei mushrooms grown in Japan.*

What these Japanese researchers found was that in addition to beta 1-3 glucan, found at some level in all medicinal mushrooms, Agaricus contains a unique beta 1-6 glucan configuration.  The research shows that these beta 1-6 glucans, provided they are first extracted and concentrated with hot water, activate many diverse components of the cellular immune system including the T lymphocytes and the granulocytes.*

Our research at MushroomScience has also found that there are no chemical differences in Agaricus blazei mushrooms based on where they are grown.  Our chemists have tested Agaricus blazei mushrooms grown in Brazil, Japan, China and the United States, including mushrooms we cultivated in our own grow rooms, and they have found no difference in the chemical structure based on where they were grown.

Agaricus blazei was never used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), so we do not have the same “energetic” classifications from TCM that the other medicinal mushrooms have.

Agaricus blazei does have a long history of use among native cultures in Brazil that live in the regions where the mushroom grows in the wild.

The native cultures that use Agaricus blazei always prepare it as a tea, as a hot water extract, the same way medicinal mushrooms are prepared when used in the traditional herbal practices of China and Japan.

This is because the beta glucans in Agaricus blazei are found inside the cell walls of the mushroom, and, like all of the medicinal mushrooms used in TCM, those cell walls consist of the same indigestible fiber, “chitin”.  The only known method for breaking the beta glucans out of these cell walls is through hot water extraction.

In Brazil the native cultures that use Agaricus blazei call it the “Mushroom of the Gods”.  This mushroom is also a very popular food among the people that use the mushroom medicinally.  It has a very pleasing almond flavor when cooked.

Other ingredients: Vegetarian Capsule (cellulose), Agaricus blazei mycelium, myceliated rice.

Suggested use: Adults, take 1-3 capsules, twice daily, on an empty stomach.

Warnings: Keep out of reach of children. Do not use if allergic to mushrooms, pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not use if safety seal around top of bottle is missing or broken. Store at room temperature, with lid closed.