Effects of Glucan on Respiratory Illness
It is every human’s instinct to protect its own. From the second you were born, you were cradled and protected by your mother. And as you grew, so did your immune system, your body’s natural defense.
The immune system is a series of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against ‘foreign invaders’. These invaders are usually microbes such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that cause infections. When these infectious organisms invade your body, the immune system defends your body and heals itself.
How does the immune system defend the body?
The body has two defense mechanisms: the innate immunity and adaptive immunity.
Innate immunity is the barriers of the body against infection that we are born with. These are the skin, the acid in stomach, tears, mucus in the mouth and nose, and the cells in the blood stream that can destroy bacteria. Innate immunity is the first-line of defense against invaders. The two key first-line defenders are phagocytes (macrophage) and natural killer (NK) cells. When bacteria try to invade the body, phagocytes and NK cells identify, absorb and destroy the bacteria.
However, some bacteria are cleverly disguised, and the first-line defenders are not able to identify and destroy it. This is when the adaptive immunity comes into place. B and T cells are the main players of the adaptive immunity. When bacteria survive against the macrophage and NK cells, B cell produces antibodies that attach themselves to the bacteria. This attachment will make the bacteria identifiable to the macrophage and NK cells, which then destroys it.
In addition, adaptive immunity is the concept behind immunization or vaccination. By adapting to specific bacteria or virus, the body becomes immune to infection caused by the same bacteria. Upon vaccination, the body prepares antibodies against specific disease so it can prepare for a possible infection in the future.
Balancing the Immune System with Immunomodulators
As we age, several factors may increase or decrease the immune function. Alcohol, stress, aging, harmful bacteria and viruses can decrease the immune function. Meanwhile, exercise, probiotics, herbs and food can increase the immune function.
To regulate and normalize the immune function, immunomodulators are used. Immunomodulators can normalize the immune system of a person with overactive immunity (immune suppression), or boost the immune system of a person with low immunity (immune stimulation).
There are various natural immunomodulators around us. Astragalus, curcumin, ellagic acid, chlorella, Echinacea, resveratrol, vitamin C, and glucan are among them. However among these natural immunomodulators, which one is the best for you? We have to choose the one that is backed by scientific evidence.
Beta-Glucan and CM-Glucan
Beta-glucan is the most known immune stimulant. It is a natural polysaccharide from a variety of plants such as oats, barley and seaweed. Among the various sources, Saccharomyces cerevisiae or baker’s yeast has been studied expansively for its immunomodulatory potential. However, beta-glucan derived from yeast has low solubility and makes it difficult to be absorbed.
To address the problem of solubility, carboxymethylation of beta-glucan transforms it to CM-glucan (carboxymethyl-glucan or sodium carboxymethyl beta-glucan). CM-glucan is a highly soluble glucan that is readily absorbed by the body. It binds with glucan receptors in the white blood cells and stimulates the production of macrophages, neutrophils and other cells that carry specific beta-glucan receptors on their surface.
In addition, CM-glucan also enhances the antioxidant and immunomodulation properties of beta-glucan since it can cross the gastrointestinal wall without causing damage to the digestive system.
The properties of beta-glucan as mentioned above have been observed in a variety of conditions: as an antagonist to benign and malignant tumors, an immunonutrient for athletes, and an adjuvant treatment for respiratory infection, allergic rhinitis and stomatitis. It also lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels, normalizes blood sugar level, and heals and rejuvenates the skin. Aside from being an immunostimulant, beta-glucan also possesses a broad anti-infective property against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Pneumocystis carinii, and others. This property is especially advantageous in the Philippines since seven out ten of the leading causes of illness in our country are due to infections.
Glucan for Better Respiratory Health
In 2010, respiratory infection, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis were reported as the top causes of illness in our country. In line with this, the use of beta-glucan to reduce the recurrence of respiratory infections is proven by various studies.
A study by Talbott S and Talbott J (2010) compared the use of placebo and glucan in moderately-to-highly-stressed patients for symptoms associated with respiratory infections and physiological well-being. The patients using glucan reported fewer symptoms of respiratory infection, better overall health, increased vigor, and decreased tension, fatigue and confusion compared with placebo.
The same authors (2009) also studied beta-glucan in marathon athletes. The study concluded that beta-glucan supplementation helps maintain the immune function in endurance athletes, reduces post-exercise upper respiratory infections in marathon runners.
The maintenance of immune function is linked with improved mood state, reduced fatigue, and increased vigor in athletes. A study by Richter et al (2015) concluded that short-term oral use of beta-glucan encouraged better physical endurance in children with respiratory problems and enriched their mucosal immunity.
CM-Glucan exhibits properties that strengthen the immune system. This may result in reduced frequency of recurrent colds and flu, reduced frequency and duration of asthma episodes, absence or reduced frequency of respiratory tract infections. It also provides a better environment for patients under treatment for tuberculosis, and helps shorten the duration, treatment and speed the recovery from infections and disease.
With the threat of respiratory infections in our country, it is important to provide our body with the proper defense mechanism to ward off possible infections and complications. The use of CM-glucan as immunostimulant gives us that added boost that our body needs to keep us healthy and well.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients who took ImmunoMax noticed a decrease in the occurrence of their allergic rhinitis attacks!
Don’t let Allergic Rhinitis get in your way. Take Immunomax!
In the Philippines, the ber months usually signal the start of allergy season. This is usually caused by changes in the weather, along with the increase of allergens in the environment. If you already suffer from allergic rhinitis, chances are you already have a regimen for alleviating daily symptoms. But when allergens are more prevalent, you could be more prone to attacks. We found 5 quick tips that can help you survive the coming months, and surprisingly, prevention is one of them.
The holidays are just over the horizon! But along with the promise of upcoming festivities are other less jolly things, like holiday stress, increased traffic and pollution, and increased allergens. The cold air and close contact is a breeding ground for viruses waiting to have a party in your body. Worry not — we’ve made a list to keep you free from naughty sickness, so you stay feeling nice and healthy.
Wash your hands
As repetitive as it may sound, hand-washing cannot be stressed enough. It is the simplest way to prevent the spread of viruses. You can get the virus from doorknobs, appliances, and many more places, including other hands. When the virus is on your skin, guess what happens when you touch your nose? Sniff!
More than just washing, the point is to prevent the spread of the virus. Try not to catch it, but try not to spread it either.
Get enough sleep and proper nourishment
Sleep rebuilds cells. Try to get at least 7 hours of snoozetime to fully recover from your day’s activities. A proper diet on the other hand, provides your body with enough nourishment for your well-rested cells.
Overall, these lifestyle practices keep your immune system healthy, minimizing your vulnerability to viruses.
Keep a balanced immune system
Sometimes, threats to our immune system cannot be avoided. A poor environment, stress and even aging can cause imbalances in our immune system. When our immune system is imbalanced, it becomes vulnerable to viruses. Thankfully, you can take an immunomodulator like ImmunoMax to balance your cells. If you want to find out more about ImmunoMax and it’s only ingredient CM-glucan, click here.
Surviving the flu season is based on 3 things: prevention of spreading, a healthy lifestyle, and a balanced immune system. With all these things in check, you can go through the next sakit season, sniffle-free!
When ImmunoMax is absorbed by your body, it encourages your immune cells to talk more to each other. This creates the balance needed in your immune system to keep you free from sickness.
When your immune system overreacts to harmless substances, your airways tighten and produce mucus. This tiggers the wheezing and coughing. Find out why an immunomodulator helps prevent these attacks.
Suddenly, people everywhere are sniffling. Your coworkers are starting to call in sick, and children are missing school. The flu season has started!
Thankfully, this season is survivable. You just need to prepare your body for the onset of attack. The trick is to keep your immune system as healthy as it can be before you get exposed to the flu virus.
Here are things you might want to do for your immune system before you get infected.
- Take Probiotics
Taking yogurt and probiotic drinks can give your body good bacteria. These prevent the overgrowth of micro-organisms that threaten your immune system. - Hydrate
Drinking water flushes toxins in your body, giving your immune cells enough oxygen to function well. - Sleep
Rebuild your immune cells with at least 7 hours of sleep every night. - Light Exercise
Facilitate blood flow and circulation through light exercise so your body can easily distribute immune cells to where your body needs it the most. - Vaccination
Flu viruses mutate and change every year, so while recovering from last year’s flu makes you immune to it, chances are the virus will have mutated enough to overcome your developed immunity when another flu season comes along. Flu vaccines help your body produce much needed antibodies that will combat the flu virus. Ask your doctor about it today. - Take immunomodulators
Immunomodulators are naturally-occurring substances that, when ingested, help enhance and optimize your body’s response to sickness. Immunomodulators don’t naturally occur in the body but can be found through other sources, such as supplements like ImmunoMax, which is made of pure water-soluble CM-glucan, one of nature’s most powerful immumonodulators.