Science / Health

Where to Find AHCC Supplements

AHCC Supplements are Easy to Locate

Since the popularity of AHCC as a dietary supplement has exploded in recent months, finding dietary supplements containing all AHCC or a blend of AHCC and other beneficial dietary blends is easy. You can find quality brand shiitake extracts in all of the popular box superstores, as well as on the most popular online retailers. Find Quality of Life brand AHCC at our online store

Streamlined For Maximum Efficacy

AHCC has recently been manufactured as a “functional food”. It was created in a liquid medium, with a hybrid of several varieties of Basidiomycetes mushrooms, including the shiitake variety (Lentinula edodes). There has been no use of AHCC in traditional Japanese medicine, contrary to some information available online. The mushrooms that are of a hybrid blend that AHCC is produced with are similar to those traditionally used in health tonics used for chronic illness, anemia, and other conditions.

Active Hexose Correlated Compound is isolated from hybrids of mushrooms of the basidiomycetes, which is a mushroom family that originated in Asia. The most popular culinary mushroom in this family is the shiitake, which has been used in Japanese cuisine and world cuisine extensively. The shiitake mushroom can easily be sourced in the United States, Europe, Asia, and worldwide. Consuming shiitake mushrooms can certainly provide some of the beneficial effects that AHCC is known to provide to immune response; concentrated forms of these active compounds are most easily obtained by choosing oral supplements that provide a recommended daily dose of AHCC for optimum results.

AHCC was launched as an isolated mushroom dietary supplement in Japan in 1989. The Japanese have used similar mushrooms to the mushroom hybrid that is used in AHCC supplements as traditional medicine, and in recent years have accepted the dietary supplement as a good concurrent supplement to take with other traditional medical treatments.

Over the past decade, there have been interesting studies using AHCC in testing that has shown progressive and positive effects on the immune system and specifically the treatment of HPV. Evidence on the use of AHCC as a supplemental dietary tool when combating viruses, bacteria, and fungal infections has shown positive effects, but larger-scale studies of this supplement and other randomized clinical trials should ideally be performed to provide a more rounded and consistent picture of how the immune system benefits from its use.

Something To Consider

Be sure to contact your family physician if you are considering using AHCC and are suffering from any chronic illness. Self-treatment of AHCC with a recurrent illness and concurrently avoiding recommended medical treatment or interrupting standard care may have severe implications for your health and is not recommended. Always keep an open, honest dialogue with your doctor about any supplements or other alternative medical treatments that you are using.  

When buying dietary supplements, use the recommended practices and dosages as per the manufacturer. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that you look for a product label that will contain important consumer information, including the recommended amount of active ingredients per serving, and whether or not the product contains any additional ingredients added: such as, for instance, fillers, binders, or flavorings.

It’s a good idea to locate the stamp of a third-party organization that assures consistency of testing and high-quality ingredients. Some examples of this are U.S. Pharmacopeia, NSF International, and ConsumerLab.com. A stamp of approval by one of these listed organizations does not absolutely ensure the quality of the product or the efficacy of the substances in the dietary supplement, but it gives some confirmation that the supplement has been formulated accurately and appropriately, and should include an accurate list of ingredients on the packaging.

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