AHCC Supplement Benefits and HPV

AHCC® is a supplement derived from a mushroom that belongs to the Basidiomycetes family. This supplement consists of polysaccharides, amino acids, fats, and minerals.  [1]

People often use AHCC® in traditional Chinese medicine in order to manage liver disease and cancer. Besides that, it helps with boosting the immune system.

AHCC® Also known as Basidiomycetes Extract.

Diseases and Conditions

AHCC® is helpful for patients with liver damage and cancer. By improving the action of T-cells, it also mitigates the side effects of chemotherapy. As a result, patients report better quality of life. [2]

Safety

AHCC® is generally safe when taken in the appropriate dosage. However, the safety of this compound on children is still under investigation. The same applies to pregnant and breastfeeding women. [3]

The side effects of AHCC® may include:

  • Nausea
  • Bloating
  • Fatigue
  • Mild itching
  • Diarrhea
  • Headaches
  • Foot cramps

Those with the following list of autoimmune diseases should avoid taking AHCC® to prevent worsening their symptoms:

  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus

Medication Interactions

There are some possible interactions between AHCC® and other drugs. This is due to the effects of AHCC on CYP2D6. The drugs to keep in mind include haloperidol (Haldol), imipramine (Tofranil), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), amitriptyline (Elavil), codeine, desipramine (Norpramin), flecainide (Tambocor), ondansetron (Zofran), paroxetine (Paxil), and venlafaxine (Effexor). [4]

Because AHCC® boosts the immune response, it may hinder the action of the following molecules:

  • Azathioprine (Imuran)
  • Basiliximab (Simulect)
  • Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune)
  • Daclizumab (Zenapax)
  • Sirolimus (Rapamune)
  • Tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf)
  • Prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone)
  • Muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3)
  • Mycophenolate (CellCept)

Food interactions with AHCC®

There are no known interactions between AHCC® and food elements.

The appropriate dosage of AHCC®

This section will cover the different doses you should take depending on your targeted disease. [5]

  • For cancer – 3 grams of AHCC® daily for up to twelve years. Take 2 grams of AHCC® after each meal for 6 months.
  • For the adverse effects of chemotherapy – 3 grams of dried AHCC® extract daily 3 days before your session followed up by a one-week regimen after your session.
  • For diabetes – 3 grams of AHCC® daily for 6 months.
  • For idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura – 1.5 grams of AHCC® daily.
  • For immune function – 3 grams of AHCC® daily for 3–6 months.
  • For liver function – 1-3 grams of AHCC® daily for 12 weeks.

Takeaway message

AHCC® is a powerful supplement that helps the body in a variety of ways. Patients with HPV, cancer, liver damage, and immunity issues can benefit from taking AHCC®. In fact, there has been a recent clinical study showing AHCC® as a natural treatment for HPV.

We hope that this article helped you appreciate the role of AHCC® in various disease processes.

AHCC® is a registered trademark of the Amino Up Co., Ltd., JAPAN.

References

1-Shin, M. S., Park, H. J., Maeda, T., Nishioka, H., Fujii, H., & Kang, I. (2019). The Effects of AHCC®, a Standardized Extract of Cultured Lentinura edodes Mycelia, on Natural Killer and T Cells in Health and Disease: Reviews on Human and Animal Studies. Journal of immunology research2019, 3758576. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/3758576

2-Yin, Z., Fujii, H., & Walshe, T. (2010). Effects of active hexose correlated compound on frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells producing interferon-γ and/or tumor necrosis factor-α in healthy adults. Human immunology71(12), 1187–1190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humimm.2010.08.006

3-Spierings, E. L., Fujii, H., Sun, B., & Walshe, T. (2007). A Phase I study of the safety of the nutritional supplement, active hexose correlated compound, AHCC®, in healthy volunteers. Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology53(6), 536–539. https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.53.536

4-Mach, C. M., Fugii, H., Wakame, K., & Smith, J. (2008). Evaluation of active hexose correlated compound hepatic metabolism and potential for drug interactions with chemotherapy agents. Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology6(3), 105–109.

5-Smith, J. A., Mathew, L., Gaikwad, A., Rech, B., Burney, M. N., Faro, J. P., Lucci, J. A., 3rd, Bai, Y., Olsen, R. J., & Byrd, T. T. (2019). From Bench to Bedside: Evaluation of AHCC Supplementation to Modulate the Host Immunity to Clear High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infections. Frontiers in oncology9, 173. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2019.00173