The almond mushroom has a particularly balanced concentration of vitamins, valuable minerals, proteins and amino acids as well as a high proportion of polysaccharides. Not only these components, but also its characteristic almond aroma characterize the Agaricus blazei Murrill as a high-quality edible and medicinal mushroom.
Synonyms: Almond mushroom, ABM, Brazilian almond Egerling, sun mushroom, life mushroom, Cogumelo de Deus
Distribution and habitat in nature: Soil dwellers (compost-rich soils). Originally from Brazil.
Use: edible mushroom, medicinal mushroom
Ingredients: including polysaccharides, peptide glucans, ergosterol, conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), pantothenic acid, folic acid
Traditional areas of application:
- Accompanying cancer therapy (1-14)
- Diabetes (4, 23)
- Allergies (15, 24, 25)
- Liver strengthening (16-19)
- Stimulating the immune system (20-22)
In the fight against existing allergies, and also to protect against allergies (in the so-called igE-mediated immediate type) , Agaricus blazei Murrill is viewed as a promising remedy (see Agaricus blazei Murrill (15) ).
In the area of cellular immune response, treatment with Agaricus blazei Murrill affects the activity of monocytes and granulocytes; The phagocytosis potential is increased and entry into inflamed zones is promoted. This effect is attributed to the high beta-glucan content of Agaricus blazei Murrill (see Agaricus blazei Murrill (21) ).
The Agaricus blazei Murrill activates, among other things, the part of the immune system responsible for anti-infectious and anti-tumor activity (see Agaricus blazei Murrill (20) ).
Agaricus blazei Murrill may also reduce the risk of metastasis from certain types of cancer. The treatment of cancer cells with polysaccharide extract from the almond mushroom showed clear successes in vitro in lung and ovarian cancer and in in vivo studies in ovarian cancer in humans. In addition, clear synergistic effects were observed with chemotherapy and radiotherapy (see Agaricus blazei Murrill (1) ).
Scientific studies on Agaricus blazei murill:
1) Suppressing effects of daily oral supplementation of beta-glucan extracted from Agaricus blazei Murill on spontaneous and peritoneal disseminated metastasis in mouse model. Kobayashi H, Yoshida R, Canada Y, Fukuda Y, Yagyu T, Inagaki K, Kondo T, Kurita N, Suzuki M, Kanayama N, Terao T. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2005;131(8):527-38.
2) Effects of Agaricus brasiliensis mushroom in Walker-256 tumor-bearing rats. Jumes FM, Lugarini D, Pereira AL, de Oliveira A, Christoff Ade O, Linde GA, do Valle JS, Colauto NB, Acco A. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2010;88(1):21-7.
3) Inhibitory mechanisms of Agaricus blazei Murill on the growth of prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo. Yu CH, Kan SF, Shu CH, Lu TJ, Sun-Hwang L, Wang PS J Nutr Biochem. 2009;20(10):753-64.
4) Immunomodulating activity of Agaricus brasiliensis KA21 in mice and in human volunteers. Liu Y, Fukuwatari Y, Okumura K, Takeda K, Ishibashi KI, Furukawa M, Ohno N, Mori K, Gao M, Motoi M. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2008;5(2):205-219.
5) Natural killer cell activity and quality of life were improved by consumption of a mushroom extract, Agaricus blazei Murill Kyowa, in gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Ahn WS, et al. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2004;14(4):589-594.
6) Clinical observation on treatment of acute non lymphocytic leukemia with Agaricus blazei. X. Tian, Z. Lun and H. Ito. J. Lanzhou Med. Coll. 20 (1994), pp. 169-171
7) Observation on treatment effect of Agaricus blazei against alimentary tract tumor. Wang J, Mou XM and Cheng RZ Gansu Med J 1994;13:5–7
8) White button mushroom phytochemicals inhibit aromatase activity and breast cancer cell proliferation. Pit BJ, Eng ET, Kao YC, Kwon A, Chen S, J Nutr. 2001;131(12):3288-93.
9) Anti-aromatase activity of phytochemicals in white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). Chen S, Oh SR, Phung S, Hur G, Ye JJ, Kwok SL, Shrode GE, Belury M, Adams LS, Williams D. Cancer Res. 2006;66(24):12026-34.
10) Medicinal properties and clinical effects of culinary-medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murrill (Agaricomycetideae) (Review). Mizuno T Int J Med Mushr 2002;4:299–312.
11) Agaricus blazei (Himematsutake) does not alter the development of rat diethylnitrosamine-initiated hepatic preneoplastic foci. Barbisan LF, Spinardi-Barbisan AL, Moreira EL, Salvadori DM, Ribeiro LR, da Eira AF, de Camargo JL Cancer Sci. 2003;94(2):188-92.
12) Screening for in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities of the mushroom Agaricus blazei. Ziliotto L, Pinheiro F, Barbisan LF, Rodrigues MA Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(2):245-50
13) Variation of the antimutagenicity effects of water extracts of Agaricus blazei Murrill in vitro. Guterrez ZR, Mantovani MS, Eira AF, Ribeiro LR, Jordão BQ Toxicol In Vitro. 2004;18(3):301-9
14) Effects of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill on immunity, infection and cancer. Hetland G, Johnson E, Lyberg T, Bernardshaw S, Tryggestad AM, Grinde B. Scand J Immunol. 2008;68(4):363-70
15) An extract of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill can protect against allergy. Ellertsen LK, Hetland G. Clin Mol Allergy. 2009:5;7-6.
16) The mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill extract normalizes liver function in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Hsu CH, Hwang KC, Chiang YH, Chou P. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14(3):299-301
17) Clinical utility of ABCL (Agaricus Mushroom Extract) treatment for C-type hepatitis. Jpn Pharmacol Ther. 2002;30:103-7
18) Observation on the treatment effect of Agaricus blazei on the liver function of chronic hepatitis patients. Wang L. and Ma H. J Lanzhou Med Coll. 2004;20:24–26
19) An alternative medicine, Agaricus blazei, may have induced severe hepatic dysfunction in cancer patients. Mukai H, Watanabe T, Ando M, Katsumata N. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2006 Dec;36(12):808-10.
20) Hetland G, Johnson E, Lyberg T, Bernardshaw S, Tryggestad AM, Grinde B (2008). "Effects of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill on immunity, infection and cancer". Scand J Immunol 68(4):363–70. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3083.2008.02156.x. PMID 18782264.
21) Bernardshaw S, Lyberg T, Hetland G, Johnson E: Effect of an extract of the mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill on expression of adhesion molecules and production of reactive oxygen species in monocytes and granulocytes in human whole blood ex vivo. APMIS. 2007 Jun;115(6):719-25.
22) Bernardshaw S, Hetland G, Ellertsen LK, Tryggestad AM, Johnson E: An extract of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill differentially stimulates production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in human monocytes and human vein endothelial cells in vitro.
Inflammation. 2005 Dec;29(4-6):147-53
23) Hsu CH, Liao YL, Lin SC, Hwang KC, Chou P: The mushroom Agaricus Blazei Murill in combination with metformin and gliclazide improves insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;13(1):97-102
24) Chan Y, Chang T, Chan CH, Yeh YC, Chen CW, Shieh B, Li C: Immunomodulatory effects of Agaricus blazei Murill in Balb/cByJ mice. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2007 Jun;40(3):201-8
25) Choi YH, Yan GH, Chai OH, Choi YH, Zhang X, Lim JM, Kim JH, Lee MS, Han EH, Kim HT, Song CH: Inhibitory effects of Agaricus blazei on mast cell-mediated anaphylaxis-like reactions. Biol Pharm Bull. 2006 Jul;29(7):1366-71.