The All-Natural Immune Booster
Beta glucan, a completely natural substance, boosts and strengthens innate and acquired immunity. Here's the science.
Beta Glucan (Buy at Amazon) is the next big thing in natural health, and news of its capabilities is starting to trickle down into the mainstream. Here’s what you need to know about it.
What’s Beta Glucan, What Does It Do?
Beta glucans are polysaccharides in the cell walls of certain cereal grains, bacteria, fungi, and algae. Once ingested by humans, the immune system recognizes the beta glucans as pathogen-associated molecular patterns or PAMPs. This means beta glucan activates both innate and acquired immunity, which is a good thing.
Innate immunity is what you’re born with. It consists of cells like neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and 30 blood proteins known as the "complement proteins." Together, they wage war on invading pathogens.
Adaptive immunity, however, involves cells that require "training." Each infectious exposure teaches T-cells and B-cells to produce antibodies that attack specific infections. These cells "remember" the infection and produce long-lasting immunity to it.
We initially thought that beta glucans only activated innate immunity, which is great by itself, but the recent discovery that they also activate acquired immunity is really exciting.
In practical terms, it means beta glucan has immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and radioprotective properties. And since beta glucan is essentially insoluble fiber, scientists think it might also have cardioprotective effects through increased cholesterol management, body weight, and glycemic response.
The Best Defense
Beta glucan is NOT a pathogen. It merely tricks the immune system into thinking it’s being attacked. It puts the immune system on alert.
Here's an analogy: Years ago, the US Air Force had nuclear-equipped B-52 bombers in the air 24 hours a day. They were on permanent alert in case Russia got a little froggy. The B-52s have since been grounded, but their situation was similar to what beta-glucan does. It puts the immune system on round-the-clock alert against any potential enemies. If something does attack, the odds of quickly repelling it are far greater.
Let’s say a virus has just invaded one of your cells. Almost immediately, the cell releases cytokines, which alert other cells of the invasion. T-cells and natural-killer cells come charging to the site of infection and destroy the infected cell so the viruses or bacteria inside will also die.
While these T-cells perform their duty, they’re also instructing B-lymphocytes to start forming immunoglobulins (antibodies) constructed to attach to that specific invader, much like a key fits a lock. The antibodies then enlist complement proteins to punch holes in the cell wall of the invader.
To remember the "lock" of this particular invader, memory T-cells are formed so that any future invasions by the same invader can be quickly squashed.
Of course, this system isn’t foolproof. If it were, you wouldn’t see people with flu, colds, or other infectious diseases. However, regularly ingesting beta-glucan fortifies the whole system, thereby increasing the odds of repelling a disease entirely or defeating it in less time than might otherwise be possible.
The Research
There’s been a ton of research on beta glucan, with many human studies. Take, for instance, what happened when patients (from 25 to 65 years old) were given beta-1,3-glucan over 90 days:
- 3.3 fewer sick days.
- 70% fewer upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms: runny nose, plugged nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, hoarseness, head and chest congestion, tiredness, headache, body aches, and fever.
- 10 fewer URTI symptom days.
- 45% fewer URTI symptom episodes.
- 80% lower overall severity of URTI symptoms.
That’s just one study, but 17 other studies found that people using beta glucan had increased resistance against URTI. Another eight studies found that both recreational and elite athletes using beta glucan before intense exercise had a far smaller than normally seen decline in immune system functionality.
Other studies found that beta glucan even helped allergy sufferers, reduced outbreaks of herpes, and even lessened the pain in osteoarthritis sufferers. Age didn’t seem to be a factor in the efficacy of beta glucan; it worked in old and young people. Neither did using beta glucan lead to any apparent side effects, which means it’s perfectly safe.
Can I Get Enough Beta Glucan from Food?
Not really. Oats contain beta glucan, but oats, along with other beta-glucan-containing foods, have a mixture of beta glucan isomers. That’s not terrible, but beta-1,3-glucan is much more potent.
Further, our gastrointestinal tracts aren’t prepared to adequately digest some of the cell walls of grains like oats (or yeast) to give the gastrointestinal system access to beta-glucan. In other words, they’re not very bioavailable.
Lastly, according to Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka, "When beta glucan is not adequately purified, it will contain numerous impurities, often acting against the biological effects of the molecules."
All of this is why algal beta-1,3-glucan, extracted from Euglena gracilis, is the preferred choice.
Only Use Algal Beta Glucan
Algal beta-1-3-glucan has no chemical side branches or particulate matter. Its cell wall is much thinner than oat or yeast, making it easier to digest. Lastly, the concentration of beta-glucan in the cell walls of algae is over 95%, compared to the 60 to 80% found in certain yeasts.
With algal beta glucan, the Euglena gracilis is carefully grown and cultivated in stainless steel tanks using filtered water and food-grade nutrients. When the algae reach their target density, they’re removed from the fermentation broth and the algal cells are filtered out. The beta-1,3-glucan is extracted, washed, dried, milled, and packaged.
This is the form of beta glucan Biotest uses in Beta Glucan Immune-Boosting Fiber (Buy at Amazon).
Along with its immunity-booster powers, Beta Glucan also has these benefits:
- Gut Health: As a soluble fiber, Beta Glucan promotes healthy gut bacteria and improved bowel regularity. It acts as a prebiotic, nourishing beneficial gut bacteria.
- Skin Health: Beta Glucan improves skin health due to its ability to stimulate immune responses and promote healthy tissue replenishment.
- Healthy Cholesterol Support: Beta Glucan binds to bile acids, promoting their excretion. This forces the body to use cholesterol to make more bile acids, reducing cholesterol blood levels.
- Blood Sugar Support: Beta Glucan slows sugar absorption in the intestines, helping maintain stable blood glucose levels.
References
- Rondanelli M et al. "The biological activity of beta-glucans." Minerva Med. 2009 Jun;100(3):237-45.
- Vetvicka V et al. "Glucans and Cancer: Comparison of Commercially Available B-glucans – Part IV." Anticancer Res, 38(3):1327-1333, Mar 2018.
- Davis JM et al. "Effects of oat beta-glucan on innate immunity and infection after exercise stress." Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004, Aug;36(8):1321-7.
- Volman JJ et al. "Dietary modulation of immune function by β-glucans." Physiology & Behavior, Volume 94, Issue 2, 23 May 2008, Pages 276-284.
- Vetvicka V et al. "β-Glucan Improves Conditions of Chronic Fatigue in Mice by Stimulation of Immunity." The Open Biochemistry Journal, 2-18-2020.
- Akramiene D et al. "Effects of ß-glucans on the immune system." Medicinia, 11 August 2007.
- McFarlin BK et al. "Baker’s yeast beta glucan supplementation increases salivary IgA [immunoglobulin] and decreases cold/flu symptomatic days after intense exercise." J Diet Suppl 10(3):171-83, Sept 2013.
- Kwanghook K., et al. "Algae-derived β-glucan enhanced gut health and immune responses of weaned pigs experimentally infected with a pathogenic E. coli." Animal Feed Science and Technology, Volume 248, February 2019
- Borchani C et al. "Structural Characterization, Technological Functionality, and Physiological Aspects of Fungal B-D-glucans: A Review." Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 56(10:1746-52, PMIC 25830657, Jul 2016
- Graugaum H-J et al. "A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled nutritional study using an insoluble yeast beta-glucan to improve the immune defense system." Dood Nutr Sci, 3(6):738-746, June 2012.
- Carlos AF et al. "β-Glucan successfully stimulated the immune system in different jawed vertebrate species." Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Volume 62, February 2019, Pages 1-6.