Immpower (AHCC)

[Jenny]

Has anyone got any good or bad experiences to report on Immpower? It's supposed to increase NK cell activity.

I've been taking 500mg twice a day for 2 weeks, and seem to be tolerating it OK, and I'm now wondering whether to increase the dose to 3gm a day. But it's very expensive.

I haven't felt any better on it yet, but I guess you have to take it for a few months at least.

Jenny

 

[heapsreal]

Havent used it yet but am interested though. Have read a few studies where it apparently helps us with our natural killer cells. I agree that its expensive, NOW brand sells a 750mg strength tablet and from what i have read , 3000mg a day is the recommended dose, so about $60 plus for a months worth.

keep us updated on how u go with this Jenny,

Thanks!!!

 

[heapsreal]

This is a copy of what i just posted on prohealth board,
ahcc is expensive, the science on it looks good although i havent tried it. At the moment i have abit of a cold/flu and just bought a product with astragalus, olive leaf extract and shiitake mushroom. I bought it mainly because of the high dose astragalus in it but when i got home i decided to look into shiitake and found it has a high content of AHCC in it, so maybe this could be one way of trying AHCC on a budget, although if money wasnt a problem, straight ahcc would be the go. Let us know how u go on it.

This is the product i just bought, its australian, http://www.zentherapeutics.com.au/ki.htm

 

[Jenny]

I've been on AHCC for 14 weeks now. Dose has varied between 2, 4 and 6 a day. (I took 6 for 2 weeks but felt worse so lowered the dose.)

I'm doing lots of other stuff as well - minocin, plaquenil, sertraline, pycnogenol, and several other supplements, so it's difficult to know what's doing what.

I'm still in bed most of the time and can only walk a few yards, but my appetite, nausea and constant sweating have improved and the severe malaise, including fleeting episodes of profound depression, have got better. I'm inclined to attribute these improvements to the setraline rather than anything else.

So I don't think the AHCC was doing anything much in the short term. I'm going to take a break from it now - might start again in the autumn.

Jenny

 

[Rrrr]

thanks for the update, jenny. i'm considering AHCC, too. Chris has been writing about his success on this supplement along with Stem Kine on the thread dedicated to stem cells on this forum.

i really hope you get more strength soon!!!!!!

 

[Chris]

Re AHCC--NOW also sells it in powder form, which is considerably less expensive--have some on order, don't know yet how best to measure it out--any suggestions welcome. Check the web (I don't think we are supposed to name specific suppliers on the forum, or is that OK?) for good prices--I found $58. for 57 gr--still expensive, but...

Stem-Kine includes a fair amount of what must be a very similar mix of magic mushroom preparation. So take this into consideration if you decide to take both simultaneously. Best, Chris

 

[minimus]

I have been taking AHCC, 2 capsules every morning, for at least the last 6 or 7 years. I cannot say that it is working any miracles for me, although I have managed to keep working a full-time job during my 12 years with CFIDS. I primarily take it because of the research indicating it improves NK cell function.

Epicor also seems to improve NK cell function and seems to be less expensive, so that might be worth a try if money is tight.

 

[hanchuchu]

I have been taking AHCC, 2 capsules every morning, for at least the last 6 or 7 years. I cannot say that it is working any miracles for me, although I have managed to keep working a full-time job during my 12 years with CFIDS. I primarily take it because of the research indicating it improves NK cell function.

Epicor also seems to improve NK cell function and seems to be less expensive, so that might be worth a try if money is tight.

Hi, guys. I am on AHCC as well, just from last week. I don't know whether you have noticed "emergency report from china" or not. This stuff is widely researched and may work. I will take test to compare the result of NK cell and T-cell between the pre-intake and after-intake.

 

[Andrew]

I started them toward the end of September. Taking 2 to 3 a day. I'm noticing lately that I'm not slipping into health crashes as much as I used to. I can't say for sure it's the Immpower though. But if it is, that would mean that taking it two months might tell you if it makes a difference. OTOH, I guess this could vary.

And now I better knock on wood so this doesn't suddenly get worse again.

 

[SOC]

I have seriously considered ImmPower because I've heard that Dr Klimas sometimes uses it, but the cost is prohibitive.

Daughter and I both have noticeable improvements with ProHealth's Transfer Factor Essentials (there's a link to it at the top of this page at them moment) which is about half the price of ImmPower. So, while I wonder if ImmPower might be better, we're sticking with the one that's working for now. We've noticed the fastest effect with this product since we've been treated with Valcyte. Before Valcyte treatment, the effect was much slower and more subtle, but we felt better with it than without it. Now, since Valcyte, we noticed definite improvements within a couple days of starting it again. Both of us were plateaued in our improvements pre-Transfer Factor Essentials, and both got a pretty quick increment of improvement with it.

Seems to me that I heard that Dr Ryser and Dr Lapp both tested this product and found that it did improve NK function, but I don't know if that directly translated to substantial improvements in health.

FWIW:

According to physician Carol Ann Ryser, M.D., Transfer Factor Essentials supplementation [has] significantly beneficial and meaningful impact on the immune response, NK cell function and activity...

Prime immune system supporting nutrients
In addition to the advanced transfer factor featured in Matrix 2000, Transfer Factor Essentials incorporates several prime immune system supporting nutrients designed to enhance immune system activity and provide you with optimized support. These nutrients include:

Beta Glucan: Beta Glucan boosts immune system cells including NK cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. These cells provide the immune systems first line of defense, help remove cellular debris, and supports recovery of damaged tissue.

TMG (trimethylglycine): TMG promotes strong and healthy immune system cells. It plays an important role in the chemical processes that maintain cell DNA and fortifies the immune system with strong T-cells.

Larch arabinogalactan: A unique dietary fiber, larch arabinogalactan has potent immune system enhancing properties. It boosts the number of immune system cells present in the blood and promotes the growth of friendly bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

IP-6: Boosts immune system NK cells by supporting healthy absorption of minerals. It is also a naturally occurring component of plant fiber that possesses antioxidant properties.

Astragalus: A traditional Chinese herb, astragalus contains active ingredients such as saponins, flavonoids, polysaccharides and glycosides that stimulate immune system activity.

Zinc: An essential trace mineral, zinc plays a key role in nearly 300 separate chemical processes that are essential to immune system function.

Folic Acid: Plays an important role in supporting DNA in immune system cells as well as supporting nervous system health and improving energy.

Selenium: Functioning as a part of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione, selenium helps protect immune system cells from free radicals.

B-12: Working in several chemical processes, B-12 supports DNA in every cell throughout the body, produces red blood cells, and supports heart and nervous system health. In addition, B-12 is needed to manufacture ATP, the bodys energy source.

 

[Andrew]

Since I last posted I've experienced even more improvement. I'm able to stand even longer, and move around the apartment more. I'm still very sick. But this is improvement.

I'm taking 500mg three times a day. I don't pay attention to whether it's with meals or without meals.

I am taking Immpower, but there are other brands. In fact, I have another brand here. The directions are inconsistent. Immpower is 500mg, and it says to take up to 6 a day with meals. The other is 750mg, and says to take up to 8 a day on empty stomach.

Edit: I found a good article about AHCC http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?article=16

 

[Sallysblooms]

Great that it has helped you Andrew. I take AHCC. Can't remember the brand my doctor recommended but I use what he said to use.

 

[Andrew]

Here's another summary of literature about AHCC, but arranged differently: http://www.drugs.com/npp/ahcc.html.

 

[heapsreal]

I know on the ahcc bottles the recommended dose is 2 tabs a day(500mgx2) and the dose in the link which i have also read somewhere else which is 3 grams/6tabs a day for increase immunity/nk function ends up very expensive. I would like to try this supp one day but feel that 2 tabs a day may be too low a dose to have an effect and probably need the 6 tabs a day, it then starts to become very expensive and costing more then alot of meds. Is there any cheaper sources of this supp??

cheers!!!

 

[Sallysblooms]

My AHCC is Douglas Labrotories. I just looked.

 

[Andrew]

Is there any cheaper sources of this supp??

cheers!!!

You could try 2 a day for a month and see what happens. The cost could be as low as $30.

Edit. I just removed the link. I overlooked the fact that these are only 250mg. So it's not really a great deal. I hope I didn't mess anyone up.

 

[Andrew]

I just realized how much this is going to cost as I double my dose. This stuff is expensive! So I set up a spreadsheet and looked around the web, trying to figure out which one costs the least per gram. This is in capsules, not powder. The cheapest AHCC I could find is Vitacost AHCC+ 1000mg. 60 capsules for $44.99. That's 75 cents per gram. The second cheapest is the same thing but sold in a bottle of 30. The cost per gram with those is 83 cents. Everything else is above $1.30 per gram. I would have looked at powder, but I have not idea how I would measure that out.

I'm wondering now if I should double my dose, considering that I was getting improvement at the minimum dose.

 

[Chris]

Hi. I have been taking it on and off for quite a while now, and think I am getting a bit better, but it's slow, and up and down, and I don't really know whether the AHCC bears any significant responsibility. I do take frequent breaks--both Klimas and Cheney recommend pulsing immune modulators like Immunovir, and I think the argument would apply to AHCC too. Thanks for bringing up the issue of price--I have now found a source that is not expensive in Canada, http://bioviacanada.com . I have been taking 2 x 800 per day, and adding a bit of a cheaper made in Canada mushroom preparation, Purica's Immune 7x. It does seem to be safe, so increasing the dose a bit seems worth trying.

The other thing I have been playing with is diet; I am pretty much vegan these days, and now use a juicer to increase the amount of green leafy veg I can take in without overloading my digestive system. If ME really does turn out to be an autoimmune disease, it is worth noting that Dr. J. McDougall recently reported that a 19 year old woman had beaten her RA by following his strict starchy vegan diet, and that Dr. J. Mercola gave a link to Dr. Terry Wahls who beat well documented 7 year old MS by eating masses of veg, colourful veg and fruit, Q10, omega-3, creatin, organ meats--a remarkable story, to be found on Mercola's website or YouTube--worth thinking about.
Best wishes to all, Chris

 

[Sallysblooms]

Be careful to get plenty of all of what you miss with meat, especially red meat. I have been there, seriously ill. I got back on meat quickly after years of not eating much.

L-carnitine is needed for sure. CoQ10, b vits and a lot of things. I am sure you are taking them if you are vegan.

 

[*GG*]

I just realized how much this is going to cost as I double my dose. This stuff is expensive! So I set up a spreadsheet and looked around the web, trying to figure out which one costs the least per gram. This is in capsules, not powder. The cheapest AHCC I could find is Vitacost AHCC+ 1000mg. 60 capsules for $44.99. That's 75 cents per gram. The second cheapest is the same thing but sold in a bottle of 30. The cost per gram with those is 83 cents. Everything else is above $1.30 per gram. I would have looked at powder, but I have not idea how I would measure that out.

I'm wondering now if I should double my dose, considering that I was getting improvement at the minimum dose.

Thanks for this info, I need to look into this and see if my Dr thinks it would be worthwhile to add. I don't think I have any current immune sytem issues, but perhaps it is worth a try still to try to feel better!?

GG