Larch Arabinogalactan- for G.I. and Immune Health

[TheMoonIsBlue]

Has anyone tried this? I was looking at a product Thorne Research makes called Arabinex and the product description says:

"Larch arabinogalactan, a polysaccharide powder derived from the wood of Larix occidentalis (Western larch), possesses important immune-enhancing properties and is an excellent fiber source. It enhances colon health by increasing butyrate concentrations and levels of beneficial intestinal
anaerobes.

Larch arabinogalactan may be an effective adjunct to cancer therapies due to its ability to enhance NK-cell cytotoxicity, stimulate the immune system, and inhibit metastasis. Chronic diseases characterized by decreased NK-cell activity including chronic fatigue syndrome, viral hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis may also benefit from larch arabinogalactan supplementation."

 

[allwxrider]

I did try a month's supply and didn't note any change. It's expensive.

If it's true that 70-80% of the immune system is in the gut then try reading some of the threads in the gut section. I'm on day 4 of a Leaky Gut kit from www.renewlife.com.
Not to be gross, but having a huge cleansing BM is a wonderful thing.

 

[adreno]

Bumping this thread. Seems that besides increasing healthy intestinal flora, it can also help to clear ammonia. Did anyone else try it? 15-30 grams a day would be quite expensive.

J Am Coll Nutr. 2001 Aug;20(4):279-85.

Effects of dietary arabinogalactan on gastrointestinal and blood parameters in healthy human subjects.

Robinson RR, Feirtag J, Slavin JL.
Source
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108, USA.

Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
Arabinogalactan (AG) is a non-digestible soluble dietary fiber that resists hydrolytic enzyme action and enters the large bowel intact where it is fermented by resident microflora. To determine whether AG has similar physiological properties to other soluble dietary fibers, we examined the effect of 15 and 30 g per day of a commercially available AG from Western Larch on several gastrointestinal and blood parameters.

METHODS:
Gastrointestinal parameters included fecal microflora, fecal enzyme activity, fecal short-chain fatty acids, fecal pH, fecal weight, transit time and bowel frequency. Blood parameters included total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, Apo-A1, Apo-B, glucose and insulin. The study consisted of two three-week diet treatments with no washout period. Participants (n=20, 11 males, 9 females) consumed their usual diet in addition to 15 or 30 g AG in a beverage sweetened with aspartame as compared to their usual diet with the control beverage.

RESULTS:
Significant increases in total fecal anaerobes were observed with 15 g (p=0.01) and 30 g AG (p=0.001). A significant increase (p=0.02) in Lactobacillus spp. was observed when subjects consumed AG for a total of six weeks regardless of dose. There were no significant changes in other microflora, fecal enzyme activity, transit time, frequency, fecal weight, fecal pH and short-chain fatty acids. Fecal ammonia levels decreased with 15 g (p=0.001) and 30 g (p=0.002) AG. No significant changes in blood lipids or blood insulin were observed.

CONCLUSIONS:
These data suggest that dietary AG is easily incorporated into the diet, well tolerated in subjects and has some positive effects on fecal chemistry.

PMID:11506055