Beta Glucan

For more than 30 years scientists have studied Beta Glucan. Its ability to benefit the immune system has been established in over 800 scientific studies. Beta Glucan comes in several forms from different sources. Beta-1,3/1,4-Glucan is derived from the bran of cereal grains like oats and barley. It is not as biologically active as Beta-1,3/1,6-D-Glucan which is derived from Saccharomyces cerrevisiae, more commonly known as Baker’s yeast. It is also found in some mushrooms like Maitake.

A number of nutritional supplements work to stimulate the immune system. However, they can lead to overstimulation creating potential problems for individuals with autoimmune diseases, yeast infections, or allergies. Beta-1,3/1,6-D-Glucan works by activating macrophages causing the immune system to function better without becoming overactive. Macrophages are cells which have the ability to locate, ingest, and destroy foreign matter like bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. They can remove debris as well.

This functionality offers several potential payoffs. One of the most studied is in infection fighting. Beta Glucan produced consistently good resulting in fighting and preventing infection. Infections can also hinder wound healing but Beta Glucan was effective in reducing the severity of infections related to wounds. It also resulted in improvements in the scar tissue that developed. Beta Glucan showed promise of helping alleviate some allergies. It also led to a reduction in oxidative tissue damage associated with the progression of some arthritic diseases. Studies are also examining Beta Glucan’s impact on lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

Vitabase Beta-1,3/1,6-D-Glucan is vegetarian/vegan. It contains no sugar, salt, yeast, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, milk, eggs, shellfish, or preservatives.