- Extracted from the mycelium of shiitake mushroom.
- Patented supplement produced in Japan using a proprietary liquid culturing process.
- Rich in easily absorbed alpha-glucan polysaccharides.
AHCC is a dietary supplement containing shiitake mushroom. It comes in 500mg capsules and is made in Sapporo, Japan, by the excellent Amino Up laboratory, and distributed by SuperSmart.
Of the thousands of mushrooms found in nature, twelve have caught the attention of the scientific community because of their unique combination of health benefits. Shiitake, which has featured in certain natural pharmacopoeia for thousands of years, is one of them.
Mushrooms, particularly shiitake, help to normalise several of the body’s functions:
These properties are due to shiitake’s exceptionally rich nutritional value. In addition to its high content of lentinan and eritadenine, which act on innate and adaptive immune responses (1), shiitake contains AHCC, rich in partly acetylated alpha-1,4 glucan polysaccharides. AHCC is the subject of intensive research (2-11).
AHCC is produced from the mushroom’s mycelium, cultured in a liquid medium using a proprietary method, under the strictest health controls.
The resulting dietary supplement consists of 10% alpha-1,4 glucans, a type of polysaccharide not normally found in mushrooms, which is derived only through this proprietary manufacturing process.
Daily dose: 2 capsules Number of doses per pack: 30 |
Amount per dose |
AHCC® (extract of shiitake mycelium (Lentinus edodes) standardised to 10% alpha glucans) | 1000 mg |
Other ingredients : Acacia gum *AHCC© is a registered trademark of Amino Up Co., Ltd., Japan. |
Each capsule contains 500 mg of shiitake mushroom mycelium (Lentinus edodes).
Adults. Take two capsules a day. Each capsule contains 500mg of AHCC® (extracted from the mycelia of Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) standardised to 10% alpha glucans).
Caution: do not exceed the recommended daily dose. This product is a nutritional supplement and should not be used to replace a varied, balanced diet or healthy lifestyle. Keep out of young children’s reach. Store away from light, heat and humidity. As with all nutritional supplements, consult a health professional before taking if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or suffer from a health problem.
Derma Relief is a probiotic formula to help relieve skin problems, by creating a healthy environment for your gut flora and, therefore, reducing inflammation in the layers of your skin.
Derma Relief is aimed at anyone looking for a natural way to relieve and improve their skin problems and at those for whom standard treatments have not worked.
Stubborn skin problems can include:
Derma Relief’s formulation is based on a theory widely-documented in the scientific literature (1): that by taking probiotics, you create a healthy environment for your gut flora and reduce inflammation in the layers of your skin.
DermaRelief contains four strains of probiotic with a dual protective coating enabling them to reach the gut in perfect condition. Designed to colonise the gut, these bacterial strains have been carefully selected for their benefits for the skin, immune system and ability to fight inflammation:
DermaRelief also contains several compounds that support the growth of these probiotics or that act in synergy with them:
Contrary to what you might think, probiotics are not just for preventing or improving gastrointestinal problems. We now know they confer systemic effects and that these effects can benefit the skin if the probiotic strains are selected carefully.
Fabio Meneghin and his research team analysed 37 clinical trials investigating the dermatological potential of oral probiotics: 13 out of 17 were shown to be effective in terms of prevention, while 15 out of 20 displayed therapeutic efficacy (3).
There are at least three mechanisms responsible for the benefits conferred by the probiotics in DermaRelief.
Probiotics help strengthen the intestinal barrier’s impermeability, primarily by increasing secretion of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies, the role of which is to neutralise harmful bacteria and toxins in the intestinal lumen. (4).
Strengthening the intestinal barrier prevents various compounds that exacerbate skin inflammation from passing into the bloodstream.
Probiotics and their derivatives modulate the immune system by activating dendritic cells (5-6), stimulating NK cells (7-8) and inducing T-lymphocyte differentiation.
Dendritic cells and T lymphocytes are indeed instrumental in the improvements observed in the skin following probiotic treatment. Their effects on the immune system produce anti-inflammatory benefits via an increase in production of interleukin 10 (IL10) (9-10), a powerful anti-inflammatory cytokine secreted by the body in response to a number of pathological conditions such as eczema and dermatitis.
This mechanism relates to the capacity of emotional states (such as depression and anxiety) to alter gut microbiota, increase intestinal permeability and promote systemic inflammation.
Lactic probiotics may be able to moderate the release of a neuropeptide (a polypeptide functioning as a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator) called substance P (11). This neuropeptide is released by the nervous system in response to pain, stress, mood problems and anxiety, but it is found abundantly in the skin in atopic dermatitis, eczema and other skin problems (12). By restricting its release, probiotics thus help reduce skin disorders.
Daily dose: 1 stick Number of doses per pack: 30 |
Amount |
Lactobacillus casei CBT LC5 | 1.2 billion CFU |
Lactobacillus rhamnosus CBT LR5 | 0.6 billion CFU |
Lactobacillus plantarum CBT LP3 | 0.6 billion CFU |
Bifidobacterium lactis CBT BL3 | 0.6 billion CFU |
Dextrose | 700 mg |
Polydextrose | 630 mg |
Fructooligosaccharides | 450 mg |
Galacto-oligosaccharides | 100 mg |
Riboflavin | 0.45 mg |
Vitamin C | 25 mg |
DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate | 8 mg |
Thiamine chloride | 0.45 mg |
Pyridoxamine | 0.45 mg |
Other ingredients: cornflour. |
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