In 2005, a pilot study “Agaricus blazei Murrill : A pilot study: The effects of Agaricus blazei Murrill on Hypercholesterolmia” was done and presented at the AANP convention (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians).
The study had 11 volunteers and the cholesterol levels had to greater than 200 mg/dl at the start of the study, which was measured by a serum blood test. The liquid mushroom extract dosage was 1 ml or (equal to 10 grams of fresh mushrooms) which is less than the recommended therapeutic dosage. The extract was provided by Desert Forest Nutritionals.
The study lasted for 60 days. At the end of 2 months, 7 of the 11 patients who completed the appropriate dosing of Agaricus blazei Murrill extract had their cholesterol levels checked and the total cholesterol levels were measured and compared to previous baseline levels. At such a small dosage, the results showed a significant decrease, an average of 12% reduction or 31 points.
Of the patients who completed the protocol, one patient with familial hypercholesterolemia went from 311 mg/dL to 345 mg/dL. This patient then doubled up the dose for one month. After 30 days, the patient’s results showed that the cholesterol dropped back to 316 mg/dL, a decrease of 8.4%, which is remarkable for such a short period at a below therapeutic dose.
We thank the Naturopathic doctors who did this study 13 years ago. Two of them are members of this group!
There are a lot of drugs that are made from mushrooms including; Penicillin, Lovastatin, and Cyclosporine. One of them is Lovastatin, a statin drug used for lowering cholesterol.
Mushrooms should be a part of your daily life to keep a heart-healthy!