Inflammation isn’t always the enemy. In fact, it’s one of the body’s most important survival tools. When your immune system senses an injury or threat, inflammation is the natural response. It helps isolate the problem, send reinforcements, and begin repair.
But chronic inflammation? That’s a different story.
When Inflammation Helps
Acute inflammation is your body’s short-term defense system. It might show up as redness, swelling, or warmth after a cut, sprain, or infection. Behind the scenes, immune cells are rushing in to protect and repair.
In this phase, inflammation is your friend — speeding up healing and clearing out harmful invaders.
When Inflammation Turns Against You
Sometimes, the inflammatory response doesn’t shut off. It lingers, even when there’s no infection or injury to fight. This is called chronic inflammation.
Instead of helping, it starts harming:
- Damaging healthy cells
- Disrupting hormones and metabolism
- Contributing to issues with energy, immunity, joints, and even brain fog
It becomes a foe — quietly wearing down your body over time.
Mushrooms and Inflammation: What the Research Shows
Studies suggest that Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) may help support a healthy inflammatory balance. The fruiting body of ABM contains:
- Beta-glucans that help modulate immune activity
- Antioxidants that neutralize free radicals
- Ergosterol and other sterols with anti-inflammatory potential
ABM doesn’t suppress inflammation outright. Instead, it may help the body respond appropriately — turning the volume up when needed, and down when not.
That’s why it’s being studied for its supportive role in conditions linked to chronic inflammation.
What New Studies Are Showing
Recent research continues to explore how Agaricus blazei Murill may influence inflammation across different systems of the body:
- Immune Overreaction Control: In the context of severe infections, ABM has shown potential to support balanced cytokine responses and immune modulation without harmful suppression. (Hetland et al., 2021)
- Gut Health and Systemic Inflammation: In preclinical studies, ABM-derived polysaccharides helped reduce gut-derived inflammation, improved microbiota diversity, and protected intestinal tissue. (Zhao et al., 2024)
These findings highlight the mushroom’s ability to interact with key immune and inflammatory pathways in multiple systems of the body.
Supporting Balance, Not Suppression
At Desert Forest Nutritionals®, we believe in supporting the body’s own intelligence. Our ABM extract uses only the fruiting body (never mycelium), and is made with a dual-extraction method to capture both water- and alcohol-soluble compounds.
This gives your body access to a broader spectrum of active constituents that may help restore healthy balance.
Inflammation isn’t all bad. But imbalanced inflammation can be.
Understanding the difference is the first step. Choosing the right support makes the difference.
Bibliography
- Bernardshaw, S. V. et al. (2005). An extract of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill differentially stimulates production of pro‑inflammatory cytokines in human monocytes and endothelial cells in vitro. Inflammation, 29(4–6), 147–153.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17091395/ - Førland, D. T. et al. (2010). An extract based on the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill stimulates monocyte‑derived dendritic cells to cytokine and chemokine production in vitro. Cytokine, 49(3), 245–250.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20036142/ - Oliveira, O. M. M. F. et al. (2007). Antioxidant activity of Agaricus blazei. Fitoterapia, 78(3), 263–264.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17349751/ - Hetland, G., Johnson, E., Bernardshaw, S. V., & Grinde, B. (2021). Can medicinal mushrooms have prophylactic or therapeutic effect against COVID-19 and its pneumonic superinfection and complicating inflammation? Scand J Immunol, 93(1), e12937.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32657436/ - Zhao, M., Tang, F., Huang, X., Ma, J., Wang, F., & Zhang, P. (2024). Polysaccharide Isolated from Agaricus blazei Murill Alleviates Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury through Regulating Gut Microbiota and Mitigating Inflammation in Mice. J Agric Food Chem, 72(4), 2202–2213.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38247134/
- Bernardshaw, S. V. et al. (2005). An extract of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill differentially stimulates production of pro‑inflammatory cytokines in human monocytes and endothelial cells in vitro. Inflammation, 29(4–6), 147–153.