Excerpts from the article Fine Tuning The Immune System by Steve Myers on January 30th, 2012.

StimuCell from Arizona Natural contains Agaricus Blazei mushroom,  Astragalus, Garlic, Echinacea Purpurea, Zinc, Vitamin E, Selenium and Grape Seed Extract 4:1, Broccoli Extract 4:1, Panax Ginseng, and Green Tea Extract.

Vitamin E:  Researchers from Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, Boston, reported genes influence the differences in vitamin E’s immune actions.  A study out of Spain found evidence of a few different immune benefits from vitamin E supplementation (200 mg/d).  Including blood neutrophil, lymphocyte and NK cell activities.  A further genetic study was conducted by researchers from Tufts University, Boston, who analyzed data and DNA from a previous vitamin E intervention study.  They found vitamin E's ability to decrease respiratory infections was influenced by gender and gene factors, including specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at immunoregulatory genes.

Zinc: Another popular micro-nutrient for immune function is the mineral zinc which, like vitamin D, is a signaling molecule for immune cells. Zinc deficiency has been linked to increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress, while maintaining adequate levels has been tied to decreased risk of various infections.  Tufts researchers found elderly individuals with low levels of blood zinc concentrations have a 50% greater risk of developing pneumonia than individuals with normal zinc concentrations, and those with normal zinc status had fewer new prescriptions for antibiotics, a shorter duration of pneumonia, fewer days of antibiotic use and lower mortality rates compared with seniors who had low zinc levels.  Ten days of zinc administration enhanced innate immunity against E. coli infection, the primary bacterial cause of diarrhea in children.  Compared to children not supplementing with zinc, those taking the mineral showed higher phagocytic activity, improved ratio of naïve T cells to memory T cells and increased serum complement C3, a protein that contributes to innate immunity.

Echinacea:  Echinacea has garnered a good deal of the attention paid to botanicals for improved immune function, but it certainly has been mixed signals from the research world. Its history of use includes Native Americans who turned to the herb for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. A 2003 review from University of Wisconsin noted several immuno-modulatory properties, including activation of macrophages, leukocytes and NK cells.  University of Mississippi scientists identified potent monocyte-macrophage-activating bacterial lipo-proteins and lipo-polysaccharides in several botanicals such as echinacea.

Astragalus:  Astragalus also has a long history, used for its adaptogenic properties in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. According to research, astragalus may influence inflammatory cytokines, macrophage phagocytic activities, and lymphocyte response to immune suppression.  Astragalus administration has also been connected to improved T lymphocyte function and splenic dendritic cell differentiation.  In 2010, researchers at Arizona State University in Tempe looked at the effect of several botanicals including astragalus, fellow TCM herb Andrographis paniculata and elderberry on inflammatory genes.  They treated peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells (PMBCs), which are rich in T-cells, B-cells, NK cells, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells, and found astragalus induced expression of several hundred cellular genes, as did elderberry, while andrographis expressed fewer genes. They cited the presence of lipo-polysaccharides (LPS) in the extracts, but noted evidence suggesting the benefits were not all to the credit of LPS

Garlic:  Longtime immune health herb garlic continues to generate positive research results to add to its library. While allicin has most often been credited with garlic's antimicrobial properties, other compounds in garlic may contribute to the herb's immune benefits. In 2010, in vitro research on immunomodulatory proteins from raw garlic and various immune cells, including lymphocytes, mast cells and basophils, found the proteins were mitogenic (promotes cell duplication) toward human peripheral blood lymphocytes, murine splenocytes and thymocytes.  And a report published in 2011 demonstrated fructans in garlic also contribute to the immunomodulatory properties.

Agaricus Blazei:  Agaricus Blazei also affects NK cell activity and can increase IgG levels, stimulate T-cell production in the spleen, enhance phagocytosis and improve the body’s resistance to bacterial infection.

Stimucell from Arizona Natural contains Agaricus Blazei mushroom,  Astragalus, Garlic, Echinacea purpurea, Zinc, Vitamin E, Selenium and Grape Seed Extract 4:1, Broccoli Extract 4:1, Panax Ginseng, and Green Tea Extract.