Ancient Elements

  Essiac. What a funny-looking word! Who made that up, and what in the world is “essiac” tea anyway? This blend of tea has its origins in a mining community in Canada. A nurse by the name of Rene Caisse (pronounced reen case) was working there in the early 1900s. She found that a miner’s wife, who had been suffering from a serious illness, was seemingly cured after taking an old Native American herbal recipe given by an “old Indian medicine man.”   Caisse experimented with this herbal blend, and she soon found that it seemed to promote wellness in her patients. Many of her patients reported feeling more healthy, and some living with terminal illness reported that the tea made their condition more bearable. Nurse Caisse gave the formula the name essiac (pronounced ess-ee-ack), which is her own last name spelled backward. So what’s in Essiac tea? Many companies out there include all sorts of herbs in their blend. We at Ojibwa Tea of Life use the original, 4-herb rec...

  You hear a lot now about how beta glucans are great for supporting immune health. And that’s true, but only to a point. It is a generalization, as s ome beta glucans are shown to support immune health, but not all. The specific source organism (e.g., strain of yeast) of a particular beta glucan makes all the difference in terms of safety, mechanism of action, and efficacy. That’s because each type of beta glucan, molecularly speaking, has a different backbone and branching arrangement that can give it health benefits that are completely different from other types. Details matter. So, let’s review the science behind different forms of beta glucan. Cereal Beta Glucans Certain beta glucans derived from cereal grains (beta 1,3 and beta 1,4 glucan), predominantly oats, have been found useful for managing cholesterol levels—specifically, LDL, or bad, cholesterol. No changes in cholesterol level are typically found with either HDL (good) cholesterol or triglycerides. On...

A scientific review of the role of beta glucans in immune health has highlighted their benefits for groups of healthy populations that have increased risk of respiratory infections. There is growing evidence that supplementing with beta glucans from yeast and fungi can support the body’s natural defenses. The review, published in the Molecular Nutrition & Food Research Journal , focuses on their mechanism of action as immunomodulators, exploring the theory that they “train” the body’s immune cells, triggering changes that help fight off pathogens. The paper also evaluates clinical trials on the benefits of supplementing with beta glucans. The best-studied beta glucan supplement ingredient, and the one that has demonstrated the best results, is Wellmune ® , a leading natural yeast beta glucan from Kerry. The review highlights several clinically supported studies providing evidence of Wellmune’s ability to support overall immune health in a range of healthy populations...

  What is a Yeast Beta Glucan? And How Does it Support Immunity? When you’re considering ways to support your immune health, the options on the market are vast. From echinacea to zinc, the choices can be overwhelming—and often reflective of the latest trending health news. One trend—oat- and mushroom-derived beta glucans—has been associated with a myriad of health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and improving heart health—and in some cases, supporting immune system function. But only yeast-derived beta glucans ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) have been shown to have well-substantiated immune-supporting properties . When it comes to beta glucans, the differences matter. Read on to learn more. What are the differences between beta glucans? Oats. Mushrooms. Yeast. It sounds like a grocery list for a trendy bistro. What all these ingredients have in common is that they are types of beta glucans. But the similarities end there. Not only are these three types...

  How Wellmune ® Works. Knowing how Wellmune ® works, is the key to understating its ability to help strengthen the immune system. This unique immune-supporting ingredient triggers human immune defenses that have evolved over thousands of years to protect the body, but how exactly does Wellmune ®   work?   Training the immune system to move effectively.  When taken daily, as a supplement or in a functional food or beverage formulated with this unique yeast beta glucan, clinical research shows that Wellmune ® helps to support the innate immune system by training it to be ready to react. Think of your immune system primed by Wellmune ® as your wellness team that has been trained daily to go into action during game day. When you take Wellmune ® every day, immune cells are better prepared to go into action.     Support vs. boosting; what’s the difference? Wellmune ® is not an immune booster , and that’s a good thing. While it seems like...

  When it comes to the immune system, it seems the term ‘boost’ is everywhere. Articles cascade across the internet. Commercials beckon, asking the questions “Can you really ‘boost’ your immune system?” “What foods or beverages can help you ‘boost’ your immune system?” And the list goes on. But what does ‘boost’ really mean? And is ‘boosting’ really the best thing for immune health? Or might there be another way to support your immune system’s ability to respond to a threat? And, most importantly, what’s the best way to obtain these benefits? Sonja Nodland, Kerry ProActive Health Principal Scientist, shares insights on the important differences between boosting and supporting immune health, and discusses priming the immune system. You’re probably already doing more than you think. Most health-conscious people take steps to protect their immune health as part of their everyday life—likely without realizing it. Diet, exercise and adequate sleep play a well-documented ...