Larch arabinogalactan food supplement, Native American tonic

Arabinogalactan is a larch extract standardised to 85% arabinogalactan, with antioxidant properties that help to support the immune system, now available to buy at Supersmart.

What is Arabinogalactan?

A supplement with extensive therapeutic powers, arabinogalactan deserves a special place among natural pharmacy products. The phenols and polyphenols present in arabinogalactan are well-known and widely found in fruit, vegetables and other plant substances, to combat the free radicals considered to be a key cause of cellular ageing.

Arabinogalactan is delivered in vegetarian capsules and some of its active ingredients, such as quercetin and taxifolin have biochemical properties that are highly antioxidant and chemoprotective. There are thus many practical applications related to its immune benefits. Arabinogalactan, which ferments in the gut, increases beneficial lactobacillus bacteria, and can also be used as a complementary therapy against:

• Winter viral infections.
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• Metabolic hypercholesterolaemia.

What are the benefits associated with Arabinogalactan?

Arabinogalactan supplementation confers antioxidant benefits, related to the many polyphenols present in larch. Other plants such as echinacea, cedar and wild indigo (baptisia tinctoria) contain similar substances though at lower concentrations.

• Studies have shown that supplementation with larch arabinogalactan positively alters the activity of natural killer cells (NK lymphocytes), cytokines (essential for cellular communication) and macrophages.
• Arabinogalactan supports and boosts immunity in different ways. It helps increase both numbers of beneficial immune cells and antibody production based on the immune suppressor, in order to trigger an appropriate immune response.
• It supports Natural Killer cells (cytotoxic lymphocytes) to ensure optimal well-being. Research in mice confirmed that the activity of these cells was stimulated by daily administration of arabinogalactan over two weeks.
• It also supports macrophage function. Macrophages are important elements of the body's defence system which originate from monocytes, a type of white blood cell, a function of which is to destroy harmful organisms. When administered in combination with extracts of Echinacea to healthy subjects, arabinogalactan increases blood levels of monocytes in peripheral circulation, and in vitro, levels of macrophages.
• It also increases levels of white blood cells. Research has shown that arabinogalactan supplementation significantly increased the number of circulating white blood cells. This is primarily the result of an increase in their increased concentration in neutrophils.
• Recent studies have shown that arabinogalactan triggers an adaptive immune response to specific antigens. In particular, a higher immunoglobulin G antibody response to vaccines was noted during the 10 weeks following vaccination. The study also showed an immunomodulatory effect which does not affect other immune parameters in any way.