AHCC Supplements In The Fight Against Persistent HPV Infection

AHCC Supplements In The Fight Against Persistent HPV Infection

In a study involving high-risk HPV patients, AHCC® has been proven to be effective against persistent HPV infection by promoting immune system function

Phase II Study of AHCC® against HPV

Phase II clinical trial tells doctors more about how safe a treatment is and how well it works. Physicians also test if a new treatment works for a specific disease such as HPV or cancer. They are intended to evaluate the efficacy of the experimental treatments and keep an eye on negative effects. These studies are often carried out following a Phase I trial, in which a smaller group of patients was evaluated, and the safety of the treatment was established. Additionally, the AHCC® HPV Study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.  In these experiments, one group of subjects receives the "real AHCC®" — the active substance being tested. The other half receives a placebo designed to appear, as much as possible, like the real thing. Individuals in both groups don't know whether they are getting the real AHCC® treatment or placebo (they are "blind"). Randomized double blind placebo control studies are the “Gold Standard” in intervention based studies.

The participants in the AHCC® Phase II Study were confirmed HR-HPV cases for more than two years and received AHCC® supplementation of 3 grams orally on an empty stomach for at least 6 months. At the end of the study, more than half of these participants tested negative on both HPV RNA and HPV DNA assays, which are laboratory tests utilized to detect the presence of HPV. The AHCC® supplement was also well-tolerated by the participants and did not cause any significant adverse side effects.

The value of this breakthrough study is that while AHCC® may be a dietary supplement, the clinical trial was conducted to the same standards as those of traditional drugs. As such, it can be safely said that AHCC® supplements may support providing patients with a widely accessible and effective way of repelling persistent HPV infections and enhancing reproductive health.

AHCC® Supplements for Treatment of HPV infections

A robust immune system response is especially important in HR-HPV patients because it helps prevent the recurrence of infectious symptoms and improves the quality of life. With AHCC® supplements, supporting immune system function and reducing the risk of illness become easier and more achievable.

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC®) is a dietary supplement made from Lentinula edodes mycelia, a mushroom native to Japan. In a recent breakthrough phase II clinical trial by it was found that oral intake of an AHCC® supplement at 3 grams daily is effective in supporting the immune system and eradicating persistent HPV infections.

Prior to AHCC® supplements, there were no other treatments available to protect against HPV apart from vaccination. There are three HPV vaccines, one of which is Gardasil 9, which protects against nine types of HPV. HPV vaccination is most effective when given before an individual is sexually active and exposed to the virus, from 9 to 26 years old. HPV vaccination is not recommended for everyone past this age, as they may have already been exposed to HPV. If an individual is already infected with HPV at the time of vaccination, the vaccine may not be able to provide protection against the causative virus type, but it is still given to protect against all other types.

Overview of HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of viruses that can infect the skin and mucous membranes of humans. There are over 100 different types or strains of HPV, with some of which that are transmitted through sexual contact and others that can be transmitted through contact with infected objects or surfaces.

HPV is a very common virus, and it is estimated that nearly all individuals who are sexually active will be infected with at least one type of HPV at least once during their lifetime. The majority of HPV infections don’t cause health problems and are cleared by the body's immune system within two years, but some can persist and lead to the development of cancer, such as cancers of the reproductive organs. The most common type of HPV-related cancer is cervical cancer, followed by anal and oropharyngeal (back of the throat) cancers.

Treatment against HPV infections

There are currently no known HPV treatments that eliminate the virus from all infected cells, but there are treatments available for health problems caused by HPV. Genital warts owing to HPV, for example, can be treated with skin medications.

It’s important to emphasize that HPV treatments are only effective for the clinical manifestations of HPV and do not cure the infection itself. There may be cases wherein genital warts appear to be cleared by the treatment, but they may remain viral without any detectable activity and can cause another outbreak of warts in the future. For some, HPV infections are chronic or latent infections. High-risk HPV strains (HR-HPV), in particular, may not be detectable until precancerous or cancerous malformations have already grown.

Talk to your doctor about the possible benefits of taking AHCC® supplements for your health. Take back control now with products by HPD Rx and for more tidbits of information about critical health issues, visit HPD Rx.

References

Della Fera AN, Warburton A, Coursey TL, Khurana S, McBride AA. Persistent Human Papillomavirus Infection. Viruses. 2021;13(2):321.

Jin J. HPV Infection and Cancer. JAMA. 2018;319(10):1058.

Schiffman M, Doorbar J, Wentzensen N, et al. Carcinogenic human papillomavirus infection. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16086.

Smith JA, Gaikwad AA, Mathew L, et al. AHCC® Supplementation to Support Immune Function to Clear Persistent Human Papillomavirus Infections. Front Oncol. 2022;12:881902.

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