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What is King Agaricus?

Agaricus is a mushroom native to Brazil, said to have been initially found in the Piedarte region—in the suburbs of Sao Paulo*. It was called "sun mushroom" because of its strong life force, which allows it to grow even in the sun. They were also called "God's mushrooms" because they soaked up so many nutrients from the ground that they seldom grew again in the same area once they were harvested. It was initially consumed in tea form.

These are the names by which Agaricus is known:
-Agaricus blazei
-Agaricus blazei Murill
-Agaricus brasiliensis
-Agaricus subrufescens

In Japan, Agaricus is especially popular among cancer patients. A nationwide survey conducted using a Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare cancer research grant reported that over 60% of cancer patients taking supplements chose Agaricus. Agaricus is widely used in Japan, Europe, and the United States for its ease of use.

Agaricus is an excellent source of nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin, and minerals such as iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and copper. Most of all, Agaricus is a superb source of beta-glucans.

Agaricus is popular worldwide for its high nutritional value. Still, the nutritional content and safety of Agaricus differ greatly depending on the cultivation method, growing region, and strain, meaning it's essential to know where your Agaricus comes from and that it's from a trusted distributor.

The Japanese National Institute of Health and Nutrition database of ingredients for "health foods" states that Agaricus "varies in characteristics and ingredients depending on the strain, cultivation conditions and production area," and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan warns that "quality varies considerably among raw materials and products."

At Toei Shinyaku, we pride ourselves in providing the highest, Made in Japan-quality products, safety, and satisfaction guaranteed.

The Magic of Agaricus Mushroom Cultivation

Agaricus thrives under natural sunlight, but finding naturally-grown Agaricus has become rare these days. They are now three popular methods of cultivation: open field cultivation, greenhouse cultivation, and mycelial tank cultivation.

Open field cultivation is considered the closest to natural cultivation—it's rich in nutrients and highly useful. Toei Shinyaku exclusively cultivates its Agaricus in open fields to preserve the mushroom's natural nutrient-rich content and originally larger size. However, because outdoor elements are challenging to control and cost 10 times higher than general greenhouse cultivation, most other manufacturers have given up on it.

The Greenhouse cultivation method is performed in an artificially dark place with the sunlight blocked. The growing environment is very different from that of the original sun mushrooms, so the size of Agaricus does not grow to its full potential and has comparatively low nutritional value.

Last but not least is the tank method. Mushrooms are usually divided into two parts: the fruiting body, which is eaten, and the mycelium, which is often used in supplements. Tank culture artificially cultures the mycelia in—you guessed it—tanks. This method became popular in Japan around the year 2000. It does not require much space, can be cultured in a short period, and is inexpensive.

One trend that many manufacturers have in common these days, including Toei Shinyaku, is to use the fruit body of the mushroom. This contains a large amount of beta-glucans which are vital for immune health. Read more about benefits like these from open-grown Agaricus below.

The Benefits of Agaricus KA21 Cultivated in Open Fields

In 2020, King Agaricus 100 won the Natural Ingredients-Asia Award, recognizing the best supplements in the Asia-Pacific region. We continue to research and develop a wide variety of products to contribute to the health and happiness of society.

King Agaricus, KA21, is the name of an open field cultivated Agaricus mushroom with a strong vitality, a strain found exclusively at Toei Shinyaku. Not only does the KA21 strain grow to its original giant size, but there is a vast difference in the nutrient contents as well. When the mushroom survives the harsh natural environment, it develops a strong vitality. It is rich in nutrients such as β-glucan, its main component. It has more than five times the antioxidant activity, 34 times the vitamin D content, 26 times the calcium content, 10 times the copper content, and is rich in iron and selenium.

Agaricus KA21 cultivated in open fields in Brazil has been studied for more than 25 years at the Department of Immunology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, an international authority in mushroom research, as well as at state-of-the-art facilities in Japan such as the Food Safety Research Center, University of Tokyo and the SFC Research Institute, Keio University. We have published 32 international papers—the most research done out of any company worldwide.

King Agaricus is Effective for the Improvement of

Immunity

King Agaricus is used to force the proliferation of NK cells and the immune system. This includes activating natural killer cells related to infection defense and an increase in antibody titer against Candida and Malassezia.

Hair Growth

King Agaricus is a mushroom-type supplement that has hair regrowth properties. A clinical study on mice showed improvement of hair loss, graying, and confirmed this also had hair growth and regrowth effects.

Lifestyle-Related & Metabolic Diseases

King Agaricus has various functions and benefits, such as improving blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, improving liver function, supporting immunity, a healthy heart, and maintaining healthy gut flora. Use in conjunction with exercise and a balanced diet for weight loss!

Other Health Benefits

In human clinical studies, it has been confirmed to reduce fatigue, improve sensitivity to cold, improve sleep quality, reduce stiff shoulders, and improve performance in athletes.

Brochure on Effectiveness

About Toei Shinyaku

Since 1996, Toei Shinyaku Co., Ltd. has been the Japanese distributor of Agaricus KA21 products, known as "King Agaricus" in Japan. Our superior mushrooms have been shown to promote hair growth, increase immunity, improve metabolism, and much more. After publishing an international paper with the Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences in 2001, we have developed a range of life-improving products, becoming the industry's first and largest distributor. In 2004, we began researching Agaricus KA21 as a natural pet food supplement and now offer a variety of products for pets of all sizes and species.

会社紹介

King agaricus 100

BEROOT

Pet

Backed by 20 Years of Gathered Evidence

In healthy subjects, after oral intake of 9 g of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 per day (3 to 22 times the standard intake) for 6 months, the product's safety was confirmed with no side effects and no effect on liver and kidney function values.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18604247/

The safety of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 was confirmed in a test tube study and an animal study in which 1 g per 1 kg of body weight (approximately 16 to 125 times the standard intake) was ingested.　
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22506574/

According to a survey conducted in Japan using a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) cancer research grant, 44.6% of cancer patients used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). 96.2% of CAM users took supplements, 60.6% chose to take Agaricus.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15728227/

Immunity

Natural killer cells, a type of immune cell, were activated in healthy subjects by taking 3 g of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 per day for one week. *Natural killer cells are immune cells that attack cancer cells and pathogens that cause infections.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18604247/

Based on the above research results, intake of Agaricus KA21 is thought to enhance immunity and prevent infection.

When healthy subjects were fed 900 mg and 1,500 mg of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 per day for 12 weeks, an increase in antibody titer against beta-glucan derived from fungi was observed after 6 weeks of intake of 900 mg per day.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33639078/

Based on the above research results, Agaricus KA21 intake may effectively prevent fungal infections such as oral and vaginal candida, and in the veterinary field, Malassezia and dermatophytosis.

Dogs and cats (n=94) suffering from Malassezia and dermatophytosis were orally fed 300 mg per 5–6 kg of body weight per day of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21. Various symptoms such as itching, skin redness, dandruff, odor, and hair loss were improved.　
* Presented at the 25th Japanese Society of Veterinary Dermatology, paper in preparation for submission

Mice receiving the anti-cancer drug (5-FU) were fed orally with feed containing open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 and were evaluated for leukopenia, diarrhea, weight loss, feeding disorder, renal disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, and hair loss, which are side effects of the anti-cancer drug.

As a result, the ingestion of open-pollinated Agaricus was confirmed to reduce the side effects of anti-cancer drugs, but not that of house-grown Agaricus. The impact of KA21 on reducing the side effects of anti-cancer drugs may be helpful for the physical condition of cancer patients. The potent antioxidant activity of open-pollinated Agaricus may have reduced the side effects of anti-cancer drugs.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32463996/

Akkermansia muciniphila, a type of intestinal bacteria, affects the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.　
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29097494/

* Accumulation of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 in a mouse study confirmed the growth effect of Bacillus subtilis Ackermansia mussinifera. Japanese patent pending.

When wound model mice were fed orally with feed containing open-pollinated Agaricus KA21, the production of skin collagen type 3 was stimulated, and its wound-healing promoting effect was confirmed. The skin moisturizing effect against dryness was also confirmed in the same study.　
* Presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Aesthetic Dermatology, paper in preparation for submission

Hair Growth

When healthy people orally ingested 900 to 1500 mg of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 per day, the effects of reduced fatigue, better wakefulness (improvement of sleep quality), reduction of stiff shoulders, and improvement of sensitivity to cold were confirmed after 6 and 12 weeks of ingestion. In addition, the effects of improving hair loss and graying were confirmed after 6 weeks and 12 weeks of intake of 1500 mg/day.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26756293/

When mice modeling hair loss were orally fed diets containing open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 and house-cultivated Agaricus KA21, the effect of hair growth was confirmed in the open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 intake group. The results were presented at the 10th International Medicinal Mushrooms Conference. Paper in preparation for submission.

Improves the Effects of Lifestyle Diseases

When mice with liver inflammation caused by intraperitoneal administration of carbon tetrachloride were orally given feed containing either open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 or house-grown Agaricus KA21, only the group fed with open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 showed a protective effect on the liver.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25418207/

When fatty liver model mice with a high-fat diet were given feed containing open-pollinated Agaricus KA21, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Agaricus KA21 inhibited liver fibrosis caused by NASH. Intake of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 may be effective in preventing NASH.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31689883/

Hypertensive model rats were fed a diet containing open-pollinated Agaricus KA21, which reduced heart rate and blood pressure, protected the heart, and improved circulatory function.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24433071/

Healthy people were given 3g of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 per day for 3 months, which resulted in reduced body weight, lower body fat percentage, decreased visceral fat mass, cholesterol level, and blood glucose level.　
Source 1: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18604247/

Akkermansia muciniphila, a type of intestinal bacteria, effectively improves obesity and diabetes.　
Source 2: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27892954/
Source 3: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23671105/

* Ingestion of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 in a mouse study showed a proliferative effect of Bacillus subtilis Ackermansia muscinifera. Japanese patent pending.

When healthy people were fed 3 g of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 per day for 3 months, body weight, body fat percentage, visceral fat mass, cholesterol level, and blood glucose level were reduced.　
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18604247/

Oral feeding of diabetic model mice with feed containing open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 improved blood glucose levels.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21562638 /

Akkermansia muciniphila, a type of intestinal bacteria, effectively improves obesity and diabetes.　
Source 1: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27892954/
Source 2: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23671105/

* Ingestion of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 in a mouse study showed a proliferative effect of Bacillus subtilis Ackermansia muscinifera. Japanese patent pending.

When healthy people orally ingested 900 to 1500 mg of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 per day, the effects of reduced fatigue, better awakening (improved sleep quality), reduced stiff shoulders, and improved sensitivity to cold were confirmed after 6 and 12 weeks of ingestion. In addition, when 1500 mg was taken per day, improvement of hair loss and graying was confirmed after 6 weeks and 12 weeks.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26756293/

When wound model mice were fed orally with feed containing open-pollinated Agaricus KA21, the production of collagen type 3 was stimulated, confirming its wound-healing promoting effect. The skin moisturizing effect against dryness was also confirmed in the same study.
* Presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Aesthetic Dermatology. Paper in preparation for submission.

Ingestion of open-pollinated Agaricus KA21 in mice confirmed the proliferative effect of Ackermansia muscinifera, a type of intestinal bacteria. Akkermansia muciniphila is effective in improving obesity and diabetes. Japanese patent pending.
Source 1: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27892954/
Source 2: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23671105/

Akkermansia muciniphila affects the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.　
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29097494/

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