AHCC® and Fatigue: Everything You Need To Know
Yawn… Does that word sound familiar to you? If it does, you are not alone. Life is busy. Things like work, school, and deadlines are things that demand our attention and our energy. It is important to maintain our health at all times, so our priorities don’t fall between the cracks. But that is sometimes easier said than done.
Sometimes our energy level hits a low spot, and sometimes that low spot never seems to end. There is a name for that, and that name is fatigue.
INDEX
What is Fatigue?
Fatigue and Getting Your Zzz’s
AHCC® and Extra Immune Support
How Does AHCC® Support Normal Immune Function?
In Summary
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What is Fatigue?
Fatigue is often described as a lack of energy. The causes of fatigue can vary, but they are often the result of lifestyle factors, physical conditions, or mental health conditions. Many people also describe it as a feeling of being “run down” or a constant feeling of being tired.
Fatigue and this sense of tiredness can contribute to negative factors such as poor memory, poor concentration, and a lack of overall motivation and mental clarity. Dealing with these factors makes it hard to face the tasks of the day.
Common complaints associated with fatigue may include, but are not limited to:
- “I can’t seem to start any activity or task. I just can’t find the motivation to do so.”
- “I get started on a task, but I always seem to get tired so easily and can’t seem to finish it.”
- “I feel mentally exhausted, and trying to concentrate on this task feels impossible.”
- “My memory is foggy. I don’t have the clarity I usually have.”
If this sounds familiar, then fatigue could be a factor.
Fatigue and Getting Your Zzz’s
The constant feeling of tiredness or drowsiness is one of the most common complaints associated with fatigue. Sleep is essential, and a continued lack of proper sleep can reduce your ability to fight off fatigue. Sleep is an important component of a healthy body and mind. When you sleep, your body works hard to create the necessary connections that promote memory and mental clarity. Fatigue can affect your mood, too; making you feel like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Concentration is affected as well. When you are tired, your processing skills suffer.
Healthy sleep has the ability to restore the energy our body needs. Perhaps most importantly, sleep helps maintain some of the most important functions of the body: the immune system.
Your immune system is a lot like you -- it needs its rest to work properly and efficiently. Sleep gives your body, including your immune system, time to recharge. It does have an important job, after all!
Fatigue may be a sign that your immune system is also feeling like one big yawn. A weakened immune system doesn’t put up much of a fight.
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The immune system, simply put, is your body’s defense against immune threats and is essential for maintaining a healthy body and mind. The immune system is made up of a host of cells and organs that work together to protect your body. Your immune system is constantly scanning your body for anything that isn’t supposed to be there that may be up to no good.
There are two types of immunity that patrol your body: Innate and adaptive.
Innate immunity attacks immediately with troops of white blood cells called macrophages that attack the invading organisms, while others (lymphocytes) take note of those invaders in case they show up again.
Adaptive immunity is ready if the same germs show up at your body’s front door again; the lymphocytes tell them they’re not welcomed. These BODYguards are called antibodies.
This isn’t biology class, but here are some fun facts that you should know: Your innate immunity is made of four key helpers: cytokines, natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Your adaptive immunity is made up of B and T cells.
Fatigue, brought on by lifestyle factors such as lack of sleep, can hinder this important immune function. It is no coincidence that when that feeling of being “run down” is present, sickness is lurking around the corner. A strong and healthy immune system is vital in helping you fight any immune threats and guarding you against any more serious complications.
During sleep, your immune system releases cytokines, one of the key helpers mentioned above that aid your innate immune system. Cytokines are chemical messengers that help your immune cells coordinate and communicate a response from your immune system. Fatigue, derived from a lack of sleep, means your body is not able to release as many cytokines as it should. This means that fatigue could be a sign that your immune system isn’t as strong as it needs to be to properly fight off any threats.
When fatigue has got you down, you want your immune system to stay up. But this is not an easy task. Sometimes reinforcements are needed for extra immune support. Help is on the way.
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AHCC® and Extra Immune Support
The immune system is sensitive and complex. But when our health defenses are low, all we want to know is that it works like it is supposed to. As discussed, fatigue is not our friend. It weakens our defenses. Fatigue works to close the door of our immune system; while opening the back door for infections to make themselves right at home in our body. When our immune system is compromised, it's only a matter of time before we feel under the weather.
Sometimes the immune system needs support, and AHCC® supplements offer the support it needs.
When fatigue has got your body down, AHCC® is one way to support the body’s normal immune function and its goal to maintain overall wellness.* AHCC® is derived from the roots (mycelia) of various healing mushrooms. It is a functional food with immune-enhancing properties that help to promote and support proper immune system health.*
How Does AHCC® Support Normal Immune Function?
Having been studied widely for over 20 years, AHCC® has shown useful in aiding normal immune system functions. AHCC® is known as a biological response modifier. Simply put, AHCC® gives your body an extra hand during its natural immune response, helping it fight threats to your immune health.*
Here are a few benefits of AHCC® and how it can lend a helping hand to your immune system:
- AHCC® offers extra immune support with its immune-supporting, antioxidant properties*
- AHCC® supports the two basic types of immunity discussed above, innate and adaptive*
- Helping to maintain optimal natural killer (NK) cell activity*
- Enhancing cytokine production*
- Promoting T-cell and macrophage activity*
- And by helping to increase the number and activity of dendritic cells*
In Summary
Fatigue is something that affects most people at some point in their lives. A variety of lifestyle factors can bring on this lack of energy and feeling of being run down and tired, like not getting the proper amount of sleep. In addition to negative factors such as poor concentration, decreased mental clarity, and overall lack of motivation, fatigue may be contributing to another problem: a decreased immune response.
A strong immune system is vital to protecting your body. Busy lives can lead to little rest and much fatigue. But illnesses don’t take a break just because we feel run down -- in fact, that is when they like to surprise us. Sometimes our immune system needs a little help from a friend.
AHCC®is just a supplement to help. AHCC® is a natural, functional extract derived from mushrooms and offers support for our immune system not just when we’re down in the dumps but every day for a healthier us. The beauty is, AHCC® can support healthy and immuno-compromised individuals alike.
AHCC® works alongside the body’s naturally occurring immune response by helping and maintaining NK cell activity, enhancing cytokine production, promoting T-cell and macrophage activity, and helping to increase the number and activity of dendritic cells. All of these have an important role in keeping your immune system in tip-top shape. When fatigue has got you down, don't let your immune system follow. But if it does, AHCC® is the just extra immune system support it needs to help get it back on its feet!
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/fatigue/basics/causes/sym-20050894
https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00424-011-1044-0
https://www.ahcc.net/pages/what-is-ahcc/
https://www.ahcc.net/blogs/news/ahcc-what-are-the-benefits/
https://www.ahcc.net/blogs/news/how-is-ahcc-researched-and-tested/
