The Mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill Extract Normalizes Liver Function in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Authors: Chung-Hua Hsu, Kung-Chang Hwang, Yi-Hsiung Chiang, Pesus Chou

Journal: The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Study Design: Open-label pilot study

Participants: 4 patients with chronic hepatitis B who had been hepatitis B carriers for more than 3 years

Intervention:

• Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) extract: 500 mg, three times daily for 12 months
• No placebo group included in the study

Outcome Measures:

• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (indicators of liver function)

Summary:
This 1-year clinical study evaluated the impact of Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM) extract on liver function in chronic hepatitis B patients. By the end of 12 months of supplementation, the mean AST levels decreased from 246.0 IU/L to 61.3 IU/L, while mean ALT levels decreased from 151.0 IU/L to 46.1 IU/L, suggesting a significant improvement in liver function.

Individual case observations revealed a consistent decline in liver enzyme levels over time, with one patient experiencing symptom relief from malaise and abdominal discomfort shortly after starting ABM supplementation. No adverse effects were reported throughout the study.

Although this study suggests ABM extract may help normalize liver function in chronic hepatitis B patients, the lack of a control group and small sample size limits its conclusions. The authors recommend larger, controlled trials to validate these findings.