What the evidence says. Graded preliminary: several small RCTs report changes in immune markers, insulin resistance and gut cytokines, but trials are short, single-product, and mostly measure lab surrogates rather than hard clinical outcomes — and rare but fatal liver injury has been reported. (Preliminary evidence: Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.)
What is Agaricus blazei?
Agaricus blazei (Agaricus subrufescens) is a gut and immune supplement used for immune modulation. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Agaricus blazei (now classified as Agaricus subrufescens) is a Brazilian medicinal mushroom rich in beta-glucans, marketed for immune and anticancer support. Human evidence is real but early. A 12-week RCT in type 2 diabetes (n=72) found 1500 mg/day added to metformin/gliclazide improved HOMA-IR and raised adiponectin ~20% versus a fall on placebo. In gynecological cancer patients on chemotherapy, an extract raised natural-killer-cell activity and eased side effects. Randomized AndoSan trials in IBD and multiple myeloma shifted cytokine and immune-cell profiles, and a myeloma trial showed no survival benefit. Most studies are small, short, use one branded product, and report lab markers rather than tumor or survival endpoints. It is best viewed as an investigational adjunct, not a proven treatment, and standardization between products varies widely.
Purported Benefits
✓Immune modulation
✓Lower insulin resistance
✓Reduce gut inflammation markers
✓Chemotherapy side-effect support
Evidence by outcome
The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.
Reduces gut inflammation markers in IBDTwo small AndoSan RCTs lowered cytokines and fecal calprotectin in Crohn's/UC; marker-level only, no clinical remission data.
Preliminary
↑ benefit · small
2
Eases chemotherapy side effectsOne RCT in gynecological-cancer patients reported reduced appetite loss/alopecia/weakness; small, single trial.
Liver injury (hepatotoxicity risk)Case reports of severe hepatic dysfunction including fatal fulminant hepatitis; causality uncertain but a real safety signal.
Preliminary
⚠ risk
2
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
Most trials used 1500 mg/day of standardized extract, or ~60 mL/day of the AndoSan liquid extract, for 6–12 weeks.
Generally well tolerated short-term, with mild nausea, diarrhea or itching most common. The serious concern is hepatotoxicity: case reports describe severe drug-induced liver injury and fatal fulminant hepatitis, mostly in cancer patients, so stop and seek care for jaundice, dark urine or right-upper-abdominal pain, and avoid in liver disease. Because it can lower blood sugar and modulate immunity, use caution with antidiabetic drugs (additive hypoglycemia) and immunosuppressants, and discuss with an oncologist before combining with chemotherapy. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to lack of data. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Agaricus blazei with any medicine.
Agaricus blazei is most often taken for Immune modulation, Lower insulin resistance, Reduce gut inflammation markers, Chemotherapy side-effect support. Beta-glucan mushroom studied as an immune and metabolic adjunct.
Does Agaricus blazei work — what does the evidence say?
Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Agaricus blazei (now classified as Agaricus subrufescens) is a Brazilian medicinal mushroom rich in beta-glucans, marketed for immune and anticancer support. Human evidence is real but early. A 12-week RCT in type 2 diabetes (n=72) found 1500 mg/day added to metformin/gliclazide improved HOMA-IR and raised adiponectin ~20% versus a fall on placebo. In gynecological cancer patients on chemotherapy, an extract raised natural-killer-cell activity and eased side effects. Randomized AndoSan trials in IBD and multiple myeloma shifted cytokine and immune-cell profiles, and a myeloma trial showed no survival benefit. Most studies are small, short, use one branded product, and report lab markers rather than tumor or survival endpoints. It is best viewed as an investigational adjunct, not a proven treatment, and standardization between products varies widely.
What is the typical dose of Agaricus blazei?
Most trials used 1500 mg/day of standardized extract, or ~60 mL/day of the AndoSan liquid extract, for 6–12 weeks.
Is Agaricus blazei safe? Any cautions or side effects?
Generally well tolerated short-term, with mild nausea, diarrhea or itching most common. The serious concern is hepatotoxicity: case reports describe severe drug-induced liver injury and fatal fulminant hepatitis, mostly in cancer patients, so stop and seek care for jaundice, dark urine or right-upper-abdominal pain, and avoid in liver disease. Because it can lower blood sugar and modulate immunity, use caution with antidiabetic drugs (additive hypoglycemia) and immunosuppressants, and discuss with an oncologist before combining with chemotherapy. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to lack of data.
How many studies support Agaricus blazei?
NutriDex cites 9 sources for Agaricus blazei, graded "Preliminary".
Cite this page
APA
Peh, D. (2026). Agaricus blazei (Agaricus subrufescens): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/agaricus
BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_agaricus,
author = {Peh, Daryl},
title = {Agaricus blazei (Agaricus subrufescens): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
url = {https://nutridex.info/s/agaricus},
note = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-09-16}
}
For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.