Skincare is a multibillion-dollar industry, with big brands promising everything from anti-aging, removing the appearance of fine lines on the skin, UV protection, all in the name of making you look more beautiful.
Our skin can often be overlooked, yet it is an essential part of our overall health and wellness and deserves as much attention as any part of our body.
Beta glucan is known for its hydrating properties for a variety of skin types, effectively alleviating and soothing irritated skin.
Due to its anti-aging benefits, beta glucan has the ability to diminish the appearance of fine lines, signs of aging, and wrinkles, while safeguarding the skin's protective barrier.
What is Beta Glucan?
Beta glucan is a natural polysaccharide categorized as an immune modulator. It modifies your immune system to enhance its efficiency.
Just as supplements such as vitamins (or vitamin c) and minerals are extracted from whole foods sources, beta glucan is derived from the cell walls of various foods, usually mushrooms, whole grains, cereals, or yeast.
As a polysaccharide and fiber, beta glucan’s molecular structure is formed as a strand, with periodic branches along the chain.
Formulations of beta glucan are indicated by the point at which the branches occur, such as beta (1,3) (1,4) glucan, or beta (1,3) (1,6) glucan. Beta (1, 3) D-glucan is the bioactive form most commonly used for high-quality supplements.
While we refer to it as simply beta glucan, read the supplement labels to be sure of what kinds of beta glucan you are considering taking.
β-glucan supplements are typically in capsule form, taking the beta glucan to be absorbed by the intestinal tract and utilized where needed throughout the body.
Top Benefits of Beta Glucan for Your Skin
Here are additional benefits of incorporating beta glucan into your skincare routine.
Sensitive Skin Treatment
While sensitive skin may not have a direct cause, it can often be triggered by certain soaps, skincare products, makeup, toner, or moisturizers.
When molecules bond on the skin's surface, they create a thin invisible layer. This layer enhances the skin's inherent protective skin barrier, shielding the delicate skin beneath from the daily challenges posed by the environment.
Glucans are also able to reduce transepidermal water loss and strengthen the skin’s outer layer.
If you are struggling with dry skin, redness, and skin irritation, beta glucan replenishment cream might be a promising remedy worth considering.
Deep Dive: Hyaluronic Allergy: Causes, Side Effects and Treatment
Actively Decreases Wrinkles on Your Skin
β-Glucans have skin regenerative properties that can revitalize immune cells, stimulate collagen production and strengthen the skin's ability to withstand adverse environmental effects. (1)
In turn, this will promote anti-aging and anti-wrinkle benefits.
Skin Hydration
People who use beta glucan skincare are known to experience deeply nourishing and hydrating effects.
Beta glucan acts as a humectant in your skin, which means they have the ability to create a barrier on the surface of dry skin, adding moisture, hydration, and plumping up the skin to feel more supple.
Antioxidant Properties
Our skin is exposed to environmental stressors on a daily basis, including exposure to the sun, pollution, as well as stress related to life.
Each of these circumstances can initiate the production of free radicals, which steal from other molecules until the skin cell becomes unstable and breaks down.
Free radicals left unchecked become oxidative stress, which leads to health concerns in the body.
As an antioxidant source, beta glucan works to supplement your diet and help minimize and repair skin damage caused by toxins and stress.
Nutritionally, though, a focus on varied fruits and vegetables and a reliable source of beta glucan can target skin health from a cellular level.
Topical Usage of Beta Glucans
Applying beta glucan cream directly on the skin can help increase skin hydration, improve skin firmness and elasticity, and wrinkle reduction.
During an eight-week clinical study conducted on women, the application of beta glucan topically yielded significant improvements in various skin aspects. The results showed a remarkable 27% increase in skin hydration, a substantial 56% reduction in facial wrinkles, and a notable 29% enhancement in skin elasticity and firmness.
Research on the topical application of beta glucans:
Our topical beta glucan cream contains the following three core ingredients:
Aloe
Aloe vera is a gel-like substance of the Aloe plant that is known for its healing ability for a variety of minor skin ailments. It has been used for health purposes for close to 4,000 years.
Aloe contains over 75 nutrients and 200 biologically active molecules.
The moisturizing effect of Aloe can help ease itchy and dry skin commonly associated with eczema.
Our cream does not contain water and is 64% ACTIValoe® aloe vera
Suggested Reading: Aloe Vera Benefits for Your Skin
Beta Glucan
Our glucan ingredient has the potential to prevent cellular damage commonly associated with aging or skin that has been exposed to the sun.
Beta glucan assists in boosting the immune response against various skin conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, bedsores, wounds, and burns.
Due to its unique carbohydrate structure, this molecule has the ability to bind with multiple receptors throughout the body. This may help in safeguarding sensitive skin against the daily impact of environmental stressors as well as boost your innate immunity.
These frontline immune cells are responsible for diligently monitoring, identifying, attacking, and eliminating foreign substances that do not belong in the body.
Hyaluronic Acids
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a gel-like substance that retains moisture in the skin and acts as a powerful hydrating ingredient. According to a study on WebMD, hyaluronic acids also act as a cushion in the skin tissue and joints and can also help to decrease swelling.
Within our beta glucan skin lotion, there are four types of Hyaluronic Acids:
- Sodium Hyaluronate acts like a sponge, helping the skin retain moisture, that enhances elasticity and plumping within the tissues. This remarkable compound is renowned for its ability to hold water, as it can bind up to 1000 times its own weight in water.
- Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate is an even smaller molecule of Hyaluronic Acid that can deeply nourish and hydrate the skin. It has stronger antioxidant properties compared to HA and offers enhanced anti-aging benefits and it provides better protection from the sun.
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is another form of Hyaluronic Acid that functions on the skin's surface. Its purpose is to prevent water evaporation, resulting in prolonged moisture and softness.
Sodium Hyaluronate Cross Polymer is a special mesh-like structure of Hyaluronic Acid that can increase water capacity by five times more than that of normal HA.
By forming a smooth gel film on the skin, this cross-linked HA gel effectively retains moisture, providing long-term moisturizing benefits.
Learn More: Is Hyaluronic Acid Good for Acne?
Wound Healing Effects of Beta Glucan
The most dramatic display of the skin’s abilities as an organ is the way wounds heal. From scratches to surgical wounds and every variant in between, the stages of wound healing are remarkable.
Homeostasis stops bleeding with a clot; white blood cells fill the area, occasionally with visible pus; the wound closes, and eventually, fresh skin cells and tissue grow to close the wound, tighter and stronger than it was to begin with.
The better your nutritive state is, the better your body will be able to execute the wound healing process. (2) We see this with diabetes – when a person’s diabetes is out of control or advanced, and the nutrients consumed are not properly metabolized, wounds are slow to heal.
Just as beta glucan pairs with a well-rounded diet for antioxidant capabilities, it is a partner in wound healing, as well. Giving the body the fuel it needs to carry healing properties to wounds is important. Boosting the body’s efforts with a healing supplement like beta glucan is even better.
Part of the wound healing process is the re-establishment of skin tissue where the wound occurred. Skin is more than what we see, with multiple layers and types of cells. As a wound heals, the layers are rebuilt, including collagen fibers, the strands that help glowing skin to retain its elasticity.
Researchers have found glucan receptors in this part of the skin and demonstrated the beta glucan can impact the rebuilding of collagen after a wound. (3)
A study in 2011 evaluated the cell regeneration process after a scratch, beta glucan from Better Way Health, the source that we highly recommend, advanced healing substantially, restoring cells and bridging the gap that the scratch had left. (4)
Beta Glucan Supports Immune Function for Vibrant, Glowing Skin
While every body system is technically interwoven, the immune system seems to be especially closely linked to each of the others. Beyond keeping us from coming down with that common cold or worse, the immune system is much more than disease prevention.
It regulates the way that the body responds to stress, which is one of the biggest contributors to premature aging and skin problems.
Those little lines and wrinkles on the forehead are obviously connected to stress, evidenced by the descriptor “worry lines”; stress is connected to skin diseases as much as aging.
A bout of acute stress can be physiologically processed on the skin, breaking out into hives or other unpleasant symptoms. As researchers learn more about the immune system and stress responses, the connection between mental stress and the skin are increasingly clear.
Normal immune response includes white blood cells called macrophages traveling to the site of intrusion or disease in the form of inflammation. When the immune system overreacts, or reacts to a perceived threat – such as stress – it is essentially chasing a ghost, creating uncomfortable and unnecessary inflammation without resolution.
Beta glucan helps at this crucial foundational level by helping the immune system to have more efficient responses to illness as well as stress, leading to a decrease in unnecessary inflammation.
Topical treatments for age prevention and disease have their place, but they often address the symptoms only and not the cause. With the effects of stress minimized and immune system stabilized, we are able to protect our skin from the inside out. (5)
Not Just Any Beta Glucan
As with anything in the natural health realm, quality is much more important than quantity – beta glucan is no different. In the wound healing study referenced above, Better Way Health's source was not the only beta glucan tested. Several others were evaluated, as well, yielding little to no result.
Beta glucan is a fiber found in cell walls of plants, which means that there is no single source. Just as we think of snowflakes as unique though they are all composed of ice crystals, plants are varied and unique while frequently sharing basic composition features. Beta glucan is a shared feature of cell walls in various plants, but the source may determine effectiveness.
We’ve discussed beta (1,3) d-glucan as the highest bioavailable form of beta glucan – that’s the first thing to look for. Next, is the plant source. Mushrooms, grains, and other plants are beta glucan sources. Better Way Health's Beta Glucan, which has tested very well as we have seen, comes from baker’s yeast, the type of beta glucan tested on so-called glucan receptors.
Finally, the purity levels of a beta glucan supplement are easily tarnished, and like any supplement, no federal requirements exist for testing and quality assurance. For beta glucan, low purity levels can inhibit effectiveness. This is all the more reason to choose a beta glucan manufacturer that is reputable and volunteers strict purity standards.
Topical Support for Skin Health and Healing
There is no magic bullet in natural health – or life – and that is part of the beauty of holistic health. We don’t expect to take one supplement, add or eliminate one food, or follow one order and then find our problems solved.
No, our body systems do not function in a vacuum and we cannot expect to improve them with singular approaches.
We’ve seen how antioxidants are beneficial for cell and skin health from a nutrient source as well as a supplemental beta glucan source. Now, we’re going to soothe it with topical antioxidants, as well.
Topical antioxidants are nothing new – vitamin E formulas have been part of pharmaceutical acne treatments for decades. Researchers are now finding that topical antioxidants may also help to both protect from and reverse existing photo-damage.
By combining an antioxidant-rich base oil with nutritive and healing essential oils, we can support the skin from the outside while a healthy diet and beta glucan supplementation support it internally.
FAQ
For more information about beta glucan, Better Way Health and more, visit our FAQ page. To speak to an Amazing Customer Experience Specialist, give us a call at 800.746.7640or email us at hello@betterwayhealth.com
Our Beta Glucan goes through a rigorous purification process developed by the creator: AJ Lanigan. Once this purification process takes place, only about 10% of a given “batch” meets our 85% minimum purity standard. The “scraps”, so to speak (the other 90% of the batches), are then sold off and marketed by other companies. In addition, the product has been tested time and time again to prove its efficacy. When compared to other heavily marketed immune system products, our product comes out on top every single time. These comparison studies are conducted by a disinterested third party researcher at the University of Louisville: Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka. In these studies, immune response levels are safely tested on both humans and animals. Our product is also Non-GMO and encased in a Vegan, plant-based capsule.
-Better Way Health
Better Way Health Beta Glucan is certainly one of the most renowned brands out there in the marketplace. In our world of immune system support, when you ask “What’s the best immune system supplement out there?”; well, the Better Way Health name is the most recognized.
Anyone who has spent time reviewing side-by-side comparisons of our product with, again, just about any other kind of immune compound; regardless of the source, you’re going to find that Beta Glucan 500 by Better Way Health outperforms all competitors. This has been the case for years; this is not a new phenomenon that conclusive research done by disinterested third parties in major universities and teaching hospitals all over the world agree that the potency of Glucan 500 makes it 100% the leading immune system product available.
-AJ Lanigan
The immunomodulating aspects of Beta Glucan is what makes it safer and more efficacious than the competition. Studies confirm our Beta Glucan is the most effective immune system product on the market, including even other beta glucans. The patented purification process developed by AJ Lanigan is what makes our Beta Glucan more biologically active and beneficial to consumers.
-Better Way Health
This is rather easy to answer. Our Beta Glucan has one really big advantage in that it is the most studied natural immonomodulator of them all. The biological studies number in the tens of thousands. For most other products, you may find 10 to 15 studies. If you have 10,000+ papers from all around the world, that cannot be ignored.
-Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka
We did a couple of studies and we published them comparing some individual glucans to individual immune-modulators like Echinacea. That is one example, most of the clinical studies on that plant failed because one company is using leaves, one is using roots and each has a different quality inside so you never know what you get.
With the "mixture" type products, it is even worse because some manufacturers are just trying to either increase the price by putting five things together, so it’s not 30 bucks it’s now $50. None of these manufacturers are actually doing any research on the combinations of their ingredients.
-Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka
This topic is like comparing Super Bowl Champions (Better Way Health Beta Glucan) to Recreational Sports Teams (the competition). There is practically no comparison; when you look at the average Immune System Product on the market, even an abundance of it may only be able to raise your Immune Response 2 to 3 percent. That increase, however, may be costing you thousands of dollars; thus, I would not consider that to be much of a comparison. For about 1$ a day, with our Glucan 500 product, you can get your immune response up to about 60% (double the innate human immunity): no one can compete with that efficacy.
-AJ Lanigan
Beta Glucan has been studied for over 50 years at major universities and teaching hospitals, all of which are disinterested third party researchers. There are more than 150,000 glucan studies on PubMed.gov and nearly 50,000 studies involving glucans and humans. Our Beta Glucan specifically has been featured in over 20 medical journals, including the prestigious American Journal of Immunology and the Journal of Medicinal Food.
-Better Way Health
There are more than 150,000 studies on Glucan that you can find on Medline and PubMed. Roughly, you can also find 50,000 studies on Glucans and their interaction with Humans. Throughout these studies, there has never been an adverse side effect found with our Beta Glucan.
-AJ Lanigan
Other than the thousands of studies out there, there is an excellent book by Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka from the University of Louisville entitled, Beta Glucan: Nature’s Secret. It’s about 157 pages and provides a quick, educational read for those interested in everything Beta Glucan: the history, safety, benefits, and mechanism of action of Beta Glucan. The bibliography included in the book provides dozens of other peer-reviewed articles and journals for curious consumers.
-AJ Lanigan
If somebody goes to PubMed.Gov or some kind of scientific database, there is about 150,000 hits now and about 50 new papers appear every week. The research is really booming.
-Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka
Anyone / anything with an immune system can benefit from taking Beta Glucan, including both humans and pets. Our immune system is our first line of defense and it can always use additional “soldiers.” Keep in mind that our Beta Glucan makes a person’s immune system smarter and stronger, but never causes overstimulation or harm. There are no known side effects.
-Better Way Health
“Anyone who is living can benefit from a healthier Immune System” – A.J. Lanigan
People who want proper support for their Immune System should use this product. People who simply want to maintain or regain their good health can benefit from this product as well.
Many conditions, whether environmental or physical, put significant stress on the Immune System.
Infectious Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Chemotherapy Treatment, Radiation, Allergies, Asthma, and Stress are all severely taxing on the body. This type of suppression and depression of the immune system is what puts everyone’s health person at risk. Be proactive; take a product that benefits your overall health by enhancing your body’s own natural ability to stay well and recuperate.
That’s right, anyone and everyone can benefit from the immune modulating effects of Beta-1, 3D Glucan.
-AJ Lanigan
For people who are under heavy stress or are just working in some kind of extreme conditions, they need all the help they can get. Proactive supplementation is also recommended for Flu and Cold seasons
-Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka
For maximum immune response, take one 500mg capsule per 50 lbs. of body weight. For example, if you weigh around 150 lbs. you would need to take 3 capsules per day. All capsules should be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. After taking your capsules, wait 30 minutes before eating or consuming other products. If you forget to take your capsules in the morning it is safe to go ahead and take your Beta Glucan during the day, although the benefits will not be as significant. Remember, these dosage instructions are for maximum immune response, any dose (i.e., 1 capsule per day) is still extremely beneficial.
-Better Way Health
Maximum dose is based on body weight: Remember, your weight in kg’s is your weight in pounds divided by 2.2. For example, a 220lb person is 100kg. The guideline for maintaining good health is 2mg/kg of body weight per day. For the 220 pound person mentioned above, who is 100kg, they should take 200mg per day and that would be extraordinarily effective Immune Support.
For people who want or need additional immune support, there is a 500mg capsule. The recommendation for this group is 20 mg/kg/day or a 500mg capsule for every 50 pounds of body weight. Thus, a 100kg person (220lb) would take 4 capsules of the 500mg per day; for a 110 pound person, two capsules of the 500mg Beta Glucan would suffice. If your weight does not calculate out to an exact dose, round up or down depending on your needs; or you can average it out by taking 1 capsule one day and 2 the next.
The point is, the product is safe and you can be flexible with dosage if you reflect the guidelines above. Even taking just 1 - 500mg capsule each day is an extremely beneficial dose.
Neutrophils and monocytes in our blood live only for a couple of days. That is why you have a need for constant, daily, glucan consumption because they die and the new cells are appearing and then you need the glucan again to boost these immune cells.
-Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka
No, there are no known side effects pertaining to our Beta Glucan. There have been numerous safe human and animal studies showing the safety of Beta Glucan. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given our Beta Glucan GRAS rating, which means Generally Recognized as Safe under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This certification is extremely hard to achieve especially when it comes to a dietary supplement.
-Better Way Health
You can absolutely take this product without worry! There have been multiple studies done on fully-healthy people looking at every health parameter you can imagine: organs, tissues, chemicals, brain function, etcetera.
No harmful effects were caused at any dosage level. Even people who were taking doses that were exponentially higher than any level we recommend, (some of the more exotic animal studies have doses that exceed 800X the recommended dosage) displayed 0 side effects whatsoever. As I am famous for saying, “unless you hit somebody in the eye with the bottle, there is no harm that can be caused by this product”
-AJ Lanigan
Beta Glucan enhances a person’s immune response in a safe way. The average person has about a 30% active immune response. When someone takes our Beta Glucan it raises that person’s immune response to 60%, and in some cases even more, if they are taking the maximum immune response dosage. This allows for your immune system to recognize cells that are both self and non-self more effectively. I’m sure you can imagine the benefits of walking around with a doubled immune response/immune system!
-Better Way Health
Beta Glucan enhances the immune system by improving the immune response when the immune system is confronted by something that does not belong. This could be a foreign body that it sees as “non-self,” something like a virus, a bacteria, a fungus form, or a parasite.
Our Beta-1, 3D Glucan is an intensely purified, highly active form of Beta Glucan; that, when taken orally with a glass of water, attaches to specific sites on the immune cells: the CR3 receptors. By attaching or binding to these specific sites, it activates these cells. It’s like putting the cells on “high alert” to the foreign bodies that they see as non-self. This process is referred to as immune modulation, not stimulation.
Immune stimulation presumably occurs with substances like Echinacea and Colostrum. Beta Glucan modulates or activates but doesn’t over stimulate, which is key to the safety of the compound. Research shows that our Beta-1, 3D Glucan is a highly effective immune modulator. It’s easily absorbed through, what we call, the Peyer’s Patches in the Small Intestine. Once these beta glucan “micro-particles” are taken up through this area in the small intestine, they will then be absorbed through phagocytosis or “gobbled up” by the immune cells in the gut.
They’ll travel around the body and it is the immune cells themselves that will digest and secrete the perfect molecule that binds to the CR 3 receptor and activates the immune system.
-AJ Lanigan
Beta Glucan is not temperature sensitive. If it is exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures, the efficacy of the product will not be impacted. However, we do recommend keeping a close eye on your tracking information, which is sent to you via email with all orders. This way you know when your order will arrive and when you will be able to retrieve it from your mailbox or front door.
Our Beta Glucan is made in Wisconsin, USA and bottled / encapsulated in Oregon, USA.
Our highly purified Beta Glucan powder is encased in PLANTCAPS™, which is a Plant-based capsule made from pullulan – naturally fermented from tapioca.
After 50 years of research, our Beta Glucan has no known side effects, or interactions with a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) rating by the FDA. It is one of the safest, most effective dietary supplements on the market.
Many women take our Beta Glucan while breastfeeding, to help support their immune system. Babies can also benefit from mom's immune system giving the best response possible.
However, if you have any concerns whatsoever, we recommend consulting with your health care professional before use, as a precautionary measure.
Still have questions?
Our ACES Team is always there to help.
References
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1463-1318.2005.00268_3.x
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2642618/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1524-475X.2002.10804.x
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251400800_b1-3-D-glucan_affects_adipogenesis_wound_healing_and_inflammation
- https://atm.amegroups.com/article/view/5925/6683
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