The key to great health, "Got sugar?" Articles / Natures Corner Date: Apr 01, 2004 - 05:08 PM |
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About a year ago my husband asked me if I could do a little research on something called 'glyconutrients'. Being the "get right to it" kind of person I am I tucked the link he sent me into my research file and promptly forgot about it. Six months later, while sipping my morning coffee, I stumble upon an article on what scientists feel may be the greatest breakthrough of modern biology. The article was devoted to the role of glyconutrients in cell-to-cell communication. I dug out the link my husband sent me and what I found was astounding. There are literally thousands of articles devoted to the field of glyconutrients What are glyconutrients? The term glyco comes from the Greek meaning "sweet" or "sugar" and a nutrient is something giving nourishment. In 1996 biologists discovered eight essential glyconutrients or saccharides the body needed in order to run. This is not 'may use' or 'might need', they are absolutely essential. The eight glyconutrients are glucose, galactose, fucose (not to be confused with fructose), mannose, xylose, N-Acetly-Neuraminic acid, N-Acetly-Glucosamine and N-Acetly-Galactosamine. Out of the more than 200 glyconutrients found in nature, these are the ones directly linked to human cell health. Why is this important to you, you may ask, most people only get two (glucose and galactose) of the eight in our diet. Our eating habits have drastically changed over the past hundred years; processed foods, fast foods and diet foods lack these vital glyconutrients. The fact that our bodies are wonderful machines is evident in how we try to adapt even when we only have 2 of the 8 glyconutrients. When our body needs any of the other six nutrients it will take glucose or galactose and try to convert it to one of the other six. "Glyconutrient sugars are so important that the body has a fail-safe mechanism that can convert them from one to another through a highly complex series of enzyme steps. Enzymes are like little conversion factories that reside within our cells that chemically alter the raw materials to be used by the body without themselves changing. Like any factory they have their capacities and limits. Enzyme conversions require high levels of biochemical energy and can be interrupted by toxins, stress, drugs, processed foods, age and the lack of the proper enzymes to get the job done When converting sugars, if any one of the fifteen different enzymatic processes necessary for conversion is interrupted, the whole cycle has to start all over again slowing or halting the necessary conversion altogether" Rita Elkins MA MH Miracle Sugars: The New Class of Missing Nutrients To illustrate this point further imagine every time you needed to cook your family dinner, you first needed to build a stove. Lets assume for the sake of this argument any one of us could build a stove. So there you are building a stove when your neighbor comes running over saying their house is on fire, now, being a good neighbor, you run for help. Once the fire is safely out you return to find someone has taken apart the stove and now you must start over again. Keeping in mind all the while that you still have to cook dinner to take care of your family. This is the scenario that occurs over and over as our body tries to convert glucose or galactose into one of the other six glyconutrients. What do glyconutrients do in the body? In all of my research I found the answer to this question to be the most interesting. When I first started reading about glyconutrients my initial reaction was "How has this eluded scientists?" The answer was simple- it hasn't. There are tens of thousands of studies dealing with glyconutrients. A Google search on glycobiology returned more than 109,000 results. Biochemist Gerald Hart of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore declared, "This is going to be the future. We won't understand immunology, neurology, developmental biology or disease until we get a handle on glycobiology" The pharmaceutical companies agree, in fact they have been spending billions of dollars developing synthetic sugars that can be patented to use in drugs, vaccines and drug delivery systems. Some companies are already in phase III of their development. So what is so special about glyconutrients that they have caused such fervor? In order to understand we need to review a little biology. In his book Sugars That Heal Emil Mondoa MD explains it this way "The eight saccharides serve as building blocks for the manufacture of large molecules made of sugar in combination with proteins and/or fats called glycoforms, which cover the surface of all cells. Glycoproteins are molecules made of sugars and proteins; glycolipids are made of sugars and fats. Glyconutrients are the foods and nutritional supplements that provide the saccharides and glycoforms essential in our bodies but scarce in most of our diets" To put it in laymen terms, on the surface of the more than 100 trillion cells that make up our bodies, there are sugars. Important note: Do not confuse these sugars with the white refined sugar you put into coffee, sucrose. Neither this or fructose is a glyconutrient. Why are glyconutrients so important? In simplistic terms, these sugars allow for cell-to-cell communication. When one cell bumps up against another cell, it asks basic questions such as: "Are you a friend or foe?" If it is a friend (meaning it belongs here) does it need help? If it is a foe what help is necessary to eliminate it? This may seem somewhat unimpressive until we consider that everyday our bodies fight literally thousands of invaders from viruses to cancer cells Successful cell-to-cell communication may prevent a cold even if exposed to a cold virus. Cells that roam around the body looking for trouble, bump into the virus and say, "This is an enemy. "Is it an old enemy or a new one? Can it be easily removed or is help needed?" Glyconutrients are what make this clear communication possible. The July 2002 Scientific American reports, "Sugars in particular perform an astonishing range of jobs. Once regarded mainly as energy-yielding molecules and as structural elements, they are now known to combine with proteins and fats on cell surfaces and, so situated, to influence cell-to-cell communication, the functioning of the immune system, the ability of various infectious agents to make us sick, and the progression of cancer. They also help to distinguish one cell from another and to direct the trafficking of mobile cells throughout the body, among other tasks. So ubiquitous are these molecules that cells appear to other cells and to the immune system as sugarcoated." Most of us, if not all, are deficient in these glyconutrients. This means our cells are not talking as well as they could be and that leads to some serious health risks. New Living Magazine writes, "If the communication between cells is impaired, cellular malfunction occurs. A healthy cell could be misidentified as a foreign body, thereby triggering the immune system to attack it. This could ultimately lead to an autoimmune response as in the case of lupus, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. A breakdown in cellular communication may also lead to proliferation of cancerous cells throughout the body." A Newkirk study found that galactose deficiencies were common in almost all cases of autoimmune disease. Clinical and Experimental Immunology 1996 In his tape Your Battle Against Aging and Disease Dr Dan Fouts compounds this information when he reports that 120 million Americans suffer from chronic degenerative diseases and 50 million Americans suffer from autoimmune diseases. His tape is so impressive we have it here for you to listen to (this may take a few minutes to download on a slower connection). It lasts about 30 minutes and is definitely worth hearing. If you are unable to hear the MP3 file you can read the transcript here. Further research on the web produced numerous testimonies as well as documented information in medical journals using glyconutrients for the treatment of such illnesses as: AD/HD, Toxic Shock Syndrome, Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), allergies, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Hepatitis, Asthma, Eczema, Autism, Fibroid Tumors, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acid Reflux, Crohn's Disease, Lupus, Premenopause, Arthritis, Depression, Down Syndrome, Migraines, Gulf War Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Urinary Tract Infections just to name a few. This brings us back to why glyconutrients are so important. We already know that the body has the ability to heal, repair, regenerate, regulate and protect itself given the proper nutrients. We also know that scientists discovered that we only get two of the eight glyconutrients needed for our bodies to perform efficiently. Given this information, I began looking for a way to supplement the nutrients I was missing. After reading Sugars that Heal, by Emil Mondoa, I decided to try the product 'Ambrotose' made by Mannatech, which he mentioned in the preface of his book. Since I take prescription medications, I checked with my pharmacist to ensure that the 'Ambrotose' did not interfere with my prescription drugs. After taking the 'Ambrotose' for a few weeks, I began to notice that I have more energy, I sleep better and my skin has taken on a healthy glow. Pleased with the results, I continued taking the 'Ambrotose' through the winter. I was absolutely amazed that I did not suffer with a cold or the flu even though I was exposed to them both throughout winter. How can this help the visitors to HysterCity, who often have unique health concerns both pre and post hysterectomy? I was so intrigued by this product that I got in touch with someone from the company so I could learn more and see how these products could help the members of HysterCity. I had the good fortune to speak at length to Tim Altvater, one of the top 20 associates, in the Mannatech organization. I began telling him about HysterCity and our wonderful members. In discussing some of the common health problems our members face he told me about another product Mannatech offers called 'Plus'. Mr. Altvater sent me additional research information on the 'Plus' product. Based on the main component of phytoestrogens this product contains no hormones but promotes overall endocrine health. As HRT is, in effect, being pulled off the market for long-term use, this product may help support our bodies to maintain a balance without using pharmaceuticals that pose a health risk. Giovanni Scambia of Rome's Catholic University and Policlinico Gemelli Hospital reported in December 2002 that "phytoestrogens could weaken hot flashes and excessive perspiration associated with menopause, protect against osteoporosis, and cut down on chances of breast, uterine and colon cancer" He further went on to explain "Phytoestrogens differ from synthetic estrogens (found in hormone replacement therapy) in that they are easily broken down, are not stored in tissue and spend very little time in the body. Phytoestrogens suppress normal estrogenic activity in estrogen-sensitive tissues such as breast tissue, thereby reducing the risk of cancer" I personally will be trying the 'Plus' to support my overall endocrine health. Even though I retained both of my ovaries during my hysterectomy statistics show that they could fail as early as 5 years after surgery. Currently I have no consistent signs of early menopause, other then the occasional hot flash, I am hoping that this product will help extend the useful function of my ovaries for longer than another year or two. From the current research this product could be a good candidate for use in place of prescription HRT. Another product Mr. Altvater told me about is called 'The Optimal Health Wellness System' that incorporates Ambrotose and Plus with a virtual cornucopia of products for overall health. I hope to devote an entire article to the research I find on this product line. Needless to say, after all of the interesting things I discovered through researching glyconutrients, the next time my husband sends me a link I won't be so quick to just file it away. I am interested in hearing other personal experiences with these or other glyconutrient supplements so that I can continue my research on these amazing sugars. Wishing you Good Health Always Tessa Pier Medical Information Coordinator HysterCity Should you have any questions on this or any of my articles please write to me at Tessa@hystercity.com |
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