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08/15/2006: "The Good Sugars"
In order for cells to develop and remain healthy, they need certain essential nutrients from our diet: 26 different vitamins, 72 or more trace minerals, fatty acids and amino acids and eight essential sugars (recently discovered by science) called saccharides or Glyconutrients. These essential sugars are not the same as table sugar, instead they are nutrient rich carbohydrates that can be found in raw foods.
MIT’s Technology Review listed glycobiology as one of the top 10 technologies that will change the world. They consider glyconutrients one of the most important discoveries in biological science. In 1999, the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to Dr. Gunter Blobel for his scientific research and work in this new field called Glycobiology. Science magazine in March 2001, dedicated the major part of their issue to summarizing the extensive research now being conducted in Glyconutrients and the potential health benefits.
Unfortunately, only two of these sugars, Glucose and Galactose are found in our modern diet. We lack the other six sugars in our foods because of modern food processing and packaging practices, the growing of crops in mineral depleted soils, early green harvesting of fruits and vegetables, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and preservatives. The six missing sugars are Fucose, Mannose, Glucosamine, Galactosamine, Neuraminic Acid, and Xylose. They are abundant in natural foods such as kelp, aloe vera, medicinal mushrooms, dairy products and many fruits and vegetables. There are about six products on the market for supplementation of glyconutrients. I am taking Mannatech Inc’s product called Ambrotose. I found comparisons and more at this web site.
Scientists are just beginning to figure out that glyconutrients help with immune system response, tissue regeneration, cell replication, and growth and structure stability. In tests conducted at leading institutes around the world, they have been shown to lower cholesterol, increase lean muscle mass, decrease body fat, accelerate wound healing, ease allergy symptoms, and ease autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, psoriasis, and diabetes. In cancer patients, they can help with the effects of radiation and chemotherapy. And further research with cancer patients shows that glyconutrient supplements help reduce tumor and the occurrence of metastasis.
If you are interested, there are several books out and many web sites that can give you the details. This information only recently made it into medical textbooks. Meaning that our doctors are not well read on this topic.