As stated on an earlier post, glyconutrients are found in nature but are not prevelant in our modern diet. They are found in plants and foods that many people just do not consume on a regular basis and may not have enough glyconutrients to have an impact on health challenge but they should be considered for general health.  Here are some good sources of glyconutrients in foods: 

Shitake Mushrooms

Shitake mushrooms have long been known for there health benefit and have been consumed by the Chinese for over 6,000 years. They are a rich source of a glyconutrient called lentinan which has been found to enhance  the immune system. In a recent study, Lentinan was given to patients with gastric cancer and as a result reticular fibers grew at tumor sites. Reticular cells are immune cells that have the ability to eat or ingest cancer cells and other cells like bacteria. In addition to these  reticular cells there was an increase in T lymphyoctytes resulting in the destruction of cancer cells.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is probably the oldest and most well known “medicinal” plant in the world. Most people know that if you burn your hand or have a scrape you can cut the leaf of Aloe Vera and use the gel to help the healing process. For years it was not known what the active ingredient was in Aloe that impacted health. But in the 1980s Dr. McAnalley discovered that the active ingredient in Aloe was a sacharride or glyconutrient (sugar) that is found in glycoproteins on the human cell’s surface. The primary glyconutrient in Aloe Vera is mannose but there are a couple of others in there that aid in immune system support. Having a Aloe Vera plant in the house is a good idea especially if you have kids playing around the house. 

Kelp/Wakame Seaweed

Both of these are rich in fucoidins or fucose.  For centuries the Japanese have consumed a seaweed Undaria pinnatifida or Wakame Seaweed and has been considered a staple food for maintaining health. Research is showing that Fucose plays an important role in immune system regulation, blocking bacteria from attaching to cells as well as other functions. It is found in a mother’s breast milk and on glycoproteins at the cell’s surface. You’ll find seaweed in some common everday foods like pudding, cheese or mayonaise but unfortunately Fucose is not active in these foods due to the processing of them. The richest source of Fucose is Undaria pinnatifida or Wakame Seaweed.

Other Sources

Echinacea – contains both arabinogalactan and galactose. Arabinogalactan is very important for immune system regulation.

The Larch Tree (Larix occidentalis)

This is the most abundant source of arabinogalactan which contains the glyconnutrient galactose. Galactose is found in the chains of glycoproteins and required for normal cell function. Arabinogalactan has been shown to be very beneficial for aiding the digestive system. It acts as a prebiotic food for for intentistinal bacteria which leads to the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are very important to the overall health of the digestive tract.  It has also been shown to be beneficial to the immune system. In one study, Arabinogalactan was shown to stop the spreading of tumor cells to the liver and also to stimulate natural killer cells (NK cells).

Fruits and Veggies

Although getting glyconutrients through food is a challenge you may be able to get some through fruits like Rasberries, Blackberries, Boswellia, Spinach, Eggplant, Peas, Green Beans, Okra, Cabbage, and Corn. All contain  Xylose, a glyconutrient that is has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Xlose is also used in some products as a sweetener and replacement for sugar.

Unfortunately, there are several glyconutrients that are not commonly found in our modern diet. N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylneuraminic acid and Mannose (probably the most the important glyconutrient of all) are not readily available in our diets but they are critical for maintaining wellness. That’s why supplementation is KEY! Begin supplementing your diet with all 8 of these nutrients on a daily basis and see what your body can do.  Also, choose a glyconutrient supplement that has all 8 sugars in a stabilized and standardized form. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t eat the foods mentioned here but supplementing your diet can help fill the gaps where our modern diet fails.

Over the last 30 years there have been two new fields of research to emerge which study these sacharrides in the body: glycomics and glycobiology. Glycobiology is the “study of the structure, biosynthesis, and biology of saccharides (sugar chains or glycans) that are widely distributed in nature” according to Wikipedia.org. They define Glycomics as “the comprehensive study of glycomes (the entire complement of sugars, whether free or present in more complex molecules, of an organism), including genetic, physiologic, pathologic, and other aspects”.  The study of these sugars is considered by many to be the future of medicine and scientific research.

Mannatech has spent over 5 million dollars on research on their glyconutritional products including Ambrotose. You can review the research here.

In  2006, Mannatech released a more concentrated version of Ambrotose, called Advanced Ambrotose. It includes a fucoidins from Undaria pinnatifida (common name ‘Wakame’),a seaweed rich in fucose consumed by Asian cultures for thousands of years. Wakame contains fucose, galactose, and mannose, all of which are glyconutrients that are found in glycoproteins on the human cell’s surface.

There are many supplements on the market today that claim to have glyconutrients in them. However, only one product contains all 8 of the necessary glyconutrients in a standardized, stabilized form that is safe. This is a patented product in the United States and patent pending around the world. Be careful of “knock offs” or companies making claims concerning their product that violate that patent.

How do I know how much to take for my current state of health? 

No two people are alike so it is impossible for someone to advise another on an exact amount that one needs to take in order to achieve the desired results. The best recommendation is to follow the guidelines on the bottle and be consistent with it. Consistency is the key!  

Are glyconutrients alone enough to achieve my overall health goals or are their other supplements I should be taking? 

Glyconutrients are an important part of an overall health and nutrition program. However, they are not a replacement for vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, phytosterols, antioxidants, etc. There are people that see great results simply by taking glyconutrients with no other nutrition. However, to see optimal results in your health, you should consider a wholistic approach: intelligent supplementation including the above mentioned supplements that are standardized to meet Good Manufacturing Practices set by the FDA, a good exercise program and a low glycemic diet. See the Additional Information Page for more information on the above mentioned supplements. 

How long does it take to begin to see changes in my overall health? 

While some people begin to see changes in their health almost overnight, others take longer to see results. One should look at a 4 to 6 month commitment to begin to really evaluate the effect of any nutrition program. Again, consistency is key.  

Will Glyconutrients interfere with any medications that I am currently taking? 

Since Glyconutrients are considered a food and not a pharmaceutical drug, they are safe to take with medications. However, you may want to let your doctor know that you are beginning on a nutritional program so he can help monitor your progress.

Are Glyconutrients safe for everyone? 

Glyconutrients are a nontoxic food substance that supports normal immune function. They contain food molecules that are absolutely necessary for life. In fact, 5 of the 8 biologically active saccharides are found in a nursing mother’s breast milk.  

Where do Glyconutrients come from? 

Glyconutrients are derived from plants across the globe. They are extracted, stabilized and then put into a powder form so that they can be consumed. For example, one of the 8 glconutrients, Mannose, is derived from the Aloe plant. The Aloe plant is a rich source of this particular sacharride and is commercially grown by some growers for the extraction of glyconutrients. Fucose is another glyconutrient that is found in certain types of seaweed. Both of these nutrients have been known for centuries to have certain properties that are beneficial to humans.

Glyconutrients are a set of recently discovered necessary monosaccharides that are vital to the proper structure and function of human cells. These saccharides are required by cells to perform many functions including cell protection, cell replication, cell recognition and tissue regeneration, among other things. Possibly the most important role that these saccharides perform is something called “cellular communication”. 

Why is Cellular Communication Important? 

Simply put, when cells need to “talk” to each other to find out whether the neighboring cell is a healthy cell or an unhealthy cell, it uses hair-like antennae that cover the its surface called glycoforms to perform the task. The cells actually reach out to each other using these antennae as “feelers” to ask important questions. Some of these questions include: 

• Are you a healthy cell? 
• Are you a sick cell? 
• Do you need nourishment or protection? 
• Are you a bacteria or virus? 

If the cell’s antennae have their full complement of all 8 saccharides in place, it can ask these questions effectively and then send fast, accurate messages to the immune system. 

Compromised Immune Systems 

If one or more of these 8 biologically active saccharides are missing, then a breakdown in cell communication can occur and the immune system may be slow to respond or may not respond at all, allowing these invaders to remain in the body. When this happens, it is called an “under active” immune system. Some examples of an under active immune system are cancer, chronic infections, flus and colds.   

The immune system can also over react, thinking that normal cells are invaders, and attack them mistakenly. This is a case of “friendly fire”… the body is actually attacking itself! There are now more than 80 of these autoimmune diseases in our modern society. 

The problem is… of the 8 necessary saccharides, only 2 are readily available in our modern diet. Over processing of foods, wide spread use of pesticides and herbicides, green harvesting, as well as our “fast food” lifestyles have led to these missing nutrients in our diet.  If you can, try juicing with something like the Jack Lalanne Power Juicer. Juicing is a great way to get concentrated amounts of vital nutrients. Also, Nutritional supplements are very important for maintaining optimal health due to these issues in with our modern day diet.

The idea behind glyconutrient supplementation is that if we are not getting these nutrients in our diet and they are required at the cellular level in order to maintain health, it makes sense that supplementing our diets with glyconutrients would benefit our health. I know from a personal standpoint, these nutrients have changed the lives of many people as well as my own family.  Anyone that is looking for a better quality of life needs to try glyconutrients for yourself consistently for a period of time and see if you experience positive changes in your health.