Until recently, experts thought that sugar was useful only as a fuel for the body. While refined sugar of the type found in cakes and sweets is unhealthy and sometimes produces nothing more than a short burst of energy, science has now established that certain natural plant sugars are vital for maintaining good health. These newly discovered sugars are known as glyconutrients and the emerging field of science that studies them is called glycobiology. MIT describes it as One Of Ten Technologies That Will Change The World. But what are they? Glyconutrients comprise eight specific sugar complexes that are not burned for energy. Known as glycoproteins and glycolipids, these saccharide complexes become biological building blocks, which serve as the foundations for cellular growth. They become part of the fabric of the human body, by combining to form structures that cover the surface of all of our cells and which are key components of cellular communication. The eight known saccharides essential for building glyconutrients and maintaining healthy functioning cells are: glucose, galactose, fucose (not to be confused with fructose), N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylneuraminic Acid, N-acetylglucosamine, mannose and xylose. Each of these is associated with a specific health benefit. Glucose is the most well-known of all the saccharides. It is found in items such as cakes, sweets and ice cream as well as bread, pasta, rice, some vegetables. It may play a part in enhancing the memory, helping the body to absorb calcium and assisting the cells with communication. Too much glucose can raise insulin levels, leading to obesity and diabetes. Galactose is another famous saccharide, often found combined with glucose. Together they form a chemical called lactose. Galactose is found mainly in dairy products and its health benefits include the inhibition of tumor growth, healing of injuries and inflammation and the enhancement of cellular communication. Fucose can be found at high levels in human breast milk and some mushrooms. It assists with activities in the brain, respiratory system and immune system. Fucose has been found at the junctions between nerves, kidneys, and even in the testes. Inappropriate levels of fucose have been found in individuals with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and cancer. N-acetylgalactosamine is found in human breast milk and has been shown to inhibit the spread of tumors and to help with cellular communication. Reports suggest that individuals with cardiovascular problems may be lacking in N-acetylgalactosamine. N-acetylneuraminic acid is vital for brain growth and functioning. It also assists with blood clotting, fighting influenza and lowering cholesterol levels. Alcoholics are unable to process this substance effectively. N-acetylglucosamine may work against cancer and HIV. One metabolic by-product of this substance is glucosamine, which helps in the formation of cartilage and reduction of inflammation. The symptoms of diseases such as arthritis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis may improve with the use of N-acetylglucosamine. Mannose assists with tissue building and the smooth interaction of cells. A lack of mannose can interfere with the process of cellular communication and the healing of wounds, the resisting of tumor growth and the bodys ability to fight bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infections. Xylose has antifungal and antibacterial properties and may help to prevent cancer of the digestive tract. It is sometimes used as a replacement for sucrose and corn syrup in products such as chewing gum or toothpaste, but it does not contribute to tooth decay. Now that these essential saccharides have been identified, scientists are increasingly excited about their potential to help improve human health. Thats because they have discovered that the modern diet does not provide individuals with enough of them to produce glyconutrients. The deficiencies of these sugars in our foods results from modern food processing and packaging practices, the growing of crops in mineral depleted soils, under-ripe harvesting of fruits and vegetables and the use of food preservatives. While it is still of vital importance to eat a healthy amount of vegetables each day, the diet consumed by the majority of the industrialized world still does not offer the correct amount of saccharides necessary for glyconutrient production. In fact, it offers individuals the chance to consume only two of the eight saccharides necessary for producing glycoproteins. Those are galactose in dairy products and glucose. The consequence of this malnutrition is that the body is forced to synthesize the missing six saccharides itself. This is a process that has multiple negative effects for the body, because it has to pay for this activity with a disproportionate sacrifice of time and energy. For example, to convert glucose into fucose, the body is compelled to engage in over thirty four discrete enzymatic reactions. This can often leave the individual tired and exhausted. More importantly, the enormous drain on the bodys physical resources often causes the process of saccharide conversion to go wrong. When the process fails, the cells begin miscommunicating and the result is that the body starts misrecognising healthy cells as invader pathogens, and launching attacks to kill them. Such inappropriate cellular communication typically results in a variety of illnesses, including autoimmune diseases. These can manifest as arthritis, cancer, AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, lupus and a host of other debilitating and life-threatening conditions. Individuals who are interested in maintaining their health should keep a close eye on future research into glyconutrients. These super-sugars could turn out to be the key to fighting many of our most frightening illnesses. Excitingly, it turns out that rainforest fruits turn up trumps. It seems that some fruits like the acai berry, cupuacu and camu camu are packed full of glyconutrients and are probably one of the best natural ways for people to obtain their glyconutrient requirements. No wonder the rainforests of the world are known as natures medicine chests. |
