The Sugar Secret to Health, A Disruptive Technology

By Priscilla Mantos, M.Ed.

Research on glyconutrients started over 20 years ago when a pharmacologist, Dr. Bill McAnally, from Carrington Laboratories in Texas identified mannose as an active ingredient in the aloe plant that produced incredible healing. What shocked everyone was the fact it was a long chain carbohydrate molecule called mannose. Up until that time sugars were considered primarily the "energy" for the body.

Recent research has revealed that eight necessary glyconutrients (glyco from the Greek word sweet) play an important role in the transfer of all biological information from one cell to another. The challenge was to find other sugars in the universe that also played a part in transmitting these messages. Finally in 1996, Harper’s Biochemistry book documented the 8 essential glyconutrients. Dr. Emil Mondoa stated in Sugars That Heal: "These sugars are the basis of multicellular intelligence—the ability of cells to communicate, cohere, and work together to keep us healthy and balanced. Even tiny amounts of these sugars—or lack of them—have profound effects." The necessary eight sugars are referred to as “biological active sugars.”

When the body is already taxed from illness, stress, pollution, and toxins, its ability to make the needed necessary sugars diminishes greatly. Could this explain the body’s inability to heal itself? Rayburn W. Goen, MD explains it well when he states that one little sugar molecule, misprinted or omitted, can make the difference between the word F-R-I-E-N-D and F-I-E-N-D. It is these 8 sugars that transmit messages of what each cell needs, what cell is diseased, what cell needs to be repaired, and whether one cell is out of place. How can our body's cells communicate effectively if any of the necessary ingredients to formulate messages is unavailable? Imagine if we had no vowels in the English language!

Our need for these glyconutrients is now scientifically documented (www.glycoscience.org). A whole new field of science called glycomics/glycobiology has emerged to study these sugars. MIT Technology Review (February 2003) proclaimed glycomics as “one of the top ten emerging technologies that will change the world.” In January 2002, Scientific American reported: “Changing cancer cells’ surface sugars can inhibit tumor growth. The key to halting cancer may lie in their sugary coats. Science magazine devoted an entire issue to this development (March 23, 2001), outlining the causes for our glyconutrient deficiencies.

Because of over-farming practices, which deplete soil of essential nutrients, picking vegetables and fruits before maturity, adding chemical preservatives to our foods to extend shelf life, air and water pollutants and the use of synthetic fertilizers, six of eight necessary sugars are lacking in most of our food sources. Those who abstain from dairy products may be lacking up to seven.

However, it is possible to regain the balance of necessary glyconutrients in the body. Dr. Benjamin Carson Sr., author of Gifted Hands, is among a growing number of medical doctors who have embraced glyconutrient supplements due to their own positive experiences with them. Many people have had remarkable improvements in their health when they give their bodies these missing nutrients. Glyconutrients act as immune modulators, meaning if you have lupus, it slows the immune system down and if you have chronic fatigue, it boosts the immune system up.

Whether your health concern is prevention or treating symptoms, scientists have found glyconutrients are required for the proper structure and function of each individual human cell. They are just as necessary to the diet as amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Glyconutrients are an extraordinary discovery in a class by themselves. They have no competition. n

For more information contact:

Priscilla Mantos 508-881-5903 or

email: healthycells@comcast.net