| The glyconutrient mannose is named after the word | | | | stereochemistry of the molecule, or the way that it |
| 'manna', that is mentioned in the Bible as the food | | | | is bent to the right. That is the common form, and |
| God provided to the Israelites during their flight from | | | | will be referred to here as simply 'mannose'. |
| Israel after crossing the Red Sea. It occurs naturally | | | | Mannose is one of these eight sugars that are |
| in a number of shrubs. | | | | essential for the proper functioning of the mammalian |
| Its main natural dietary source is cranberries, and is | | | | immune system, and that includes humans. A |
| one reason for the popularity of cranberry juice as a | | | | deficiency in any one of them will lead to a deficiency |
| dietary supplement. However, the acidity of the | | | | in the effectiveness of the immune system to fight |
| cranberry juice can detract from the effectiveness | | | | disease. Not only disease, but failure of the immune |
| of the sugar as a bactericide since many bacteria | | | | system will lead to conditions such as allergies, |
| love acidic conditions. A case in point is the use of | | | | possibly psoriasis, various forms of arthritis, and |
| D-mannose to fight e-coli urinary infections. | | | | infections of many parts of the body, particularly of |
| Cranberry juice has been found to be largely | | | | the respiratory tract that is one of the main causes |
| ineffective due to the acidity of the juice that can | | | | of death in AIDS victims, another immune system |
| cause the bacterium to multiply. The mannose | | | | disease. |
| content does not, in many cases, appear to be | | | | The science and biochemistry of allergies is also not |
| effective in eradicating the bacteria. D-mannose | | | | fully understood, but the immune system is now |
| supplement, on the other hand, sticks to the wall of | | | | believed to play a significant part. Knowledge of any |
| your bladder like glue, and attracts the bacteria. That | | | | dietary element pertaining to this as yet mysterious |
| is then stuck to the D-mannose and when the | | | | part of the way the human body fights infection |
| D-mannose in passed in your urine, the e-coli bacteria | | | | must be taken seriously, and dietary deficiencies |
| go with it. Many sufferers of urinary infections and | | | | made up by the use of supplements. |
| cystitis have found it to be a very effective | | | | There are those that believe supplements to be not |
| treatment. Significantly more effective that | | | | only unnecessary, but also damaging to health. |
| proprietary or prescription drugs and certainly better | | | | However, much of this is born from ignorance and |
| than cranberry juice. | | | | superstition, and modern biochemical knowledge must |
| That apart, mannose is one of the eight essential | | | | be used to ensure that all of us are supplied with the |
| glyconutrients without which the human immune | | | | chemicals necessary for our well being. All food we |
| system would not be able to function. They are | | | | eat, and nutrients we consume, are chemicals. That |
| sugars known as monosaccharides, as opposed to | | | | appears to be a bad word to some, but it is fact and |
| the disaccharides such as sucrose, or common sugar, | | | | we have to ensure that our chemical intake is |
| that is formed from glucose and fructose. Glucose is | | | | sufficient to meet the needs of the biochemistry of |
| another such essential sugar, though fructose is not, | | | | our bodies. Without that the chemical reactions that |
| causing more harm than good. Each of these sugars | | | | permit life would not be possible. |
| is essential to the mammalian biochemistry that was | | | | Those that suffer from urinary infections have |
| evolved over millions of years of a vegetarian diet. | | | | generally found that regular doses of mannose during |
| Human biochemistry diverged to include an | | | | the day are more effective than one or two larger |
| omnivorous diet that depended a great deal not only | | | | doses. What this indicates is that the sugar is rapidly |
| on animal flesh, but on roots, canes, corn husks and | | | | metabolized by the liver and excreted from the |
| other cereal seeds in their original form. This is why | | | | body, and so needs frequent replenishment. Since the |
| whole unprocessed foods are important in the diet. | | | | natural sources of mannose are so small in this |
| Now, however, the human diet has changed, with | | | | modern age, it is little wonder, then, that deficiency |
| intensive agricultural techniques and the refinement of | | | | can be relatively common and we are no longer able |
| foods to eliminate fibers and husks combining with | | | | to shrug off illness as quickly as our forefathers were |
| processing techniques to render much of our food | | | | able to. |
| deficient in many nutrients that were in abundance in | | | | In order to understand the effect of modern day |
| years past. Our biochemistry took millions of years to | | | | nutrition, keep in mind what has already been said. |
| develop, and is not going to change in a few | | | | Mannose is not only able to control e-coli infections in |
| thousand. Among those nutrients that have become | | | | the bladder, but is also a critical component in the |
| relatively scarcer in our diet are the essential | | | | biochemistry necessary to keep our immune system |
| monosaccharides that, until recently, were not | | | | healthy. It is the immune system that controls |
| considered important. | | | | disease, creates and releases antibodies to kill off |
| In fact, just over ten years it was thought that all | | | | invading cells, controls the disposition of white blood |
| sugars were burned in the body to produce energy | | | | cells that envelope and devour foreigners and |
| that, if not immediately used, was stored as | | | | determines how quickly we recover from minor |
| glycogen as a short-term energy source or fats as a | | | | wounds or serious injuries. |
| longer term source of energy. In effect, they were | | | | In saying that, laboratory studies indicate that |
| regarded as irrelevant to the diet and even by many | | | | excessive amounts of mannose could lead to some |
| medical practitioners as harmful. It is now known that | | | | birth defects, though this is only thought to be |
| these eight glyconutrients as they are called play a | | | | relevant for mannose supplements. Although these |
| much more fundamental role in human biochemistry | | | | supplements are very effective for most people |
| and in ensuring our survival than was previously | | | | therefore, pregnant women should seek medical |
| understood. | | | | advice prior to using mannose supplements. |
| Incidentally, you will generally see the word mannose | | | | Keep in mind the benefits of mannose and those |
| related to D-mannose. The 'D' stands for 'dextro' | | | | defects only occur with large excess intakes. Under |
| which comes from the Latin root for 'right'. Sinister | | | | medical supervision, mannose supplements should not |
| and dexter are left and right in Latin, and the term | | | | present a hazard to anyone. This must not be |
| dextrous was applied originally to one who could | | | | considered a deterrent to others to whom that does |
| manipulate well with the right hand and fingers. | | | | not apply, since the glyconutrient mannose is too |
| Through time it became a definition for manipulation | | | | important a substance in the chemistry of life for us |
| ability, or use of the fingers and hands, in general. | | | | to ignore. |
| However, in D-mannose it refers to the | | | | |