Glyconutrients and Blood Pressure

Glyconutrients and blood pressure. The glyconutrients are sweet but is the relationship? What effect do they have on blood pressure and other body functions?

First, let me try to take some of the -mistery out of Chemistry

Glyconutrients

Glyconutrients are compounds of the carbohydrate family of organic chemicals. There are over 6 million organic compounds. These include the foods we eat (fats, carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins), furs, feathers, hides, skins and the organisms they came from. Also plastics, natural and synthetic fibers, dyes, drugs, insecticides and herbicides, perfume ingredients, flavoring agents and petroleum products. Generally speaking, the numerous compounds that exist in and come from living organisms make up the organic chemicals.

Gluconutrient is a technical and scientific term referring to individual carbohydrate nutrients. The commercially inspired terms (selling buzzwords) glyconutritionals and glyconutrients refer to mixtures of polycaccharides.

Saccharides basically are simple sugars. Sugars are in the aldehyde group of the carbonyl class of organic compounds that have a double carbon to oxygen bond, C=O. (I guess you’re beginning to see why the only people taking Organic Chemistry were chem majors and premeds).

There are disaccharides (two saccharides bonded together) and polysaccharides (many saccharides bonded together).These include starch, glycogen and cellulose. Thus the glyconutrients are mostly long-chain saccharides or polysaccharides occurring naturally such as in exudate tree gum and aloe vera extracts, fiber and starches. These particular polysaccharides are not digested and absorbed by humans but rather are broken down by intestinal bacteria into short-chain fatty acids and some other nutrients.

Since 1993 these glyconutrients or glyconutritionals have been aggressively marketed as being helpful or curative for a wide range of human ailments (you name it) including glyconutrients and blood pressure. However, these claims are greatly lacking in proof or even evidence.

The company’s name is Mannatech and they are multi-level marketers.

What Respected Scientists Say

The Berkely Wellness Letter:

(Without specifically mentioning glyconutrients and blood pressure:)

"There’s no convincing evidence that these supplements enhance the immune system, let alone fight AIDS, colitis, diabetes, high cholesterol, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis or any other medical condition".

Further quoting: "We are not deficient in any sugars. Our bodies are able to convert sugars in foods from one form to another form as needed. There is no evidence that toxins, stress, drugs or other factors interfere with the conversion process".

"We could find no well-designed research showing health benefits of glyconutrient supplements. Don’t waste your money on these expensive products".

Read their full Wellness Letter on this subject HERE

Society of Glycobiology:

This organization is a scholarly group dedicated to furthering knowledge of the function of sugar molecules in biology and medicine. They have a prominent link on their homepage to a disclaimer disavowing any connection to glyconutritional supplements. Read the full disclaimer HERE The link on their site is in red color and in larger type.

Doctor’s Practical Guide:

It is becoming quite evident that glyconutrients and blood pressure have no real connection and that this is one more successful marketing scheme such as selling snow to the Eskimos, oil to the Arabs, or dirt to the sodbusters. We have all the nutrients that we need or our bodies will make them if necessary.

You are better off paying attention to learning how to take your own blood pressure so that you can easily obtain the numerous readings necessary to truly know what your pressure is. Read How and Why here How To Take Blood Pressure

Then take a good look at the table of contents of my detailed instruction booklet here How To Take Blood Pressure Booklet

Don’t waste your money on unproven nostrums and more importantly don’t waste your time falsely thinking something is helping you. This allows a condition like high blood pressure to do its dirty work silently and continuously.

Learn how to take your own blood pressure, it’s easy and even fun. (Yes, even a caveman can do it.) My ebooklet of detailed instructions (just above) will help you.