Q1. Are glyconutrients: sugars, carbohydrates, or saccharides?
A. Yes, they are all three. The words are often used interchangeably to describe the molecular structure of the chains.
Q2. I notice glyconutrients are called 'sugars' - I am a diabetic, can I take them.
A. To the lay public, sugars are the villains behind expanding waistlines and rotting teeth, but sugars, or more properly, the complex sugars called glycans are now recognised as critical mediators of cell-cell communication. The sugars in the essential glyconutrients do not cause insulin problems for diabetics because the amounts of glucose in the average daily supplement are low and the other 7 essential glyconutrients have lower glycemic indexes. If you are either type I or II diabetic you should ask your doctor about taking glyconutrients - give him or her the information of the glyconutrients you are considering taking as there are different suppliers and products on the market. Under a doctor's direction, reduction of diabetic drugs or insulin should become necessary as the body is enabled to control the diabetes. Medical Conditions
Q3. How many monosaccharides are there?
A. 200 monosaccharides occur naturally in plants. Eight of these are known to be essential components of cell-surface glycoforms used in cell-cell communication.
Q4. Are glyconutrient supplements safe to take?
A. If you are suffering from a health condition and are taking medication under the care of a doctor, it is advisable to consult your doctor before taking glyconutrients. In some cases the glyconutrients ability to promote healing, leads to the prescription drugs needing to be reduced. Ask your doctor to monitor your drugs to see if or when you might need to reduce their dosage.
Q5. Are glyconutrients a miracle cure or are the results people are seeing a placebo effect?
A. Glyconutrients are neither a miracle cure nor are the effects of taking them a result of the placebo effect. Glyconutrients are not a miracle cure - they support the body to do what it was designed to do, ie heal, repair, regenerate, regulate and protect itself.
If it was a result of the placebo effect, we would see little scientific evidence to support the results. A placebo effect is also short lived, and the results people are experiencing are long term.
Q6. If they are as good as they are reported to be, how come I haven't heard of them?
A. Scientific discoveries often take quite a while to become mainstream, even when they are much needed and can prevent suffering. An example is that of a 18th century explorer, Captain James Cook, whose proven discovery that scurvy was a nutritional deficiency of vitamin C, and the deaths of seamen from scurvy on long voyages could be avoided by taking on board limes and other plants high in vitamin C. Once proven it took the British Admiralty 53 years before mainstreaming the practice of providing crew with vitamin C rich foods during voyages.
Q7. I'm pregnant, can I take glyconutrients?
Glyconutrients are great for pregnant women. Mother's milk actually contains all eight of the essential sugars in very large quantities! I know of at least one family who took glycos before conception and during pregnancy. This new "super baby" has developed faster and is smarter than their other children. Studies have been done on babies fed mothers’ milk vs. formulas. The breast fed babies did significantly better later in life.
Q8. Can babies safely use these products?
Absolutely yes! Newborn, premature babies have the glycol powder mixed into their formula. These premature babies make astounding leaps in growth and in health. Remember, glycos are not herbs, vitamins or minerals that a person can overdose. They have been proven in clinical tests and in countless personal human uses to be extremely safe – even for newborns.