Learn About Glyconutrients and Diabetes

Diabetes is becoming an epidemic in the United States, affecting about 20.8 million children and adults. Some estimate that one in three may suffer from this condition by 2010. As many as 6.2 million have diabetes though they are not aware of it. Factors including genetics, diet and autoimmune reactions have been identified in association with this disease. Diabetes was responsible for 224,092 deaths in 2002 and is the leading cause of blindness, kidney disease and non-traumatic amputation. With such numbers and health risks, it is important to understand how to provide the best support possible to the body to minimize the impact or risk of this condition by improving overall health.

Diabetes occurs due to a defect in the body’s ability to handle glucose. As the main source of energy for the cells of the body, glucose is extremely important but becomes a significant problem when the body cannot manage it. Insulin is a hormone which sweeps glucose from the blood stream and transports it to the cells. When glucose levels are raised in the blood, the pancreas is stimulated to release insulin. Normally, excess sugar is stored as glycogen in the liver or stored in the fat cells around the mid section.

In Type I diabetes, also known as Juvenile Diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas have been killed by an autoimmune reaction and the pancreas is unable to release insulin. A closely monitored diet and external injections of insulin are required to manage this disease. Since an apparent miscommunication leads to the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas, it is imperative to understand the role that cellular communication can play in diabetes. Cell to cell communication is carried out through structures which coat the outside of a cell called glycoproteins. These structures are composed from a protein base with a combination of monosaccharide sugars called glyconutrients. Harpers Biochemistry, the preeminent textbook for the teaching of biochemistry, identifies these necessary sugars as Mannose, Fucose, Galactose, Xylose, N-Acetylgalactosamine, N-Acetylglucosamine, Sialic Acid and even Glucose. Unfortunately our modern diets show an alarming deficiency of all of these sugars except for glucose as well as deficiencies in other vital nutrients. Just as an absence of letters in the alphabet can hinder proper communication, a deficiency in any of these glyconutrients may also lead to a communication breakdown.

Type II diabetes, which was once called Adult Onset Diabetes (before children as young as six years of age were regularly being diagnosed with this condition), occurs when the insulin is being generated but the cell receptors do not recognize it. There is no lack of insulin. The cells simply reject it. The insulin receptor happens to be a glycoprotein and the correct construction of this glycoprotein fits the insulin molecule much like a key fits a lock.

While current studies with diabetes and glyconutrients have been small in scale, they have shown some hope for both Type I and Type II diabetics in tests using dietary supplements of these glyconutrients as a means of improving micronutrient intake. In one trial, 32 Type I diabetics were given glyconutrient supplementation. During observation, 47% were able to significantly reduce their insulin intake and displayed overall improvement in health. The remaining 53% of the subjects did not experience a reduction in insulin during the observation period, but did display improved wound healing, resistance to infection, improved blood pressure and vision.

Another small study, published in the Journal of Phytomedicine, 72 Type II diabetics were divided into a test group and a control group and observed for 42 days. Of the subjects receiving glyconutrient supplementation and their standard medication, the blood glucose levels dropped from an average of 288 to 148 and triglyceride levels dropped from an average of 264 to 128. In the control group, receiving only their standard medication, there was no drop in glucose or triglyceride levels.

Nutritional supplementation is intended to improve nutrition and is not intended to treat, cure or mitigate any disease. This is because nutrition supports normal cell function, which is orthogonal to the “traditional” approach we association with Western medicine. The apparent benefit of glyconutritional support for improved quality of life has been observed in a variety of people and has opened doors to new approaches to research about how every cell of the human body strives for good health and proper function. Glyconutrients do not target disease but rather provide nutritional support for a vital category of nutrients making them an important nutritional consideration for anyone seeking to improve their health through improved diet.