"Glyco" is a Greek word that means sweet. So a glyconutrient is a "sweet nutrient" or a sugar nutrient. Of the 200 monosaccharides that are found naturally in plants, there are at least eight essential monosaccharides (or simple sugars) that are not digested and burned as fuel - like how we think of most sugars. Instead, this group of eight glyconutrients are structural building blocks incorporated as whole molecules directly into the cells within your body and are involved in a remarkable array of biological functions. These are functions that control everything from individual cell structure and function to cell-to-cell communication and protection for every single cell in the body.

In 1996, the 24th edition of a medical textbook called Harpers Biochemistry, first introduced us to this group of eight glyconutrients (also known as miracle sugars) that are involved in the communication and inter-cellular function of virtually all cells of the body. What does this mean exactly? All tissues, glands, organs, the blood, and the immune system, everything in the body depends, to some level, on these molecules. And it has been discovered that when they are missing, it prohibits our immune systems from functioning at full capacity.

Therefore, science has established that glyconutritionals are not a diet option but rather a requirement for everyone just like water, vitamins and minerals, proteins, and fatty acids. There are no exceptions!

Let me break this down into everyday language for you. Let's say that these miracle sugars are to the cells what the alphabet is to you and me. We rely on the 26 letters of the alphabet everyday to communicate with everyone around us. Similarly, cells rely on glyconutrients to communicate with all the other cells in the body.

What would happen if all of a sudden the alphabet was missing 5 letters? If we could no longer use the letters, "G H N O and T" then a sentence as simple as "What are we going to have for dinner tonight" would no longer make sense to anyone. This sentence would now say "Wa are we i ave fr dier i?" Our communication system would break down by simply removing five letters from the alphabet. We would no longer be able to complete a major task in our everyday lives. The same holds true for cell-to-cell communication. Without all eight glyconutritionals in our system, communication breaks down and allows disease to set in because the cells can no longer recognize the "good" from the "bad" and therefore can't heal, correct, or defend each other.

Unfortunately today only 2 of the 8 essential miracle sugars are readily available in the food in our diets? and no other combination of any nutrients can substitute or replace them. There are many reasons why this deficiency has occurred. Some include green harvests that don't allow all the nutrients to develop before picking, processed foods that loose many, if not most of their nutrients, preservatives, increased toxins in our environment, and gradual soil depletion. All of these reasons have affects on each glyconutrient we get in our diets.

What is amazing is that cells are preprogrammed to do what they do; they simply need the right raw materials to do it with. Glyconutrients have proven to be the missing links in restoring and maintaining health and do what no vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal remedy can do. They help nourish, control, and support every single cell in the body and allow your cells to clearly send and translate messages to each other and operate efficiently. And this is why glyconutritional supplements are essential!

Glyconutritional supplementation compliments what you are doing now and provides you with the nutrients you need every day to maintain a level of complete and proper nutrition to achieve optimal health!

Tags: monosaccharides essential to life, general foods glyconutrition, best glyconutrients, glyconutrients weight-loss