Another blog taken...just for your information...eat well, live well, be well.

Environmental Health:
A Contradiction in Terms!

There is a serial killer on the prowl

and its name is "Environment" Environmental Health is on track to trigger the next Black Plague of the civilized world. Future death certificates may start showing cause of death as "Death by Environment".

Environmental health is what I call the effect that our surroundings have on our health.

It's not some nebulous concept. It is everything that touches our lives; everything we put into our bodies, on our bodies, the air we breathe, the water we drink, our living and working spaces, school rooms, hospitals, and playgrounds.

The environment is our world.

A perfect storm of three converging fronts is poisoning our population at an exponential rate. Those "fronts" are the environmental poisoning by the chemical, pharmaceutical and processed food industries.

The chemical output of these industries has literally poisoned everything we come in contact with.

Our bodies are contaminated with toxic loads unheard of just a few decades ago. Randall Fitzgerald, in his book "The Hundred-Year Lie", documents many truly alarming findings. He shows that...

Tests conducted on thousands of volunteers by five public agencies showed that every resident of industrialized countries are carrying an average of 700 synthetic chemicals, all absorbed from our food, air and water.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed toxic loads in thousands of test subjects with children showing higher toxic loads than adults.

Random testing of newborn babies in U.S. hospitals found an average of 200 synthetic chemicals in their umbilical-cord blood.

Numerous researchers have independently concluded that whether we ingest these toxins through our stomachs, skin or lungs, their effects are cumulative and setting the stage for a new wave of fatalities that can't be traced to any one cause.

Our bodies were not designed to handle this chemical onslaught and cannot process, remove and repair their damage fast enough.

Chemical toxins eventually end up at the liver where some are stored, some are filtered and eliminated but most end up being stored in body fat where they continue to accumulate day after day.

The inevitable result is rising levels of cancerous tumors, liver and kidney failure, dramatic increases of disease in children and central nervous system or cognitive disorders. Many of these we are experiencing now, others are fast approaching.

The Way Nature Intended It!

Don't Let the Radicals Run Free!

Free Radicals, also known as unbound electrons, increase exponentially as environmental Health declines.

"Oxidative Stress" is the name given to the cellular damage caused by ionization of an oxygen atom. In it's stable state, oxygen has no charge; it's eight positively charged protons in the nucleus are exactly balanced by its eight orbital negatively charged electrons.

When ionized, the oxygen atom picks up an extra electron giving it a net negative charge or loses an outer shell electron giving it a net positive charge.

That free electron is now called a "free radical" and it's on the loose. It can, and will, react with or damage adjacent cells. It is similar to rusting of metal.

When we have an excess of free radicals in the body, not enough antioxidant protection to remove them and failure to repair cellular damage caused by the free radicals, we have all the elements present to promote catastrophic diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer.

Even if they don't result in some terrible disease, they will greatly accelerate the aging process.

Blueberries: Nature's Best Antioxidant

Fortunately for us, nature gave us Blueberries and a few other Superfoods with extraordinary antioxidant capabilities.

Today these must be a part of everyone's diet.

The bottom line is that oxidative stress from the environment is growing to the extent that our body's defenses can no longer keep up.

Even with the superfood antioxidants, it is still very difficult to get adequate antioxidant protection from our normal food supply and supplementation with a high quality antioxidant is mandatory.

If you can only love (or afford) one dietary supplement, make it an antioxidant.

Genetically Modified Organisms...

The Coming Environmental Health Holocaust

GMO isn't shorthand for "Gitmo", or "Government Medical Organization" or "General Motors Outsourcing".

It's worse than all of those...it's "Genetically Modified Organism" and it is a scary development in environmental health brought to us by Monsanto.

Ostensibly, Monsanto would have us believe that they are developing super seeds to increase crop yields and save the world from hunger. Both are worthy pursuits but unfortunately, that's just not the case.

Monsanto is possibly the largest agro-business in the world but even that label is misleading. Monsanto is an agro-chemical company among other things providing a wide variety of herbicides and pesticides to the food growing industry.

It appears that the effort to engineer crop seeds is more directed at making them more tolerant of the toxic chemicals that are sprayed on and around the plants than on increasing crop yield.

The objective appears to be aimed at finding a way for Monsanto to sell more chemicals by cornering the market in mutant seeds; affectionately known as "frankenfood". The last thing the environmental health of the world needs is more chemicals.

Why should we care?

First is that the environmental health of the earth can't stand such increases in dangerous chemicals being sprayed on it. The toxins don't stay put...they runoff into our natural waterways where they cause death or mutation of all life that comes into contact with it.

For us, it means when we eat the contaminated fish and cattle, our DNA is exposed to damage by the toxins and strange DNA we consume.

Second, the chemicals don't just sit on the ground or on the leaves of plants. They get absorbed and become part of the plant that we eat. Remember that we are what we eat. How much Round Up would you like with your corn flakes?

Third, the way that the seeds (organisms) are being modified is unnatural. They aren't just cross-breeding similar specifies of plants; they are injecting totally foreign DNA from other species. This does not occur in nature and the long-term results hold the danger of some frightening unintended consequences.

The big lie that genetically modified foods are just the same as conventionally grown foods is being spread by a friendly media as well as the company's own slick marketing. Research tells a different story.

In the "Seeds of Destruction” by Jeffery Smith, we read that food related illnesses doubled between 1994 and 2001; about the same time that GMO foods started appearing on the market.

He shows that such foods contribute to increases in allergies; are carcinogenic; toxic and can decrease nutritional intake.

Cited research is that GMO peas caused lung cancer in mice, GMO potatoes were linked to cancer in lab rats and bacteria in our GI tract was shown to take up the DNA from modified foods under the right conditions.

Fourth is that, just like the superbugs, crop pests and weeds have developed a tolerance for the most widely used herbicides and pesticides. This means that more and more of the chemical must be used to control pests, with a corresponding decline in not only environmental health but our health as well.

There is data showing that genetically modified crops have resulted in a 50 million pound increase in pesticide use from 1994 to 2005. Who knows what it has increased to by now?

Fifth and possibly the most important argument against GMO crops is that the genome (the collection of 26,000 or so human genes and over 3 million chemical base pairs that make up those genes) is not constant.

Genetic researchers have found that our genome, in fact any genome, is very dynamic and changes in response to the environment.

Environmental stimulus such as toxins, chemicals, mutated DNA can turn various genes on or off or damage the base pairs of DNA which is passed on to later generations.

The bisexual fish and deer with five legs aren't just rare oddities. They are a sign of trouble in the environmental health of our wild areas. They are a wakeup call that something is happening to the DNA structure in wildlife and if it is happening in the wild, it is happening to us as well.

GMO food is more widespread that anyone would ever imagine. So far, soy, corn, cottonseed and canola are the most prevalent. In the July 15, 2009 issue of the Wall Street Journal, is an article that Monsanto is again going after genetically modified wheat.

The effort was dropped five years ago due to resistance from the food industry but now "they're baaack"!

Genetically modified corn is showing up at local farmers markets now. Produce we buy at farmers markets is typically thought of as organic but can we say that genetically engineered food is organic? I think not. Now the environmental health of the wheat fields will be reflected in all our baked goods.

The "Future of Food" 10-minute u-tube video embedded below is an introduction to a longer 58 minute video on the future of food.

At least watch the introduction to see how the green revolution in agriculture became the gene revolution and how Monsanto is working to control the worlds food supply through it patents on seed. Scary, scary stuff. It has to be stopped.

Environmental Health and Water Contamination

There seems to be some madness sweeping the country. Symptoms include fits of temper, episodes of lying, cognitive impairment, inability to remember historical events, and blame shifting.

Is there something in the water or is it just election season again? Well, yes it is election season and the inmates are running the asylum...

BUT there most definitely is something in the water.

For starters, there are the chemicals we add to our water supply on purpose like chlorine and flouride. Then there's a whole host of toxins that our treatment plants aren't equipped to handle. These include a whole raft of pharmaceuticals in our water, such as estrogen, antibiotics and trihalomethanes. The latter are compounds formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter and are known carcinogens.

It's not just our municipal water systems that are at risk. Our country's natural water courses are quite contaminated from airborne particulates, chemical runoff from agricultural operations and industrial effluents. The observed effects on wildlife should have set off some very loud alarms by now...in fact, they have, but is anyone listening?

Follow the link to ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND WATER to read about the scope of the problem and learn what choices are available to us for some measure of protection against these hazards.

A lot of links are included in the site to navigate to various pages but for greater efficiency in searching the site, use the Google Search Box below. Just type in the box what you are looking for, hit "Search", and a new window will open with a list of page URLs at the bottom of the window. Click on the that looks appropriate to your search and it will take you there.

Custom Search Environmental Health and Air Pollution According to AIRNow, "Quality of Air Means Quality of Life" and that sums it up nicely. Nevertheless, air quality is but one of several environmental factors having a tremendous impact on our lives. We know the air quality surrounding major population centers leaves a lot to be desired but the surprising thing is that, because of how tightly sealed and insulated our homes are today, air quality inside our homes is often worse than the outside air. Our homes now have a major effect on our personal environmental health. Pure, clean air is nitrogen, oxygen, a little argon, carbon dioxide and tiny amounts of trace gases. In our homes and even in nature, there's no such thing as "pure air". So what is it that is contaminating our air, where is it coming from, what does it do to us and what can we do about it? Consider formaldehyde as just one example. From the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG), "cars, trucks, and non-road engines release more than 165,000 tons of formaldehyde into the environment or 56 percent of total formaldehyde emissions. Formaldehyde may cause lung, nose, and throat cancers, as well as adverse respiratory effects". Click on Effects of Home and Environmental Air Pollution on our Health to get answers to the questions raised above. I'm living in a toxic waste dump! Personal and Environmental Health: Seriously degraded by household products. If the EPA were to inspect the average American's home, it would probably be declared an environmental health disaster area. Take a home inventory of all the cleansers, pesticides, paints and thinners, solvents, lubricants, sprays, dry cleaning in the closet, and any other chemical laden product in the house. Don't forget the basement, garage, and storage shed. The list will reveal an unbelievable amount of toxins that we are surrounded with...breathing, touching, ingesting, living and sleeping with. Household air pollution is discussed in more detail in the page on Air Pollution in the Home and home air filtration systems. Navigate there to see how many common items that we use everyday are harming us and the choices we can make to protect ourselves. Workplace toxins Pickup where the home left off Environmental health is a major consideration in where we work; office, factory, farm, store, hospital, home office? Are you a student or teacher sitting in a classroom several hours a day? Do you drive for a living; truck, car, delivery van? It doesn't matter all that much. No matter where we work, the environmental health of our workplace exposes us to a whole host of toxins. Many are similar to those in our homes, others are unique to whatever profession we are engaged in. Factory workers are exposed to chemicals relative to production; farmers are exposed to some really nasty agricultural sprays and fertilizers; hospital workers have a whole different set of toxins to deal with; and it so it goes for each job and profession.

Glyconutrients The New Kid on the Block

This was taken from another blogger...Healthy By Nature I have personally been on ambertose for the last 3 months. Was introduced years ago..tried and then life took over. Have been on them seriously for the last 3 months.

Glyconutrients: the New Kid on the Block

According to one Medical Doctor, Glyconutrients are the greatest breakthrough in medicine since the discovery of penicillin.

Who would ever imagine that sugar would become the next frontier in biological science? Let's coin a new word, glycology; "glyco" meaning sugar or sweet and "ology" meaning "study of".

So we have just created a new science called the study of sugar. Following that logic, "glyconutrient" would be "a sugar bestowing nutritional benefits.

Well, we haven't really coined a new science. Actually our "glycology" has been alive and well and growing rapidly for the last 38 years or so only under the names "glycobiology" and "glycomics".

The big discovery that gave impetus to this emerging science was in how certain cells of the immune system communicate and the role that certain glyconutrients play in cell structure and function.

"Glyconutrient" is the name given to the family of neutraceuticals based on the science of glycobiology. A nutraceutical is a nutritional supplement that has pharmaceutical properties.

While the supplement itself does not heal, in the sense that a medicine heals, it provides the body what it needs to heal itself and support specific organ or system function.

Dr. Bud Hawkins, a Las Vegas, Nevada nutritionist and advocate of glyconutrients, is often quoted as saying, "the body can build, defend, repair, regenerate, regulate, reproduce and heal itself if you give it the right tools".

If so, why does it seem to have such a problem in doing all those things? I believe that the answer lies in the fact that we are immersed in environmental toxins, under constant stress, take too many medications, and consume food deficient in many essential nutrients, including glyconutrients. The body is not getting "the right tools" to do the job.

And that is where glyconutrients, the miracle sugars, come in.

Let's be very clear that we are not talking about the simple, refined sugar that we put in our coffee and tea or sprinkle on our cereal. We are talking about complex sugars known as polysaccharides and oligosaccharides.

To further close in on the subject, we know there are over 200 sugars occurring naturally in nature but we are concerned with eight specific glyconutrients.

They are often called essential sugars but I believe this is up for debate since the body can make some of the sugars from other carbohydrate building blocks, at least for a short period of time; more on that to follow.

By the way, carbohydrates are another name for sugars; which means that glyconutrients can be called carbohydrates as well.

The Evolution of a new science!

Glyconutrients are a class of major nutrients that have been among the missing, AWOL, at least until 14 years ago.

Carbohydrates and especially compounds from the Aloe Vera plant had been under study at least since 1952 when a study was published detailing how fresh aloe gel heals radiation burns on rabbits but aged gel doesn't.

By 1970 glycobiology was becoming a recognized science and 500 papers on the subject had been published. By 1980 that number had grown to 1500 and by 1990, had hit 4000. That same year Oxford University in England published their Journal of Glycobiology.

By 1992 the active substance in the Aloe Vera was stabilized and it turned out to be mannose, a sugar. It took a full 40 years after the first radiation study on rabbits to find a way to give mannose a "shelf life".

In 1994 a company now called Mannatech was established for the purpose of commercializing the discoveries being made in glycobiology and in 1996 the world's first glyconutritional dietary supplement based on the Aloe Vera research was brought to the market. It was called Ambrotose.

In 1996 Dr. Robert Murray wrote the definitive chapter on Glycoproteins for Harper's Biochemistry focusing on the eight sugars necessary for cellular communication.

Photo: cells showing external glycoprotein structures

By the year 2000, over 8000 papers on glycobiology had been published.

The year 2001 was a very good year for glycobiology; Dr. Emil Mandoa published his landmark book, "Sugars That Heal"; the March 23rd issue of Science magazine featured "Carbohydrates and Glycobiology" discussing the functional and structural uses of eight critical sugars in cellular physiology...

Dr. John Axford, M.D. and past president of the Royal Society of Medicine wrote on the importance of the sugars in The Impact of Glycobiology on Medicine in Trends in Immunology, Vol 22, No. 5 May of 2001; and the NIH granted $34 million to a consortium of universities to study cell-to-cell interactions relative to glycobiology.

More important articles were published throughout 2002 and by 2003; yahoo listed over 63,000 entries for the glyconutrient, mannose, and in 2005 Google had 324,600 entries for glycobiology and glycoscience.

Sugars? Gimme Two Reasons Why I Need Sugars!

OK, as a teaser, here's two reasons why getting a daily input of glyconutients (sugars, aka carbohydrates) is vital.

First is that the 100 billion neurons in our body require an insulating cover on those nerve's axons. That insulation, called a myelin sheath, is composed of 80% fat and 20% protein.

The 80% fat is a glycolipid and galactocerebroside. Those are complex molecules of fat and sugars, joined to produce the myelin that wraps around every nerve's axon. Know what characterizes multiple sclerosis?

It's a breakdown of the myelin sheath. If we don't get enough of the glyconutrient to build the insulation, might we be setting the stage for MS?

Second is that the surface of every cell is covered with structures composed of one or more of the glyconutrient sugars combined with a protein or lipid backbone. Under a scanning electron microscope, those structures look like a forest of branching trees extending from the cell surface.

The function of those structures (glycoforms) is to identify invading organisms, mutated cells and toxins and to communicate with (signal) the immune system to come dispose of the threats. What if we don't get enough glyconutrients to build those glycoforms? Might we be setting the stage for all types of threats to go unrecognized and cause all types of disease and damage to our health?

There are many, many more reasons to have glyconutrients included in our daily diet as will be covered in the following sections.

Glyconutrients; What are they?

Why do we need them?

Looking back, the fact that an innocuous sugar from the gooey gel of a fleshy, water retaining succulent plant had health benefits was startling enough. But researchers reasoned that if there was one sugar that healed, maybe there was more.

A few more years of research and experimentation revealed that there are actually eight unique sugars that the body combines with proteins and fats to build structures (glycoproteins and glycolipids) having critical functions within the body.

These structures are commonly referred to as glycoconjugates or glycoforms.

Photo: Glycoforms on cell surface

It took quite a few years for the importance of the discovery to sink in since the traditional thinking was that sugars were used for energy production in the cell; period, end of story.

This very shortsighted view still persists today in some circles in spite of a huge body of contradictory evidence.

Consider that Dr. James Lind, a ships surgeon in the Royal Navy published his Treatise on the Scurvy in 1753 showing the relationship between a lack of fresh fruit and scurvy.

It wasn't until 43 years later that the Royal Navy accepted Lind's findings and started putting fresh limes aboard their ships. The attitude of, "by god, I know what I know and facts aren't going to change me", still infects too many people who should know better. Pure Arrogance!

The eight sugars we have been referring to and which have proven to have huge implications for how we heal and stay healthy are: Glucose (Glu), Galactose (Gal), Mannose (Man), Fucose (Fuc), Xylose (Xy), N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc), N-acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc), N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (NANA).

Our bodies need all eight of these sugars but the problem is that only two, Glucose and Galactose, are abundant in our modern diets.

The rest are either missing or seriously deficient in our food supply for many of the reasons already discussed in the NUTRITION pages: green harvesting, depleted soil, chemical (toxic) damage to nutrients, food processing and the use of preservatives.

Photo: Eight glyconutrients: six missing

While these sugars are deemed essential, our bodies do have the ability to make the missing sugars for short periods of time and under emergency conditions. Biological manufacture of these sugars from glucose is not part of the master plan of our bodies, at least not as an ongoing activity.

Practical, Commercial Applications

The science behind a new development is always good to know but it's all pointless unless we can put that science and knowledge to some practical purpose. Is getting well, staying well and living the best quality of life possible a good enough purpose?

Since their discovery, glyconutrients and the breakthroughs in glycobiology research have been commercialized into a number of specific formulations available on the market as "dietary supplements".

Without getting into product names or brand names, the applications of glyconutrients to our personal health fall into three distinct categories.

Cell-to-Cell Communication

First is that the essential sugars derived from the early research on Aloe Vera and its essential sugar, Mannose, have been combined into powder and capsule form.

Their purpose is to provide Immune System support by maximizing inter-cellular communication.

It is the essential sugars by which cells communicate with each other. If communication breaks down, health breaks down.

Endocrine Support - Glands and Hormones

Second is that certain of the essential sugars have been combined with other natural nutrients, herbs and phytosterols to produce a supplement to support the endocrine system.

Recall that the Endocrine System is our collection of glands that produce hormones for all the regulatory functions of our body. One hormone that everyone should be familiar with is insulin...we all know what happens when the regulation of insulin goes awry.

Without hormonal regulation, we have chaos; we have disease.

Antioxidant: Free Radical Protection

Third is that the essential sugars have been combined with certain Vitamins and Phytonutrients to produce a powerful antioxidant with very high ORAC numbers. ORAC is Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity and the higher the better.

If the body can't rid itself of free radicals, it will literally "rust" away, resulting it a whole host of health issues...autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and degenerative health issues.

Target System Support and Specific Applications

In addition to the three applications described above, glyconutrients have been incorporated into a number of supplements focused on specific issues such as Cardiovascular support, weight control, Fitness, Gastrointestinal Support, Sinus support, and several others.

Need Specific Information?

To request information on any of specific applications of commercially available glyconutrients, how to get them, and their cost, fill out the form below, hit submit and information will be provided by e-mail.

Request Information Please note that all fields followed by an asterisk must be filled in. Glyconutrient Applications Immune System Support Endocrine Support Antioxidant Cardiovascular Support Weight Control First Name* First Name* E-mail Address* E-mail Address* Country* Country* Country United States Canada ---------------- Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribadi North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Federated States of Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Monserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Island Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda S. Georgia and S. Sandwich Isls. Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka St. Helena St. Pierre and Miquelon Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam US VIrgin Islands Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Yugoslavia (former) Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe Please enter the word that you see below. Now let's get back to the science and current state of research in the field of glycobiology and glyconutrients. The State of the Science With every passing month, new discoveries are being made in glycobiology and glyconutrients. Past and ongoing research is continually updating the available information on how the body uses plant glyconutrients to maintain proper communication, structure, protection and adhesion. We have a failure to Communicate It is through cellular communications that our body is able to function normally and glyconutrients play a key role. For health and proper immune response, cell-to-cell communication is needed to identify invading organisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. Immune cells also need to be able to identify mutated cells in order to isolate and destroy them before that they grow into a tumor. It is also good if immune cells can distinguish between the invading cells and self cells or those that are part of our body. Failure to communicate in this area is the source of autoimmune diseases. The first discovery was that the essential sugars, glyconutrients, are used by the body for intercellular, or cell-to-cell communication. The first implication of proper cellular communication is in immunology. The sugars are bound to protein "backbones" that protrude from the cell like a miniature forest. These external cellular glycoforms have specific patterns that are recognized by other cells in the body while invading cells, or non-body cells have different sugar combinations that are not recognized by the body's own cells. This allows the foreign cells to be tagged for elimination by the immune system. While the structure of nerve cells is different from other body cell types, receptors in the synapse (the communicating end of a nerve cell) have specific sugar "codes" that are only activated by the appropriate neurotransmitters if constructed properly. Blood typing is another area where the sugars are vital. The only difference between blood types is the presence or absence of one of the sugar molecules. Type "O" is changed to Type "A" by the addition of one molecule of N-acetylgalactosamine; and is changed to Type "B" by adding one galactose molecule. (See diagram below) Try mixing up blood types in a transfusion for example and the body will quickly know it is not getting the right blood. The results can be life threatening, possibly fatal. Glyconutrients also have a key role in the proper functioning of insulin receptors, antibody binding with pathogens (bacteria, viruses, allergens, and anything else that doesn't belong), and even the joining of a sperm cell and ovum in reproduction depends on the presence of the sugars. I Need Structure! Glycoforms are critical in the building of many body structures. Connective tissue needs various glyconutrient building blocks to bind connective structure to bone as well as slow the spread of pathogens. Many people supplement with chondroitin and glucosamine for good joint health, both of which are polysaccharide glyconutrient structures. Glutathione is an antioxidant used by the body to combat free radicals that can damage healthy tissue. Glutathione is utilized more effectively in the presence of certain sugars. Another vital function is the transport of protein and a saccharide component of the transport proteins binds the package and determines its destination. Will you Protect Me? Glyconutrients have a crucial role to play in keeping invading organisms out of the body. Cell membrane sugars can block viruses and bacteria from binding to and penetrating the cell. In addition they are used in the circulatory system where they also bind to pathogens thus preventing penetration. If located on the outer cell surface, glyconutrients can act as a barrier, protecting the cell from the environment. For example, they can block the adhesion of toxins and foreign invaders while allowing nutrients and harmless molecules to bind and absorb in the mucosal lining of the GI tract. Adhesion: Let's Stick Together. To expand on adhesion, there is direct linkage between glyconutrients and platelet aggregation or clotting and restoring stability of tissue. One saccharide structure called heparin is important in halting the clotting cascade. Clotting is necessary to stem bleeding but a deficiency in heparin can lead to hypercoagulation, blocking vessels and leading to stroke or heart attack. The Direction of Research Most current research is clinical in nature. The objective is to discover the inner workings of glyconurients in specific disease pathologies in normal function of the body's systems. The flip side is to discover what structures, or glycoconjugates, do not get assembled properly and various classes of disease result. One set of defective glycoforms are inherited and are called Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation and are responsible for yet another set of pathologies. Deficiencies or changes in glycoconjugates are suspected in the onset of numerous diseases, some of which are the leading cause of death. Many inflammation disorders have been linked to either deficiency of glyconutrients or sending false inflammation signals. Inflammation is closely linked to autoimmune disease. Glyconutrients have implications for the big "c", cancer. Even a healthy human body produces many cancer cells on a daily basis which are disposed of by the immune system in the normal course of events. Often, the immune system fails to identify the mutated cancer cells thus allowing them to begin their growth to full blown tumors. Faulty glycoconjugate construction is being investigated as a possible cause of the failure of immune cells to recognize cancer. Many other disease conditions are being studied in conjunction with saccharide deficiencies or improperly constructed glycoforms. Such diseases include cardiovascular disease, allergies, neurological conditions, hypersensitivity and gastrointestinal tract disorders. Since much, if not most, of the clinical research is funded by pharmaceutical companies, the focus of the studies are to find ways to synthesize glyconutrients so as to incorporate then into therapeutical drugs. It's Spreading Faster than a California Wildfire! Over the last few years, every university worth its salt has established a glycobiology research department. Worldwide, very deep scientific courses on glycobiology and glycomics are appearing in the curricula of most major universities. Just a few are listed below: Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Institute for Glycomics, Brisbane, Australia Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD Imperial College, Division of Molecular Biosciences, London, England John Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD Oxford University, Oxford Glycobiology Institute, Oxford, England Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, Consortium for Functional Glycomics University of California, San Diego, CA, Glycobiology Research and Training Center University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Center for Medical Glycobiology, Oklahoma City, OK University of Georgia, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Athens, GA University of Alberta, Bundle Research Group, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada In conjunction with the establishment of the science in universities and research institutes, Glycobiology Associations and conferences are springing up every year. A short list of glycobiology and glycomics conferences since 2003 are shown below: Glycomics - Carbohydrates in Drug Development, May 5-6, 2003, MIT, Cambridge, MA Glycomics and Carbohydrates in Drug Development, March 21-22, 2005, La Jolla, CA Carbohydrates, June 19-24, 2005, Tipton School, Tipton, NH (Gordon Research Conference) Canadian Micronutrient/Glycomics Conference, Sept. 29-30, 2006, Toronto, Canada Neural Glycoprotein’s and Glycolipids, Dec. 1-5, 2006, Antigua, West Indies Glycobiology, Mar. 4-9, 2007, Ventura, CA (Gordon Research Conference) Society for Glycobiology 2007 Conference, Nov. 11-15, 2007, Boston, MA 11th Annual San Diego Glycobiology symposium, Feb. 8-9, 2008, San Diego, CA. Society for Glycobiology, 2008 Annual Meeting, Nov. 12-15, 2008, Ft. Worth, TX A quick internet search on "glycobiology conferences" will show that such events are already planned into the next three years. Earlier we said that by 2000, there had been over 8000 scientific papers published on glycobiology and related subjects. The trend continues unabated with The number of research papers increasing exponentially. A cadre of giants is emerging in the field. These are the giants upon whose shoulders future researchers will stand; names like: Gerald Hart - biochemist at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. Ajit Varki - Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and co-director of the Glycobiology Research and Training Center at the University of California, San Diego. Hudson Freeze - Program Director and professor of Glycobiology at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research at La Jolla, California. Richard Cummings - Coordinator of Core Facility H at Emory University, Atlanta, GA; part of the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG). Carolyn Bertozzi - Bertozzi Research Group, University of California, Berkeley. Jeffery Esko - Professor, Cellular & Molecular Medicine / Medicine Tumor Growth, Invasion & Metastasis Program, Moore's Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego. ...and many others. Dr. Gerald Hart is well known for his quote in the NewScientist article "Sugar Rush" (vol 176 issue 2366, 26 Oct. 2002, p.34) as, "We won't understand immunology, neurology, developmental biology or disease until we get a handle on glycobiology". Drs. Ajit Varki, Richard Cummings, Jeffrey Esko, Hudson Freeze, Gerald Hart and Jamey Marth co-edited the Essentials of Glycobiology, the first work of its kind, providing an ideal entry into the field. It's a massive work with numerous contributors and a most comprehensive table of contents. You can order your very own copy by clicking the link below. Essentials of Glycobiology In addition to the reference book shown above, included below is a search box for Abe Books. Select "Keyword" and enter "Glycobiology", then click "Search" and see the scope of books available on this incredible emerging techology. It really has the power and potential of turning traditional medicine upside down. Author Title Keyword ISBN What was the question again? We have not completely answered the question as to why there are glyconutrient deficiencies. Which in turn result in there not being enough glycoconjugates to do the job or improper construction of some glycoforms. Research has shown that every cell of the body needs these eight glyconutrient saccharides in order to function properly but the problem stems from our food supply and modern diet that is extremely lacking in six of these particular glyconutrients. The deficieny of glyconutrients in our commercially grown food stem primarily from depleted soil, early (green) harvesting, food processing and preservatives. Earlier, we alluded to the fact that the body can produce the missing glyconutrient saccharides from glucose using a backup system. The problem is that the process requires a very long chain of enzymatic reactions and needs a lot of energy to drive the process. Mounting evidence suggests that breakdowns in the process are the cause of many disease conditions. If such a breakdown occurs, and dietary glyconutrients are not available, deficiencies will occur. Vitamin deficiencies, stress, illness and aging are common causes of the breakdown in the enzymatic chain of events needed to produce the sugars needed to make the glycoforms. The bottom line of all this is that we cannot get all the essential glyconutrients we need from our food and we cannot rely on our body's backup system to make them for us. The easiest and most logical solution is supplementation with a blend of the essential glyconutrient sugars on a daily basis.

autoimmunity

They say that your immune system is weaker when you have an autoimmune disease, this has not been my experience. So they ( the so called experts) have something wrong at least in my case.

It makes me mad to read what I read on-line about disease and how there is no cure for anything..you have to suffer. But yet when I talk to some doctors they all say "off the record-we know differently"...what is actually happening? WHY aren't people given a choice? does it really come down to MONEY...I guess it does ( hangs her head and frowns).

Well I can do the best I can do today for me and my family. Stay focused Amy don't get off track.

Stage 7: Fungation

Stage 7: Fungation
When the internal conditions have deteriorated to the extent that normal
aerobic, oxidative processes are no longer possible, the cells can revert to a
more primordial means of surviving. Biochemical and morphological changes from
the depositing of endogenous and exogenous toxins bring about degenerations and
death at the cellular level. The cells can carry on their life processes by
anaerobic processes, the same processes that many bacteria use. When the cells
have changed in form and function to this extent, this is when an oncologist
will tell you that you have cancer.

Stage 6: Induration

Stage 6: Induration
Induration means a hardening or scarring of tissues. Induration is the result of
long-standing, chronic inflammation with bouts of acute inflammation
interspersed. The chronic inflammation causes an impairment or sluggishness of
circulation, and as some cells succumb, they are replaced with scar tissue. This
is the way we lose good, normal-functioning cells-by chronic inflammation and
death of cells.

We also see low oxygen in the cells coming from induration in the blood vessels
as they are glycosolated. Atherosclerosis is a form of induration. With low or
no circulation, toxic buildup, and low oxygen we have the conditions for the
seventh stage of disease: fungation, or cancer.

It's Not Easy

I am finding that it is not easy to go this health road alone. I have some support on-line but it has been very difficult making changes on my own. Tomorrow brings me to another day of "repositioning" and "rethinking" my direction on the health front. I BEGIN again.

100% RAW food...I feel I must do the 100% because of the addictive behavior with COOKED FOOD. I can be off of it..and I can have one portion and even one bite of cooked food and my body is craving it again. Not fun or funny. It's as if my self control gets taken away. I went through this same thing when I was breaking my addictive cycle with FAST FOOD...I got off of it and then by tempting of a friend I ate some Taco Bell and all of a sudden I was craving it and couldn't think of anything else until I ate some more of it. It's insane but it's what has happened to me.

So much of our culture is based on food and alcohol. I am not a drinker either..but most of our social situations are around food and drink. Not healthy food and drink mind you. I want more restaurants where you get fresh fruit locally grown smoothies and raw food dishes. :-)

I'm looking for local support. But so far..nothing.

~Amy~

Why Dis-ease?

I think we manifest illness and dis-ease because our spirits are trying to get our attention. We each have a "mission" on this planet in this lifetime. In my opinion. It is our spirits job to guide us, but it can't do that if it can't get our attention. Since we are physical bodies in a physical world we manifest physical illnesses in that physical body. But it's only a side track to what we're really here for. So to explore WHY we are sick, I think we need to look at the metaphysical side of the illness. Also embrace the BODY, MIND and SPIRIT aspects of each individual person.

What is YOUR mission? and does your dis-ease keep you from fulfilling it? Mine is keeping me from fulfilling mine, but I feel a shift in the next few weeks. A huge shift. The INPUT of information I've had in the last 4 weeks has been phenomenal and I'm almost ready to implement all that I have learned. It's an exciting time to say the least. I feel the shift already occurring.

My MISSION is to teach.

~Amy~