Supplements and Herbs

Natural Dietary Sources: Which Foods Contain Glyconutrients?

"Aloe Vera (Barbadensis) — The Medicine Plant”

Intro to glyconutrients at On Natural & Commercial Glyconutrients (such as Mannatech’s Ambrotose®), Cancer, & the Need for Supplements.

Introduction by Healing Cancer Naturally: Dr. David Bird MbChB, Dip Clinical Nutrition, FACNEM, an Australian MD, has taken the time and effort to prepare an extensive information sheet on how to make a complete home-made glyconutrient powder or jam as an ersatz, substitute for or alternative to the rather expensive MLM glyconutrient products marketed under various tradenames.

The information provided also includes a list of foods containing glyconutrients (which has been further expanded by Healing Cancer Naturally). Many thanks for this great service to Dr. Bird some of whose details can be found here.

Additional note: According to other sources, glyconutrients are only found in vine-ripened produce such as fruits and vegetables grown and harvested in one’s own garden or freshly purchased from farmers’ markets. In addition, overall nutrient content decreases with processing and storage. In other words, for maximum glyconutrient intake it is advisable to consume fully ripened fresh fruit and vegetables which are minimally processed.

The following is given due the paucity of information that seems to be currently available. It comes mainly from the Hyperhealth CD ROM, In-Tele-Health © 2003 and is for personal and educational purposes only. I highly recommend the purchase of the Hyperhealth CD ROM that is available as follows:
Australia: Hyperhealth, 20 Napier Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065
Email: healthy at netspace.net.au, Phone: (03) 9417-2567, Fax: (03) 9417-2567
USA: Hyperhealth, P.O. Box 37, Hansville, WA 98340
Email: info at hyperhealth.com, Phone: (360) 638-2898, Fax: (360) 638-2898

Dietary Sources of Mannose

Fruit: Blackcurrants, Currants — Red, Gooseberries, Cranberries (D-mannose)

Herbs: Aloe Vera

Legumes: Soybeans^[1]

Vegetables: Beans — Green, Capsicum, Cabbage, Eggplant (Aubergine), Tomatoes, Turnip

Dietary Sources of Xylose

Fruit: Guava, Pears, Blackberries, Loganberries, Raspberries

Herbs: Aloe Vera, Echinacea, Boswellia

Seeds: Psyllium Seeds

Vegetables: Broccoli, Spinach, Eggplant (Aubergine), Peas, Beans — Green, Okra, Cabbage, Corn

Dietary Sources of Glucose

(mg of Glucose per 100 grams)

Bee Foods: Honey 33,900

Fruits: Grapes 7,300, Banana 7,000, Mangoes/Cherries 6,600, Strawberries 2,000

Herbs: Cocoa, Aloe Vera, Licorice, Sarsaparilla, Hawthorn, Garlic, Echinacea

Dietary Sources of Galactose

(mg of Substance per 100 grams)

Fruit: Apples 800, Apricot 600, Banana 200, Blackberries 1,000, Cherries 400, Cranberries 1,200, Currants 800, Dates 800, Grapes 300, Kiwi Fruit 700, Mango 1,700, Orange 1,600, Nectarine 1,100, Peach 1,300, Pear 600, Pineapple 700, Plums 2,600, Prunes 1,600, Raspberries 900, Rhubarb 1,500, Strawberries 500, Passionfruit 300

Herbs: Echinacea, Boswellia

Nuts: Chestnuts 2,700

Vegetables: Broccoli 2,700, Brussels Sprouts 4,100, Avocado, Cabbage 4,400, Carrot 3,400, Cauliflower 3,200, Celery 2,700, Cucumber 1,600, Potato 1,800, Eggplant (Aubergine) 3,500, Tomatoes 1,600, Leeks 6,600, Asparagus 2,800, Lettuce 2,000, Beans – Green 4,100, Mushrooms 1,100, Beetroot 1,100, Onions 4,500, Parsnip 2,200, Peas – Green 800, Pumpkin 2,400, Spinach 1,400

Dietary Sources of Fucose:

Fucoidan containing plants including several species of seaweed such as Kelp and Wakame
Beer yeast^[2]

Dietary Sources of N-acetylneuraminic acid or sialic acid:

Whey protein isolate
Hens’ egg

Dietary Sources of N-acetylglucosamine:

Bovine cartilage, Shark cartilage, Shiitake Mushroom (as a constituent of chitin)

Dietary Sources of N-acetyl-galactosamine:

Bovine cartilage
Shark cartilage
A red algae called Dumontiaceae (as a constituent of dextran sulphate)

Dietary Sources of Arabinogalactan

Fruits: Coconut

Vegetables: Tomatoes, Carrots, Corn

Herbs: Echinacea

“Aloe Vera — The Medicine Plant”: Addendum by © Healing Cancer Naturally

According to the booklet “The Miracle Sugars”, many plants reputed to be "healing plants" around the world boast a high glyconutrient^[3] content. Aloe vera is one of them.

"Glyconutrients also are found in astragalus, saps, gums, garlic, certain mushrooms, yeasts, husks, breast milk, coconut meat, echinacea, maize, pectins from fruits, some algae, and certain herbs. Aloe vera ... contains mannose, galactose and arabinose. The leaves of this plant are extremely rich in polysaccharides (long-chain sugars) that give aloe its healing and anti-infection properties when used both externally and internally. Its mannose content is what makes aloe a superior immune booster.”

To my knowledge, Aloe Vera is the main source of glyconutrients used in the production of well-known MLM-marketed glyconutrient products. So health-conscious persons may wish to complement their diet by buying an aloe vera plant and very occasionally harvest one of its leaves, particularly if they have no easy access to organic and/or fresh food, since aloe will provide an additional source of fresh and natural glyconutrients.

Here is the description that came with an aloe vera plant I bought at one time:

“Aloe Vera (barbadensis) is a succulent of the lily family which grows in the dry regions of Africa, Asia, Europe and America. It is one of the most amazing of all the 1.5 million species known to botanical science — a plant whose medical and cosmetic qualities have been celebrated for centuries.

Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek and Chinese scholars wrote of its healing and beautifying powers. Cleopatra was believed to be an enthusiastic user of gel extracted from the plant, and this was the reason for her irresistible charm and beauty. Dioscorides, the famous first-century Greek herbalist, described in detail how the plant could be used for skin care and to treat blisters and burns, wounds, sunburn, piles, pains, stomach complaints and so on.

Millions of people all over the world have since made an Aloe Vera plant part of the household first-aid kit. Used on burns, wounds, insect bites, sunburn and the like, Aloe Vera eases pain and aids recovery.

Modern scientists studying the plant's properties have been able to confirm that Aloe Vera juice contains a biological stimulant which speeds healing of the skin and reduces scarring.

Aloe Vera has been used a long time as an ingredient in a wide variety of cosmetic products, including face creams, shampoos, deodorants and so forth. However, many people believe that transparent gel freshly squeezed from Aloe leaves is more effective than the refined extract. Aloe Vera has all sorts of uses, many of which have been described in the various publications dealing with the plant listed in the “Aloe Vera Handbook”.

How to use
Remove a leaf (preferably a mature one) with a sharp knife, then squeeze the transparent, somewhat slimy gel from the leaf and apply generously [I eat it]. Any unused parts of the leaf can be kept for about two weeks if wrapped in film and placed in a refrigerator [make sure to wrap it in a toxin-free film].

Plant care
Your Aloe Vera plant should be kept in a light, sunny spot at room temperature. Free-draining potting compost is also important. Take care not to overwater, especially in winter. Fertilizer should be given in the spring and summer.

Warning: do not expose the plant to frost or in summer to strong sunlight out of doors.”

Important: Aloe arborescens may be even more powerfully therapeutic than aloe vera, see Aloe arborescens, honey & rum cancer therapy & prevention formula.

... and for the best, easiest, and least expensive ways I know to heal cancer

after studying the subject for some twenty years, click here.

Footnotes

1 But see caveats in On Soy & Soy Risks.

2 Compare Dr. Johanna Budwig’s recommendation of nutritional yeast flakes as the only supplement.

3 Background on glyconutrients at On Natural & Commercial Glyconutrients (such as Mannatech’s Ambrotose®), Cancer, & the Need for Supplements.

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Supplements & Herbs