Sucrose (or table sugar) is the sweet with which we are most familiar, but it happens to be the worst for our health. Sucrose is becoming overly used in America, as the average American's annual consumption has skyrocketed from five pounds in 1900 to 163 today. This refined white sugar offers only empty calories and does nothing for our health; however, there are other sugars that play a very important, beneficial role in our health.

The Healthy Sweets

Glucose is readily available in our diets (converted from white sugar, fructose, and starchy foods) and in most cases is oversupplied in the form of sugar cane, rice, corn, potatoes, wheat, etc.

Galactose is readily available in our diets. It is obtained from the conversion of lactose (milk sugar) and is also easily obtained from dairy products UNLESS you suffer from lactose intolerance.

Mannose is not readily available in our diets. It plays a profound role in cellular interactions and has even been known to lower blood sugar levels. It is absolutely vital for proper immune defenses against microbial invaders, and it has a natural anti-inflammatory effect.

Xylose is not readily available in our diets. It is often seen in sugarless gums, candies, etc. in that it has a sweet taste but does not cause tooth decay. It has recently been added to nasal sprays and appears to discourage the binding of allergens and pathogens to mucous membranes. It also has known anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and may help prevent certain cancers.

Fucose is not readily available in our diets but is readily found in breast milk and several medicinal mushrooms. It has numerous well-documented benefits for the immune system.

N-Acetyl-Glucosamine is not readily available in our diets. It is particularly beneficial for cartilage regeneration and joint inflammation. Glucosamine, a well-known natural medicine for arthritic conditions, comes from this sugar compound. It has many additional therapeutic effects, and deficiencies or malfunctions of this sugar have been linked to diseases of the bowel.

N-Acetyl-Galactosamine is not readily available in our diets. It is the least known of the essential sugars although it appears to inhibit the growth of some tumors, and, like the other sugars, plays an individual role in keeping cell communications clear and promptly delivered.

N-Acetyl-Neuraminic Acid is not readily available in our diets but is another sugar that abounds in breast milk and dramatically impacts brain function and growth. It, too, boosts immune function and has documented anti-viral actions. Interestingly, in certain disease states, the ability to digest this sugar is impaired.

For years, doctors believed that when you ate sugars, they were immediately converted to energy. In fact some doctors went as far as saying that eating any dietary supplements (such as vitamins purchased at the grocery store) did nothing more for you than make “expensive excrement”. As a result, {styleboxop}a study was conducted to understand what happened when a person added glyconutrients to their diet to determine whether or not they were converted to energy or absorbed into the body. The study showed that the body did NOT convert glyconutrients to energy as previously thought. {/styleboxop}The bottom line is that you can eat glyconutrients and gain significant health benefits.


Only two of the eight essential monosaccharides are found in today’s diet. Our diets have changed in response to the demands for quicker, cheaper food. Consequently, we are not eating foods that contain the necessary fuels for our cells to communicate in a healthy, effective manner. While our body has the capacity to manufacture these simple sugars, the conversion process is complicated. During the conversion process your cells are exposed to tens of thousands of free radical hits each day. This requires time, energy and a host of other micronutrients in order to complete the conversion. Viruses can also interfere with our body’s ability to make these conversions. People who are ill or who have inborn errors of metabolism are especially vulnerable to a breakdown in the process. Whenever the monosaccharides cannot be made, communication is slowed down or impaired as a result.