More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Healing and Cellular Communication
Everyone knows that our bodies need good nutrition to survive and thrive. Up until recently that meant feeding our cells with enough of the known essential nutrients vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Recent scientific discoveries have revealed a new class of nutrients necessary for life glyconutrients. Glyconutrients are specific sugars found in nature that serve vital functional and structural roles in the human body. The more science learns about these sugars, the more we understand just how important they are to our health.
Science has revealed in the last 10 years that eight specific carbohydrate molecules called monosaccharides (single-cell sugars) make up what could be the “alphabet code” that our cells use to communicate with each other. This discovery is revolutionizing the science world and its understanding of how the body heals itself. However, just like our written alphabet, this cellular “alphabet” needs all of its “letters” to get its message across.
Like other essential nutrients, we are meant to get all the glyconutrients we need from our diet. Unfortunately, due to current farming and processing practices, at least six of the eight necessary glyconutrients are not available in our diets today.
A look at how your immune system works shows why glyconutrients are so important. Your immune system is an amazing protection system that defends you against millions of harmful bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites.
The major components of the immune system are the thymus gland, which proudcues T-cells, part of what makes up white blood cells; the spleen, which filters blood looking for foreign cells; the lymph system, which bathes blood plasma and filters our bacteria; bone marrow, which produces red and white blood cells; antibodies that bind to toxins to stop their movement throughout the body; and hormones, which can encourage white blood cell production among other functions.
Each of these systems or cell groups must remain strong and ready to lend the “helping hand” needed to kill enemy or mutant cells, stop infection and heal wounds. However, this helpful hand is only as good as the communication system that calls cells into action. Without proper cellular communication immune system cells may not know about foreign bodies invading your body that cause illness and disease. This miscommunication can lead to an overactive immune systemresulting in conditions such as allergies, asthma, hives and eczema
or an underactive immune system, which is found in viral and bacterial infections, cancers, chronic fatigue, colds, flus and many other disorders.
Glyconutrients are essential to proper cellular communication and the emerging field of glycobiology is on the cutting edge of determining how to ensure your cells get these vital sugars so they can function optimally.
