This is a more comprehensive report on the sugar that holds life together. This is a short significant lesson in glycomics and is a key to LIFE.

Healthful sugars hit the NEWS this past week as it was reported that certain sugars hold cells together and can link to treatment for autoimmune diseases. The University of New Hampshire Glycomics Center reported that their scientists identified a specific carbohydrate structure that confers anti-inflammatory activity to a glycoprotein antibody. That sugar is N-acetylneuraminic acid that I mention in my book, Expand Your Mind - Improve Your Brain.

The German scientist Ernst Klenk in 1942 coined the word ganglioside for lipids newly isolated from ganglion cells of the brain. These oligoglycosylceramides contain N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) residues and join, by way of glycosidic linkages, to the monosaccharides.

I discuss the importance of pH in my book and it is very interesting that the polar head groups of the lipids that Ernst Klenk worked with carry a net-negative charge at pH 7.0. This is why they are able to link. A lower pH would be too acid and push them apart. (over simplified)

In June 1996 I was fascinated with natural plant chemicals. This was prior to my knowing anything about glycoproteins. In a publication called phytochemical NEWS, I wrote an article entitled Super Glue Hormones Bond Living Cells Together. Stabilizing Metabolic Chaos with Eicosanoids. Eicosanoid is a lipid mediator of inflammation. The aging process is directly associated to improving hormonal balance with the key factors being the ability to regulate insulin and the eicosanoid hormones.

I will quote here a snippet from that article:

(quote)

Optimal health of body and mind is achieved only when metabolic equilibrium allows peak efficiency. Hormones shifting out of balance compromise the healthy metabolic state and cells come unglued. This is called aging or disease.

Specific phytochemicals can play a major role in the balancing act of hormones and the stabilization if living cells. These hormones are the metabolic regulators to every cell in the body. So, WHAT CONTROL THE HORMONES?

Scientist have discovered “trigger point functions” more powerful than the endocrine hormones. THESE SUPER-HORMONES HOLD THE KEY TO LIFE. Instructing other hormones, they play the major role of giving orders to every cell of the body.

(unquote)

I may make that whole article available if people request it. - J. C. Spencer