! No company is perfect; every company gets sued. In 2004, two Mannatech associates with medical credentials helped a child in LA. My understanding is that the Mannatech products worked so well that photos (before & after) had been taken and shared with other associates to give hope to friends they were trying to help. But later on, the child died and joyous anticipation turn to bitterness and then anger when it was learned that the photos were still circulating. Feeling badly about the whole thing, Mannatech paid out $750,000 although these independent associates were acting on their own.! Then, the next year, the law firm of Milberg Weiss paid investors to buy short Mannatech stock. The media was then flooded with lies about Mannatech which, when publicized, caused the value of Mannatechʼs stock to drop. The investors then made money and the law firm had an excuse to file a class action lawsuit on September 9, 2005. The following March, Mannatech paid out $11,250,000.  It was all a scam, 'a law-suit factory' according to FORTUNE Nov. 20, 2006.  The firm was indicted for paying three plaintiffs $11.4 million in illegal kickbacks in about 180 other cases spanning 25 years.  Both Bill Lerach and Mel Weiss pleaded guilty, got approximately 2 years in Federal Prison, 2 years of probation, and huge fines.  More details can be found in Circle of Greed: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Lawyer Who Brought Corporate America to its Knees published in 2010 and written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Patrick Dillon and Carl M. Cannon.  Mannatech was completely innocent and never really understood what hit them.! Our real challenge though is with ‘Big Pharma.’ If you were on the Board of Directors for a pharmaceutical company, would you want your company to offer to the public a cure or a treatment? Remember that you have a legal obligation to recommend whatever will maximize profits. A treatment keeps your customers buying your products for the rest of their lives; you would personally make lots more money. It is therefore a real threat when a competitor shows up offering a new category of vital nutrients for those interested in wellness and sick & tired of being sick & tired. Today, it still comes down to “Who Owns Glycobiology”, the lead article in Science, Nov.’07.! ABC’s 20/20 reported on a girl who declined ‘standard of care’ for a brain tumor. The World Health Organization lists our health care as #72 in the world since it is hard to get healthier by poisoning our bodies with chemotherapy, burning them with radiation, and cutting them up with surgery. She was looking for the synergism in an integrative approach which would combine complimentary modalities with the best which conventional medicine had to offer, some of which can be found by googling: glycoconjugates (and any health challenge). So she added glyconutrients. 20/20’s followup implied that she did not improve. Her uncle told me personally that it worked so well that when he watched 20/20’s report he got angry enough to enrolled as an associate! ! Big Pharma continued the attack. One morning, an editorial in a Dallas newspaper reported horrible things about Mannatech and lies about our products. It claimed the Texas Attorney General should have investigated us by now since we were publicly traded and had been around about fourteen years. The AG was running for re-election so nobody was surprised when he came knocking on our door. He couldn’t close us down because we were abiding by DSHEA, the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act. So he said that Federal Law held no water in Texas since back in 1787 when the states delegated rights in the Constitution to set up a Federal Government, they has also reserved certain rights for themselves; in Texas, they had reserved the right to deal with issues of health and wellness. Therefore, Mannatech, with no chance of winning in a state court, settled with no finding of liability, no penalties, no fines. The state made us pay their investigative expenses; they got about $6 million. The FDA also prohibits healing or disease claims; our products simply enhance wellness. Since we were still able to sell them, the “Glyconutrient Sham” was written. It circulated throughout the pharmaceutical world. Fortunately a friendly spy got us a copy; here it is.! Note that after two pages of saying horrible things about us and proving that our products don’t work, at the beginning of page three they bemoan the fact that we have a patent. Well, if the products are so bad, what’s it matter that we have a patent?! The negatives continue until the last

paragraph on page five where their real motives become apparent. I’m amazed that they actually put this in writing! Their scientific claims have all been refuted (Publications at MannatechScience.org) and we are continuing to change the lives of ever more friends and orphans! So, welcome to the battle for health freedom. You’ll be glad you’ve joined us!

How can I help prospects understand the negativity they find on the Internet?After you determine your prospect has encountered negative news about your company in particular or NetworkMarketing in general, encourage them to get both sides of the story before forming an opinion. Alert them to the preponderance of negativity on the Net by sharing the information in this brochure. Encourage prospects to educate themselves by sending them to positive sites, such as glycoscience.org… dsa.org… crnusa.org… and lpi.oregonstate.edu. Network Marketing is a well-respected, time-honored way of doing business. In fact, the Networking business model is being taught in some of the nation’s most-respected universities. Have your prospects google college professors who teach Network Marketing, including Dr. Charles W. King of the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Harvard Business School graduate, and author of The New Professionals:The Rise of Network Marketing as the Next Major Profession; and Dr. Bill Quain, awarded “outstanding professor” at four different business colleges and author of Pro-sumer Power!What’s a “blog” and why are they nearly all negative?The word “blog” is shorthand for “web log,” an online diary that enables people to write freely about any issue they choose. Research shows that 23% of all blogging comments are negative. Why? Because the Web is crowded, and the best way for an unknown blogger to get people to “look at me” is to attack a famous person or successful company. The unwritten slogan for TV newscasts is, “If it bleeds, it leads.” The slogan for the Internet is, “If it’s mean, it’s seen.”Why do attack bloggers get placed consistently near the top of page rankings?Google is the search engine of choice for Internet users, capturing 70% of the search queries on the Web. Google playsinto the hands of attack bloggers because their search software is heavily skewed toward “relevancy,” which Google defines as frequency of clicks, frequency of key words, and links to other sites. Attack bloggers quickly figured out how to move up the page rankings by repeating key words and phrases in their text and by linking back and forth to other negative sites.Thus, a handful of angry bloggers with an ax to grind and too much time on their hands can optimize their page rankings by manipulating the Internet’s biggest search engine.Why is Network Marketing singled out for special abuse?Like insurance agents and Realtors, Network Marketers are independent contractors who get paid commissions for distributing products and services in the marketplace. In all three industries, the big money is made by recruiting others to join yournetwork of distributors, thereby enabling you to earn bonuses, commissions, and overrides on others’ time and efforts. Thebigger your network of active associates, the bigger your paychecks. Heads of insurance agencies and owners of real estate brokerages are respected members of the business community. Everyone knows a Realtor or insurance agent. Yet both industries have sky-high drop out rates. • 50% of new Realtors don’t renew their licenses after the first year. • 85% of licensed insurance agents quit within 18 months. Yet no one says insurance and real estate are scams. No one says you have to get in early to make money. No one says they’re illegal pyramids. Why? Because they’re accepted ways of doing business. Insurance and real estate are conventional businesses. Network Marketing, on the other hand, is an unconventional business. So people misjudge it and hold it to a different standard.What’s the difference between a blogger and a journalist?A blogger can be anybody from anywhere saying anything for any reason. Unlike trained journalists who must adhere to 370 international codes of conduct (such as stating facts and opinions separately) and who can be fired for unethical conduct, bloggers adhere only to their wants and wishes. Hiding behind their Fifth Amendment right to free speech, bloggers are freeto spread rumors, distortions, misinformation, half-truths, and out-and-out lies with impunity.What’s the difference between a legal business and a pyramid scheme?Every business and organization is shaped like a multi-level pyramid, including Fortune 500 companies, our government, schools, and churches. In illegal pyramids, people at the bottom put money in but don’t get value in the form of products, services, or opportunity back in return. Ponzi schemes and chain letters are examples of illegal pyramids In 1979, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruled that Network Marketing was a viable method of distributing products and services to consumers, and, thus, a legal, legitimate business model. Today, millions of independent contractors working with hundreds of direct selling companies in 60 countries worldwide are distributing $100 billion of products and services each year.23% of all blogging comments are negative.Journalists adhere to 370 international codes of conduct. Bloggers adhere only to their wants and wishes.In 1979, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruled that Network Marketing was a viable method of distributing products and services to consumers,and, thus, a legal, legitimate business model.The Networking business model is being taught in some of the nation’s most-respected universities.Attack bloggers quickly figured out how to optimize their page rankings by manipulating the Internet’s biggest search engine.• 50% of new Realtors don’t renew their licenses after the first year.• 85% of licensed insurance agents quit within 18 months.Yet no one says insurance and real estate are scams

The'lGlyconutrient $haur"

Ronsld L'ssbuearr" *nd lluds{n Il" S'rseud"t0ppaturctrt of phsr$acolq*y anil,lrdolxutnr $cicnccs, The JotnHopkias Sdrool of Medi*kr,'Brltimorc, l,-v{D-' ?1?05; anrllGlycobiology and Carbohydrarc Clwmisry Program, BunrhamInstitutc for Mcdical Rcscarctr" LaJollq CA 92037The discipline of glycobiolory contributes to ourundextanding of human health and dhess€ throughiesinrch pnbliiLcd in pocr-reviewed scientific journals.Rrcently, lsgitimrte discoverie$ in glycobiology hevebern p.igiiryglg{,*ud **mhinrd with, &*&tru&i tom*r*et plartt tltr*l*is,, term€il *gly,gnrtrirn*st. Th*glyconutrie*t indu*try'h*s a s,odabvld* sale$ force. ofover half a uillion peopt* snd reils ncarly h*lf e bitli*ndolhrs {U$D) of products annually, und*r u vr*eer ofscientilic lsgitimaey borrslved from glyrobiology. Thisletter to tbe GlycoFarum is lntendsd to cducgto theglycobiologr comnquity *'bnnt the glyconutrientirdustry *ud its pl@ryieqggg precticss that thr.e*trnto eg!&ggg fbe publie *n{ 8i'ldltlttn r*putation of thelegitinde glycobiologr,reserrch coim mu,nity.Xey words: aloe glucomannan, Ambrotose, larcharabinogalactan, Mannatech, nutraceuticalWhat are glyconutritnB?'Ihis journal servos lhs glycobiolo,gy comxrunity byreparti:rg sfudies ",.,sbout the biological signifieanee ofglycans.,." in the broadEst ssil$€. Ow eontributors andreaders include an intcrnational feltowship of glycoiriclogrinvestigators from academia and industy who devote tbsircareers no p-robe glycan s$ucture, metabolism and fiurcriionby developing and applyxrg rigorous scientific tools andstandards. Whethsr the,goal isto unde$tand the che,*ristr;zsf sarbohydptss, umravel the goqpltrylty of theirmetabolism, prsbe rtheii biological functions, or dElve intotbe{r conimercial and bicmcdical potntial, our communitydepends on rigorcus scientific standards coupled withhonesfy and accuracy in the reporting of rcsults, The fiet{J ofglycobiol.ogy has contributed insight into frrndamentalbiological prsc€ssss thal have icd to nsvel technologies aodtherapies that benefit rnankiad. With cnhancements insynthetie, amlytical, biochirnical, and gonetic tools, ttre fieldis.poised to accelente,its rats of discovory.

l$or everyone that claims to be cngaged in this fialdhonon fundamental scientifio principles. In the wcrel case, asmall group of entrepreneus haye taken on the mantle ofglycobiolorgil in an effort to validate the sale of their glycan"dietary sunplement" ,products. USlf futbs_ and unlruthshave been used ta -rgisjgd-psople desperiE for lnreli6ibrealchroaghs

'Tho siatrmcns,la rhis.srticlesrg solc$ rhq,opiniom of $g dr{hor$ hargdon tlxir bcrt evrluation of,publicly lt!*ihhle infomrtion.

has bcsn &E5LKd by rigorous scientific studies, Ths nosrb$em"arte {ruqi3lly succsssful of tha$e vsrturss irMqpqste*h (N,-{ pAQ: M?EX),.an intsmstional swpanyba od in Coppell, Toxas, U$A. The company claims to ssU"elght sug$s" that enhsncs health, At tbir web,rite, thcystats:

"scientific rcsearch shows lhat cight glyaonutrient$ugaf,s ar* needed at the collular level for optimurnwcllnex. They are: fucos€, galact*se, glttcose,mannosq, N-acefylgalaotosemina N-asctylslacos.tmile, !,{"arstylnc*amhic acldo f*dl xylose. Yournay not bc necelvingl thEep be$pfi$ial ,,$trgsrs,in theright qsioUirts fro:n ile fosd you ,eat, Tbat's u,hercMannatech offers hope. Mannatcch leads thc indusuryin glyconubient teehnolory aroud ths world andstrives to off,er better solutions for global heelth.*(h*p//www.lnannetech.com)As glycobiologists we recogniao &ore particular .leight

sugars" a$ a partial liet of th* raceharide eonnpot€nts ofverribrate glycans. I{owever, ex€Bpf for .ere patlents withcertain rypee of Ccngenit*l Di*oydEru of ,Glycosylation(CDG) (Niehues et al, 1998), :ths :norion that pooplii oanbenefit from ingesring any of tliese rugars (lrt alona in ttre'?ight arrounis') is C!$ppgdqg, Furthermore, therelationship bcfwern Mannritech's flagship pr*duct,Ambrotosa Compl,er; md the sugms thar make up the hurranglycome is.Jg[Ugl1q*Ft bcst, Aq#rotsse'Complox,consisa ofe mixtwe of partially purifird poly-dirperse plantpolysaccbarides (see below). Clsims of health bsnefits ofingesting Ambrctose Courplex. o,r its sompone.rts rornainutrproyen or hsve been 4ilEq.vg{, depending st theindisntion, Desprte these facts, tha glyecuuei*nt industry,and esposially Ma,nnatsch, conJinups to lg$*trigg thedissoys.ries of glycobiologr to inrer ttar@G,tbeiiproducts is rcquired &r *qptirnal health," or wor$s yet, Qurosdissase. The public, with limit€d howledge to judgc thesrclaims, is purchasing "glyconutients'n at a rale ofover $400million US dollars per vear.

Recently, the Atiomey Gcneral of the state sf Texas9royeit suit against ]vlannatech for making &he_egg_{lg€,?lhealth claims about "glyconutri6nts." fo tire ixEnt tHt;e,as glycobiologists, ar€ tied, ih,reality or percoption,:to,trssefalse clai6u, rle risk:boing tainted by the impresslo,n thar tbcfield is of que-stiqqable !F!L Unfortunately, Mannatech hasaleady UrfiLtralSd the glycobiology community by supportof a few lagrtirrate glycobiology conferenc€s ana *loughtheir into.rastions with several establhhed academicglycobiologists. ln addition, Mannflrech literotr.re links theirspccious claims to tho rpsesrch of prominent glycobiologistsd*spitu the lack cf any scientiflerbarir,spr such canreetions.

ThiE edilorial is intendad.tCI igfo111, *ro gly-cobiologycommurrity about Maonatec-h ,and,lt* c#o:ts to misuse ilescienee of glycobiology to sell nutaceuticais. By educatingourselves abour thir threat and vigorously disunoin!

ou$elves from whet the Texas attorney general calls the"Glyco-lutrient S_b14t.] wf san hope to avoid having ourfield taintcd-$r hose who aim to sburs!:i! for uqgggpglousprofft 1ili6Ti gi lance, w€ san tnrn-ffi potenuar *rstilnroan opportunity to inform the public about the real scienco ofglycobiology and conkast our hard won discoveries with the"Glycooutrient Sham".Mannatech history and business modelSamuel Caster, chief executive of Mannatech, establishedtho conpsny after two prior entrepreneurial efforts werethwa*ed by the Texas atlorney genoral @rammer i1005).One company, Eagilc Shield, claimed to use new lilASAtechnoiogy to improve home insulation. Eagle Shield agreodto halt its claims, al the insistencs of the attorney g+neml,because the technology was not ncw, not a NASAdevelopment, and did not provide enhanced insulation asclaimed. ln the early 1990's, the Texas attomcy generalagain brought action against Caster, this tims fsr hlsemarkcting ofa dcyice called "EleefoCat" that tho connpanyclaimed emitted vibrations that repelled inssct$ and ndentsfrom farms and homes. The attomey ga:eral's action againstElectroCat claimed that the devicb neither emitted vibrarionsnor repelled pests. In 1991 Caster agreed to a judgmontadrnining that the device did not work.

Soon aftenrard, in 1994, Caster foundpd Mannatcch. Thiswas the same year that the US Congress passed the ,'DietarySupplement Hsalth and Education Acf' (Public Law 103.417). The law, in part, rt..;protects thc right of access ofconsum€rs to safe dietary supplemcnts .., necessary in orderto promote wellness," dictating that dietary supplenents(viiamins, minerals, he,rbs, extracts) are free &omgoverrunent regulation unless they are unsafe. This providedthc opporuniry for the growth of the '.nutaceutical'oindustry that provides *dietary supplcments,'" ranging frompure vitamins to crude plant oxtracts, foi *wellness." ,proofofa benefit to health is not required as long as a prodruct issafe, is labeled as a dietary supplemen! and is not marketedbased upon therapeutic claims.

The Mannatech business model is multilevel marketing,in which "associates" (over hatf a million in l0 countriei)are recruited to scll Mannatech prqdncts and to rccruit new"associates." Assoqiates earn mo-ngy by selling Marunatechproducts and rcceive,sign np and,salgs commissjons ftonrassociat€s they recruit. Associates are independent salsspeople, atd not considered employees of Marmatech. Sincesaies contacts are oftsn onc-to-one between associates andprospective buyers, or via associate internet sites that an3 notmanaged by Mamatech, the company can maintain apparentcompliance with laws forbidding the sale of their prod-uets astherapeuties while "associat€t'' make u4supported&erapeutic slaims. Whsn confronted, Mfinnatech ex€cutive$state thal they instruct asssciates not to use therapuuticclaims to sell products. Nsv$theloss, evidence thatassociates tout Mannat€ch products to cure cancer, treatcbronic diseases, and even rev€r$e grnetic disorders (suc{r asDown syndromo) is rampant. As of August , 2001 , a Googlesearch of *Mannarach oancer" retrieved >75,000 hitS,"Mannatesh diabetes'>35,000 hits, and ,.Mannatech Down

syndrome" >18$00 hits. Thesc therapeuric claims havsraised questions, somo oJ'which have beEn brought to theattention of the,glycobiology comrnunity. Desperate patientsor thoir loved snes (ag well as skeptical or curiousphysicians) have contasted the au$rors over the years foradvice on whother they should spend ttrousands sf dollars topurchase glyconurients to cure debilitating or fatal diseascs.There is erurently no legitimate scientific or clinicalevidence to support the use of Mannatech's flagship product,Anrbrotose Complex, for any clinical indicarion.Glyconutrient product$Mannatsch sells dozens of products, from children'svitamins to skin cnsam$. Many contain vitamins andminorals cornmon to othsr multivitamins sold in storesaround the world and esrablished as valid dierarysupplements. Howover, therir flagship product, which is soldas a stand-alone product or as a component adding.,valtre,'to their other produots, is '*Arnbrolose Complcx," Thecompany claims Ambrorosc Complex is the"finrt rcomplete'glyconuritibnal supplomont " and according to their websiio, millions of unie ofArnbrotose Complex have been soldworldwide.

Ambrotose Complex is reported'by the company to be amixn.re of "arabinogalactan (Larix decidua) (gum), aloevera (inner leaf gel powder), gum ghatti and gumtragacanth," all of which are parrially purified polydisperseplant polysaccharides. Whereas the fust two have beenexplored as tberapeutics, the latter two are conunonemulsifiers, and are not usually claimed to have healthbenefits.

Larch bark (Larix) arabinogalactans consisr of g-D-(l-3)-galactopyranan rnain chains with Cal- and ambansse-containing side chains cxtending from the 6gositions of ihemain chain sugars (Pondel and Richards t997). Sbucturaldetsils of the ,arur deoidta arabinogalactan used inAmbrotose Complex wer{! not readily available to theauthors, but are assumed to be similar to those of olherpublished lorir arabinogalactans. ,Aloe vsra inner leaf golpolysaccharide consis* primarily of pl-4-gtucomannanswith -4-mannopyrannosyl-pl- and -4-glucopyrxurosl-pl-residues in a *15:l ratio fTai-Nin et al. 2005). Many of themamose hydroxlyl residues are acetylated (-0.g acetylgroups per marmose), and a fraotion of the mannose residuesars 2-r 3-, or 6-substituted with galactose and/or othersugars.

There appear to be severat -ethiq4!*lapSes in sellingAmbrotose Complex as the i'First ,complete' glyconutritionalsupplement." First, there is no evidence tlat humans (except..ryq rary CDG patientsl re.ciui'frScinc monosaccharidisin thpir diet in order m rnake all of tho,glyfims the badyneeds. However, sven if oruz were io ooncedi that ingestingcomponcnt morssaccharidos of human glyoans has apositive offect on health (which the authors do not), catingtree bark arabinogalaclan anrl aloe plant glucomannan wouldnot app€ar to be a wise choice. Of tbe ,.eight sugars" toutedas being "required" for optimal health by Mainatoch, thetwo_plant poly,laccharides offcr only rhrw in any quan$ty,Furthermorq evidencc that branched plant polysaccharides

are effectively digested to provide meaningfulconsBntrations of individual saccharides in the hurnandigestivo t.att is nonexistent: While one can not nrle outpositive eff€cts of adding "fibe/' to one's diet zuggostingthat larch bark arabinogalactan and aloe vera g€lglucomannan are a good source ofdietary monosacoharidesrequirod for optimal healtli is certainli qg_gppgtg! by anydata. Yct the comp.any inpligs - and many Mannatschassociarcs stat€ outight * th* these plant polysacoharidesare not only required ,Sr:opt'rrnal heattii but cure,disease.

Unfortunately, Mannarech has .received U.S. patentprotection for saccharides as dietary supplemen*.Exemplary are fwo US patents, 6,929,8A7 and 7,196,064(issued 2005 and 2007 respectively, available for dov*nioadat http://www;google.com/patents). Each patent includes animpressive list of well over a hundred soientific refsrencesincluding published papers by many distinguishedglycobiologists, inoluding:many on the Editorial Board ofthis journal. Each.parent also insludes a long list ofdisordersand diseases "...treated by administration ofglyconutrients..." (alone or in combination with othernutraceuticals), The list of "trcated" diseases (each withpositive "treatnent results") can only be characterizsd asbreathtaking: aging, stroks, multipb sclerosis, ALS,muscular dysuophy, ce,robral palsyr. macular degeneratinn,Down syndrome, immune dcficiency, Tay-tiachs,Huntington's, Alzheimer's. Parkinson's, spinal cord injury,Crohn's, Towette's, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, alcoholism,atherosclerosis, asthma, aliergy, silicon breast implant, agentomnge, Gulf War syndrome, hepalitis, influenza, commoncold, AIDS, cancer, and poor athletic pcrformanee (amongothers). Although the c.laims allowed by tire U.S. patentofflce do not address the efficacy of glyconukionts for anyof these therapeutic applications, Mannatech associates havetouted "the patent" to convince potential buyers ofglyconutient effrcacy.

The awarded patent claims are as intriguing as the impliedtherapeutic claims. In legai terms, the "claims" of the palentare a concise list of the protections offered by the U.$, patentand trademark ofEce, as opposed to background andspeculation, whish are allowed in the patent text but may notbe specificaily protested. U.S. patent 6,929,807 claims "Adietary supplement composition, comprising; nutritionallyeffective anounts ofisolated and purified galactose, glucose,mannoss, N-acegineuraminic acid, fucose, N-acetflgalac0osamine, N-acetylglucoramine and xylose." Thekey wor& here' am "isolated and purtfied." To xhsknowledge of the authors, Maqnatech doos.not prepare orsell any "isolatsd and purified" monosascharide on this list;Certainly thsir flagship product, a mixture of polydisperseplant poiysaccharides, cannot be construed as "isolated andpurified" monosaocharides. Furthermore, how would apatent examiner hope to characteriz€ such purifiedmonosaccharides as t'nukitionally effective,' in the absenceof any relevant data?

U.S. patent 7,196,064 clairns ',A dietaly supplenuntcomposition comprising a nutritionally effective amourt ofisolated and purified acetylated rmannose; and further

comprising nutritionally effective a$ount of at leasr fivesaccharides esspntial for humans, comprising gum ghatti;glucosamine; arabinogalac*an; tragacautb gurn; and,a sourceof glucose." What paterrt examiner detemrined thal theconunon emulsifiers gpnr ghatti and uagas4qth gun are"essettial for humans"? Prrhaps the only ,isaccharidces$ential for humans" in the "fivo srschsrides" listed in theclaim is "a source of glucose,"" which is already part of ourdiets withsut further supllementation. Unfortunatoly, thcseU,S. patents provide an inrplied govemment imprimatw fortherapeutic claims that are usad by Mannatech associates toconvince sales prospects u'ho may not have the tools nesdedto judge the validity of those claims, tn that light, it is worthconsidering the extent to vrhich Ambrotose Complex and its"active" components, larch bark arabinogalactan and aloevera glucomannan have been testcd for health effects inhumans.Glyconutient human tri:rlsA problem with the "l)ieury Supplemcnt Health andEducation Acf is that it relieves nubaqeutical companiesfrom any responsibility to support ths health claims of theirproducts with blinded, placebo controlled human rials, thestandard for FDA-approved drugs. Human drug rials arevery expensive, and there is no motivatio-n for nufi"c€uticalcompsniep to irvsst in thsnr sinc€sucbtri:ale are notrequirodfor the companies to sell their produets amd havc thepotential to undermine any implied health claims. On theother hand, the oonsidaratrle financial resours€s needed tochallenge suspect nutraceurical claims are sparse, especiallyin times of limited biomeclical research budgets. Givcn thefinancial pressures against rigorous resting of nufaceuticalclaims, it is srill worth coruidering the available publisheddata that address potential health benefits of larch bukarabinogalactan and aloe vera glucomannan found inAmbrotose Complex.

A wealth of data corner;ts glycans to human health anddisease, and many valid publications support the conclusionthat glycans are key to human physiologry. The relevantquestion for consideration of glycon$rients is: What is therelationship berween the impressive bgdy of biornedicalglycobiology data in the lroer-reviewed literature and thevalue to human health of irrgcsting glycans * especially theplant polysaccharides larch, bark arabinogalaeun and aloevera glucomannan? As the acceptcd broad-based repositoryof pubiished biomedical dar:4 PubMed (National Library ofMedicine) is a valid database in which to ask this quesrion,

A search of PubMed for 1Ambrotsse" (unrestricted text)r.etrievss a single short editorial In Harvard Wom:ento HealthWatch that iJate$, in part, "llherels rto good pvjdcncs to backany of these [therapluric] c;laims" ip6lfr-l.riffiiffri zooll.Breaking the search down to the components of Ambrotose,a search of "(larch OR la:ix) AND (arabinogalactan ORgalactan)" rerurns 23 publir;ations listed il pubMsd in thepT] ?5 ,V9ars. I imiting consideration ro papers reponingcellular, bio-chcmioal, physicrlogical or therapeutic cffects onhumaus, aniraals, or their ce.lls, and eliminaiing reviovs andpapers lirniled to resting axabinogslsctan $olely as a drug

i

II

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carier, leaves 5 papsrs in the past 25 years that address thebiomedical potenfial of larch arabinogalactan.

ln vitro fea.fin€nt of human cells and intraperitonealinjection in animals suggested that larch arabinogdactan(LAG) .stimulued natural ki[er (NK) cells (llauor andAnderer 1993; Currier et al. 2003). However, a human trialindicated that arabinogalastan "... is a nondigestible solubledietary fiber that resists hydrolytic enzyme action and entersthe large bowel intact...". As dietary fiber, it was found tobe wcll toleraled by healtiry subjeets and rpsulted in whatwas considered positive effects sn the fecal flora (as doesother diegry fiba$, but did not change blood che-rnisnry(Robinson €t al.2001). TVo randomized double.blind rialsof ingestod larch arabinogalactan in hpalthy subjectsdemonstrated a lack of measurable effects, LACadministration for four weeks did not change immune r:ellcounts, and there were "...no statistically signifioant patternchanges in the hematological or other imnunological serurnchemistry." No significant changes in subjective quality-of-life wu found, ahhough 75Vs of those reqeiving LAGreported looser and more voluminous stools (Kfun et al.200?), ln a sQparais six.month sardy, healthy subjectsingesting LAG had do significant change in bloodchemisnies or gastrointestinal measures, except for asignificant increase in flatulence (Marett and Slavin 2004),Taken together, one can conclude that LAG is generallywell-tolerated dietary fiber, without measured health beno{isin normal subjects,

Aloe gel has long been reported.to have medicinal valuein teathg burns and other skinlcsionp (Mrcnthaisong at al.2007), whereas oral administratlon of aloe gel glucomannanis not as thoroughly studipd. A PubMcd search of "'(aioeAND (glucomannan OR mannan)) OR acemannan ORCanasyn" returned 56 published papers in the past 25 yeius("acemannan" and "Carrasyn" are commercial names givento aloe glucomannan preparations). If one eiiminares reviewsaad papers that address polymer structure only or that reportthe use ofaloe extracts solely as wound or topical dreseings,30 papen remain. One of these papers reports a humanclisical trial - the failure of oral aloe glucomannan toenhance imrnune system function or decrease viral load inAIDS (Montaner €t 11. 1996). The othEr 29 papers repon arange of in vitro cellular and animal findings focusingprimarily on imrnunostimulation and secondarily ontreatrnent of viral infection or cancer using aloeglucomarnan (for example, see Pugh et al. 2001).Remarkably, 20 of thess ?9 papers were co-authored byfinancial sakeholdrn sf Mannatech or CarringtonI-aboratories (which supplies aloe glucomannan toMannatech), 0r wer$ funded by Carringon. Altirough thesedata may warrant firrther investigaticn, from revlew of thebiomedical likrarure reprssented in the PubMed database,there are 4o clgdjblE_d?lg supporting any claims of health ortherapeutic benefits from oral administration of aloeglucomannan in hurnans.G lycobiology end sGlycoscience""Glycoscience" is a valid term to dpspribc glycobiology, andhas bcen used for many years, ecpecially in Japan. Examples

include dre rovisw publication Trends in Glyeascienee andGlycotechnolagt (flGG), the "l\,lizutani loundation forGlyoosoience" that awardt grants in academic glycobiology,and the "A,l8T Rosearch tlenter for Medical Glycoscience"in Tsukubg Japan, However, the URL's"http://glycosci€nco.org" and'*htp:llglycoseiencc,comt'(which point to the same web site) bclong to Matrnatoch.The site is toutod as "The l{utrition Science Sitet',and hosts aportal to the publication SlycoSeience & Nurltian, whichincludes articlss that ar,r colrfibutcd and rwiewed bytr...scientists in Mannatech lnc.'g Research and ProductDsvelopmcnf Depafinent and scientists who arsindqpendent of Mannates-h,'! A ruvier,v of the materials at thiswcb sito and its assosiatcd publication rsveal that il ponrainsintroductory information about the field of glycobiologymixed with a generous rrmount of gubtle advertising forMannateeh products. One need only read the disclaimer "Ifyou are a Mannatech Assooiate ... use of tho information onthese pages [is] subject ts the laws and regulations in yourcounry..." to know th*t the materials are intended for salesuss ald ars not balanced. The section o; Qlycascience &Nutrltiofi dovotad to "Glyconutitionats and Health" iscludesillustratcd narratiyes (ix up !o four languagcs) onglyconutitioral implications in : cancer, rhoumatoid arthritis,asthma, inflammalion, fibromyalgia and chronic fatiguesyndrorne, antimicrobial actiyity, recovery fl'om viralinfections, fa'lure-to-thrive syndrome, cy$tic fibrosis,myasthenia gravis, and corlgenital muscular dystrophies. Thelitiksd articles contain dercripfons of established frndingstrom the'disciplines of mr;dioine and glycobiology, mixedwith speculation about the potcntiat of glyconutriens topositivnly impact the disxden: Although glycobiologistscan evaluate the mixture o1'scientific and sales messages forthemselves, the sire is targoted to a non-expert audience andis meant to appear as balarrced scientific diseourse while infact its purpose is to advertise glyconutrients as therapeutics.As glycobiologists, there is a risk that our legirimateresearrh will be confirsrid with or cquated to thes*gPcrugfo15- sales sfbrts.

Further ob^Qpg.plfng the "science" of glyconutrients,.is the"Fisher Institute for Me'dical Research," a non.profitresearch organization that lists ,among its goals '*. .. to explorcthe extent, if any, to which ... glyconunitionals ,.. provideintegrative and complemenrary health and wellness support.,'The institute publishes the imprcssive sounding proceedingsa/ the Fisher Institute a;r iu{edical Reseqrch, ,However,according to the Texas attorney goncral, tbs Fisher lnstitute"...is little more than a shanr charity with the sole purpose ofproviding 'scisntific' supporr to tire i,Ueggl ,|ggf$.-claimsmade about L{4nnatech's products," Reginald & CaudaceMcDaniel, dir€cton of thr: Fisher lnstitute, have reapedmillions of dollars tom }vlannatpch while managing their"non-profit". Despite the apperent oonflict of interest,"findings" from the Fisher Proceeding,r have ficund theirway into >1,500 web nrferences, including legitimatcconsumer health sites and reference lists in pubMed,indexedjournals (e.g. see Sierpina arrd Murray 2006).

Glyconutrieug and tho glycobiology communityMany glycobiologists worldwide investigate the roles ofglycans in human health and disease and publish their workin journals with rigorous scientific Standards. At tho heart ofthis effo* are carefirlly dcsigned and balanced investigationswhose ostcomes are evaluatod dispassionatoly by expertreferees before the tindings are accepted for publication.Those who claim ts speak for the glyconucient industryoften disrniss or challenge the basic prineiplss of scientiflcinqurry, Their unssipntific disrnissal of the principles ofblinded clinical trials is at the hsart of "testimonial reports"that tout nuuaceuticals as therapeutics. At the end of thesestories, the listener/reader/viewer is esked to decide whethera diet including Ambrotose Complex is better or worse tbana diot without supplementation. Desperate patients and theirloved ones are let clingiag to faith in the testimonials andthe "scietrce" thoy read inMashatoch:related sales lit€:ahreand web sites. Faith alone leads many to Mannatech, and thecompany exploits their faith, desperation, and limitedknowledge oi thTrelatbd iciencC iri'sef-l ihEii- Fioaucts.

Given the lack of scientific rigor in the glyconu*ientindustry, and especially their propensity to rnisuseglycoscience as I salss tooJ, it is especially disturbing lthcnthe line berween glycobjology and glyconutrient sales ispurposefully muddled. Thh happens when those with avCst'Cci-ffieiEiiiri thc profi* cf the glyeonueienr industryspeak authoritatively on behalf of the discipline ofglycobiology. A case study worth special consideration isthat of Dr. Robert K. Murtay, a consultanr and grantee ofMannatech, He is also the lead author of "Harper'$Biochemistry," a medical biochemistry text (Murray er al.2006). In the chapter "Glycoproteins," whicb Dr. Murrayauthored, he writes "About 200 monosaccharides are fbundix aafure; howevcr, only eight are cemmonly found in theoligosaccharide chains ofglycoproteins." The cight, listecl ina table, are the same eight touted by Mannatach: glucose,galactose, mannose, GlcNAc, GalNAc, NeuAc, fucose andxylose. F{e goes on to write "... thsre is evidence that the[eight] sugus may be beneficial in some circurnstanceswhen added to the diet This has led to the development ofglyconu$ient supplements, eontajning oitber members of thesugars listed in Table 46-4 (excluding glucose) or precursorsof them." Not only does this insenion of glyconutrient salesinro a textbook skew the edusation of young doctors andbiomedieal sciii-tiCii,'-"bur it providis viidation forMannat€ch associates who share this ,'publislred basicbiochernical knowledge't wirh potential buyers.

A second example of the ifferjection of glyconutriontsales into glycobiology is the support of the JcnnerClycobiology Symposia by Mannatech. Although rhesymposia draw top glycobiologists and focus on advances inthe discipline, they have become.largely or fully funded byMannatech, Later, sales associates have freeiy pointed to thlpresence of inrcrnationally koown glycobiologists at theconference to:iilustrate glyconurient legifirnacy in the fieldofglycobiology. Mannatesh associates can purchase a salesbrochure, in which" undcr the beading .,Who studies aRdrecommends giyconutrients?" the ans\yer is ,,Noted

roseercher, John Axford." Dr, Axford is the glycobiologisr,immunologist and rheumarologist at St. George's HospialMedical School, londor mho convened &e ?ft JennerSymposium and edited its published proceed.ings (Axford2005). According to SEQ filfngq Axford is also a companydirector of Mannatech, Inr:., and has been grantsd eignificantamounts of Mannatech stock. The brolhuro goes on to toutthe 'Prcstigious 7s Jarner Glycobiotogy & McdicineSyrnposium' and the int:rnationul scientists who attendedand "presenM papen on the benefits of sugar molocules.,,The brochura then suggesls that you "Enhance your ImmuneSystem with Clyconufiir:nts^" According to Mannatoch's"glycoscience.orgf' web riite, the aompany was the majorsponsor of the 7* Jcnner Symposium. Conferccs and theRoyal Society of Medicinc may have been unawars tbat thciraffiliation with this conlbrsnc,e was used to supBort aadlegitimize the glyconutrieut industry.Whet should.be done?The authors feel that :'s glycobiologists we have tworesponsibilities, on€ to our discipline arrd thc other to salesprospects of the glyconutrient industry. Ow responsibility toour discipline is to maintlin a brighl line between what theTexas attomey general calls the ..Glyconutrient Sham" andtte real adyances that rro, as legitirnato glycoo-iologlsrs,contribute to biomedioal science and human healtb- Ii wefail to do so, we risk becoming linkcd to that sham,,and itsfallout in the Texas stat€ cout system and in other legalactions worldwide. A serirls of recent Marmatech e€gg$-inthe Wall Street Journal, Fort Worth Star-Telegriiii fr6aiiCNews 20/20 are incqasing the public's recognition of0gqe!!ty-!..pg1q!igps by the glycouutrient indusrry. Thisycreled sxposurs may well have negative consqquenccsfor the pursuit of lcgitirratc glycobiology. What ban bsdone?

We can defend glycobic;logy by being awaro of ths cffortsof glyconutricnt salespoolrlo to misuse our discipline. Wecan raise objections among our colleagues when inagcurateand misleadiJrg glyconurrient sales material cieepi intolegitimate glycobiology lir;erarure, where it can be usurpedby glyconutrient sales as$wiatss as .lproof, of their claims.We.can be vigilant for att+:mpts by the glyconutrient industrylo i$filf,sla l€gitinate glirrcobiolosr vcnuss for the samipurpose, and speak out inrmediately and forcefully when itoccurs. Finally" we can talce advantage ofqucstions raised bycolleagues, funding agencies, or the public as opportunitietto d.iscuss the exciting advancss in glycobiology and clearlydistinguish therr from the tqttg-Cleg! afrempts to sefi ba*extract and the like as rpgngl_e*gures.

- Legitimate glycobiologiss have a responsibiiity to servethe public by clearly speaking out againot ttro &!s9 c!{ms ofthe glyconutrient indusbry. As scientists it is oli mandate roimpress on the public the importanoe of rigor :in biomedicsldiscovery to distinguish flrct *orn fraud. Why should thepublic suppon co$tly biofisdiml research rvhen: the cure foevery disorder is alr$dy in a bottle of powder they canpurchase online? To the extent that we, as tegitimateglycobiologists, speak with a unified voice in support of hescientific method, our discipline wjll benefrt.

When rhe nutraceutiaal indusby, within the confrnes ofthe law, pelaros and sslls pldnt Bxhacrs as dienrysupplements, it is of no p.articular conoom to glycohiologists.Howevir, when the legitiruatc sai€uce of gjycobiology isusurped.tg- infel that particular,plant extracts havs hsahil ortherapeutic benefits, rrye should arrd must speak out. If wefail to do so now, distinguishing our discipline ftorn thegrowing threat of the '.Glyooautrient Sham", may becomeever more diflicult. Immediate and ongoing proactiveresponses now may $pars us the need for darnagc conlrollater.

In the opinion ofthe aurhors, glycobiologists should taksthe following specific actions:

r Whenever the subj€ct ofglyconufiients is raised by laypsrsons or thp media seeking ygur expert input oradvice, explaln that glyconuUient indusnry salespeoplohave made -E-h-e---c-laryq abour thc health benefits ofthoir products, and that those clairns have not beensubsrantiared by nor endorsed by the vast majority ofscientisrs in the legitimate glycobiology researchcommunity.

r Be vigilant and r€ject attempts by glyconutrientcompanies and thcir associates io goln legitimacy atnational or international glycobiology me€tings byrheir financial sponsorship or sqbnission ofunsubstantiated "seientific" abstract$. Review thecomplete list of financial supporters of glycobiologymeetings (which should be made public), and refuse toconhibute to such proceedings if tlre glyconutrientindusty is involved,

The authors welcomg comm€ul on this aftlcle, includingsuggestions tom ihe giycobiology cammunity onappropriate ways to respond to glyconutient industryefforrs, or scientific rebuttal based on validared scientificstudies.

ReferoncesAxford JS. 2005. 7th Jinner Glyeobiologr and Mcdicine

!fmp9siy11 .Sqo!"y 5 - Wsdno$day e ScpGmUt zOon. advExp Med Biol" 564y.viir.Brammer R. 2005. Maana from Texas" Barron's. May g, 2005.Curricr NL, Lcjrenyi D, Milter SC. 200J. Effect over time of in-vivo administration of the polysaccharide arabinogalactan onimmune and hemo-poietic cell lineagcs in murihc -splcen

andbonc marrow. Phyromcdionc.,10:145,53.

Hauer J. Andcrcr FA. 1993. Machanisrn of stlnularion of hunqannatBral killcr cytotoxicily by arabinogalacan *om Larlxoccidcntalis. Cancer Immunol lmrnunother. 36:217 44.

Kin LS, Watcn RF, Budrholtcr FM. 2002. Immunologibal acdvityof larch arabinogalactan and Echinacaa: u p.utirnioary,rnndomised, double-blind" placobo-controllcd trial, Alt{st McjRcv. 7:138-49.

MTll$*ne \ Chaiyakunqrruk N, Nirunnapom $, Kpngkncw C,2007. Thc cfficacy of aloc vera uspd for burn wound hiaiing: asysternatic review. Burns, :t3: 7 I 3-8.

Maren & Slavin JL. 2004, No long-tarm bcncfits ofsupplemenution with arabinogalactan on scrum lipids andglucose. J Am Dicr Assoc. 1041636-9.

Mogtanel JS" Gin J, Singer J. Raboud J, Ancncarr & Melsqn BD,Sclechtcr MT, Ruedy J. 1t96. Doubl+blind placebo-conrrollcdpilot trial of accnannan in advancQd human imdunodcficicncyvirus disease. J Acquir lrlmune Dcfic Syndr Hum Raroviroi.l2: I 53-7.

Munay RK, Oranner DXi, Rodwetl VW. Harpcds lllusratedBiochcmistry, Twcnty.scvl;nth edition. 2006. Columbus, OH,McGraw-Hill,

Nichues & Haoilik M, Alton G, Komer C, Schicbe-Sukumar M,Koch ll_G-,-Zl-qmer KF, lt/u R, Harnu E, Rcirer K. von F&Frlsue HH, Harms HK Marquardt T. 1998. Ca&ohydratc-deficienr glycoprotein syrdromc typo lb. phoqphomannoscisomerase deficicncy and mannose thcrapy. J Clin lnvesrl0 l :1414,20.

Pondcr O& Richards GN. 1997. Arabinogalactan from Westcmlarch, Part III: alkalinc dogradation rcvisited, with novelconclusions on molecular str,ucturc. Carbohydrate polymers.34:251-6l .

Pugb N, Ross Sd llSohly lv{,t pasco DS. ?001. Charactcrizarioflof Aloeride, a new high-mtlcculrr-weight polysaccharido fromAloe vcra with potcnt immunostimulatory activity. J Agric FoodChem.49:10304.

Robb-Nicholson C. 2007. By tl:c woy, docor. Should I supplerncnrmy diet with Ambrotoss? Hiw Womens Health Warch. l4:g.

Robinson ft& Fcirrag J, Slirvin JL 200l. Effects of dictarvarabinogalactan on gasfroiirtcstinal nnd blood parametcrs .inhealthy human subjects. J Arn Coll NuU, 20:ZZ9-g5Sierpina VS, Munay RK, 20(16. Glyconutrients: the ststo of the

scicncc and the impacr of gl;rcomics. Explore (Ny). 2:agg.94.Tai-Nin CJ, Williamson DA y;rres KM. Goux WJ. A00j. Chemisalcharacterization of the immunomodulating polysaccharidc ofAloc vera L, Carbohydr Rrn. 340;t 13l-41.

Glyconutrients, an honest review by Ray Sahelian, M.D. There are a variety of opinions regarding the benefits and risks of these supplements, my goal is to provide and [grammatical error] balanced and fair opinion based on my background as a nutrition scientist and medical doctor [punctuation error; I’ll note any such errors he makes as we go. If he is sloppy with his writing, he may have been sloppy with his research, with his intention to be ‘honest’, ‘balanced’, and ‘fair’.]I start suspecting that there is something not right about the promotion of a product - such as glyconutrients - when the meaning of the word is so ambiguous,

[Ambiguous? The US Patent # 6929807 on page one defines a glyconutrient by saying the term, “relates to compositions of carbohydrates as dietary supplements that are essential for the production of correctly structured and, therefore, properly functioning glycoproteins.”]

and the word is created by a company

[Aren’t all new inventions given names by the inventors? Who named ‘frisbee’ or ‘iPad’? Who named all the drugs & medications?]

that sells through multilevel marketing channels.

[Does it appear that Ray in his ‘honest review’ reveals here a bias against multilevel marketing channels?]

[I have bought products from stores, from catalogues, from friends, and over the internet. I don’t care how I get them as long as their value surpasses their cost.]

[A new product, with a new name, available from friends is reason to suspect “that there is something not right” here?]

[This letter is six years behind on the research.]

----------

There is little mentioned in the legitimate medical literature regarding the term glyconutrients,

[If Ray were to google: glycoconjugates (and any health issue) today, he would find HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of reports from legitimate medical and scientific literature. For example, googling: ‘glycoconjugates breast cancer’ yields 295,000 scientific studies and medical trials listed in PubMed and reported in Lancet, JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine, etc. “Heart disease” brings up 178,000 more; 201,000 for blood pressure and 277,000 for cholesterol. Since BigPharma hasn’t yet figured out how to make a synthetic drug or medication (with the usual bad side effects), all their research is done using natural sources (glyconutrients)! Just check any of the individual studies. Since Ray wrote this article, the National Institutes of Health have awarded a five-year $34,000,000 grant to the Scripps Institute for research into glycobiology, utilizing glyconutrients. Some of the grant research is being conducted at the University of Georgia, University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California - San Diego. Glycobiology has been added as a degree program at several universities including Oxford. Non-disease research is being carried on at Mannatech and is reported at MannatechScience.org.]

yet the internet abounds with websites promoting its virtues.

[Maybe there is a reason why. If this stuff didn’t have a positive effect, would the company, which started in 1994, still be in business?! Would millions of people around the world keep ordering this stuff month after month, year after year?]

This article discusses the merits or lack thereof of "glyconutrient" products sold by Mannatech -- and other companies that offer such products for sale -- that supposedly have 'eight essential sugars.'

[No other company world-wide can legally offer glyconutrients. We have a patent on the whole category of these vital nutrients! We have defended the patent in court and have prevailed over at least eight other competitors.]

There are many types of sugar compounds -- for instance glucosamine, glycoproteins, glycolipids, fructooligosaccharides, arabinogalactans - that have been shown to have a role to play in health and I have articles on some of these sugar-related substances that review the research. I would rather use these terms rather than the mishmosh term 'glyconutrients.'

[He would be inaccurate because Ambrotose does not provide glycoproteins, glycolipids, or any of the other sugar compounds. These all come from the body’s conversion of natural, raw materials - the glyconutrients. Accuracy matters to scientists and it should matter to Ray.]

I am a strong believer in the benefits of various dietary supplements including sugar compounds, I just want to call them by their proper, scientifically accepted names.

[So, what would he call the ingredients in Ambrotose?]

To me, the word glyconutrient has no scientific meaning and only serves to confuse matters.

[The patent defined the term. There are lots of scientific literature which correctly uses the term today.]

What if I made up a term called "aminonutrient" to refer to amino acids and then claimed that "Eight aminonutrients are lacking in the diet and should be obtained as a supplement"? How would this help explain anything or advance scientific knowledge? What if I created the term "liponutrient" to refer to fatty acids and then made a claim that "Eight liponutrients are lacking in the diet"? How would the word "liponutrient" add to our understanding of fats and lipids? Everyone on this planet has a different diet. Some eat a lot of protein, others eat a lot of carbohydrates, and there are diets that have every variation in between. How can anyone make the general statement that "Eight essential sugars are missing in the diet." Who came up with the number eight, anyway? Why not four, or nine, or forty-one?

[Harper’s Biochemistry Medical Textbook, 1996 (chapter 56), the most popular biochemistry text book in medical schools, came up with that number and listed all eight by name. You can also check the twenty-one pages of Chpt. 46 of the 27th edition (2006) entitled Glycoproteins. It has been confirmed by other researchers as well and continues to this day.]

What is a glyconutrient, anyway? There is no accepted definition [punctuation error]

What is the exact definition of a glyconutrient, anyway? Glyco means sugar, and nutrient means a substance that is useful to the body. Is glucose a glyconutrient? Glucose is certainly a sugar and it is a nutrient needed by the body to function. There certainly is no deficiency of glucose in the American diet, especially those who are diabetic. What about sucrose, also known as table sugar? What about lactose, the sugar found in milk? Who decides which sugars and related compounds to include within the broad definition of the term? Is a glyconutrient a sugar molecule attached to another molecule, or a group of molecules? Sugar chains (also called glycans) vary in length from one sugar, to extremely long chains found in glycosaminoglycans. Is a glyconutrient any sugar attached to any other molecule or is a glyconutrient a specific substance or a group of specific substances? Does the chemical structure of a "glyconutrient" sold by one company the same as another company or completely different? Is there a scientifically accepted definition of what a glyconutrient is just like there is for the words vitamins and glycoproteins? If there is such a standard and accepted definition for the word, I have not seen it yet. To me, the word glyconutrient has no special medical or nutritional meaning. The term i [error] glyconutrient is confusing and unnecessary.

[If Ray is sincere, if his purpose is truly to be scientifically honest, why would he not have started his ‘research’ by googling: ‘Patent 6929807’? Where would be a better place to start since the patent explains it all? This is the patent which the courts studied to render their favorable rulings for Mannatech.]

My degree in college was nutrition. I have a bachelor's degree in nutrition science and afterwards went to medical school. As an expert in nutrition science, I do not find the term helpful. This does not mean I am against the use of natural supplements. To the contrary. I believe they are extremely helpful and under[-]used by the medical profession. I, myself, take supplements almost every day and I recommend them. My purpose, here, is to be scientifically honest.

[What is his excuse for being intellectually lazy in his research?]

See an excellent scientific review of this topic at http://glycob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/18/9/652.

[This sends the reader to the Glyconutrient Sham which is addressed at WeeksGlobal.com -> Documents -> Analyzing Mannatech - Negatives.]

The problem, also, is the way these products are being marketedI am not claiming that taking a Mannatech glyconutrient supplement will hurt you or help you. Perhaps taking such a supplement does provide health benefits in certain conditions while not be effective for others, or perhaps [they could] be harmful in some people or distract them from the use of other supplements or medications that could be more helpful. I just have a major problem with the way these glyconutrient products are being marketed;

[His bias against MLM & network marketing has been addressed above.]

the misinformation that there are 'eight essential sugars;'

[His ignorance of Harper’s Biochemistry, etc. has already been noted.]

and the claims being made that these products cure a variety of diseases including cancer.

[Mannatech neither condoned nor made such claims. However, freedom of speech (remember the Constitution’s Bill of Rights?) and DSHEA (the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act) give individuals the right to report their testimony and what they experienced.]

In fact, the Texas Attorney General filed a lawsuit in July 2007 against Mannatech, see below.

[Did he neglect to mention that the lawsuit was resolved and that Mannatech was not found liable? Mannatech was exonerated from all charges. Some over-zealous associates in the field were responsible for the inappropriate health claims. Therefore, there were no fines or fees or penalties. States’ Rights (protected by the Constitution) permit Texas to ignore a federal law like DSHEA and reserve for themselves the right to dictate that Mannatechers may no longer educate the public by reporting the research on diseases. The products, however, don’t know that - they still increase our overall health and wellness. Note that in the USA, there is no such thing as a ‘natural cure’ because, by legal definition, only drugs can

‘cure’ and drugs can not be natural. The purpose of DSHEA (google it) was to permit the truth to be told. Well, just follow the money.]

Most herbs and supplements have not been studied well but [are] yet available to the consumer. Selling supplements is fine as long as no claims are being made that they prevent or cure diseases.

[Therefore, it is illegal to say that natural Vit C prevents scurvy, Vit A night-blindness, Vit D rickets, Vit B beriberi. Go figure...]

The problem arises when claims are made that are not accurate or serve to deceive the consumer.

[Agreed - yet we aren’t even allowed to share the research or personal testimonials.]

Assuming [that] taking a glyconutrient supplement has certain health benefits [incomplete sentence]. Is it also possible that other readily available and inexpensive supplements -- for instance psyllium fiber, glucomannan, or fish oil supplements -- be as, or more, beneficial at a fraction of the cost of a Mannatech glyconutrient product? The scientific evidence thus far points to the likelihood that the average American diet is low in fiber and long-chained fatty acids found in fish, rather than deficient in "eight glyconutrients."

[Deficiencies have been proven scientifically. Check: http://www.explorejournal.com/article/PIIS1550830706004162/fulltext]

Also, the Mannatech glyconutrient product appears to have a high concentration of arabinogalactans, aloe vera and certain gums. Would it be cheaper to just buy these supplements separately?

[How difficult would it be for Ray to price the differences and answer his own question if he really cares?]

Texas Attorney General files a lawsuit against Mannatech and their Glyconutrient product claimsJuly 2007 - Greg Abbott, the Texas Attorney General has charged Mannatech, Inc., its owner, Samuel L. Caster, and several related entities with promoting an illegal marketing scheme that encourages consumers to believe that its products are effective against many serious diseases. The

court will examine Mannatech’s dubious claims about the health benefits of its products.

[And, as I mentioned above, the court did examine Mannatech’s claims.]

The following are some of the charges mentioned in the complaint: "Mannatech claims scientific validation from the field of glycoscience, which is the legitimate study of the structure and function of sugars.""Mannatech claims that its proprietary products' main ingredients, glyconutrients, enhance the body's cell-to-cell communication and improve overall health.""Mannatech encourages the use of testimonials and various sales aids to suggest that the products dramatically cure or treat serious illnesses.""In fact, the company's health claims are not supported by legitimate scientific studies."

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott accuses Mannatech of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which provides civil penalties of $20,000 for each violation and the Texas Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which can have penalties up to $25,000 per each day per violation. He claims, "Texans will not tolerate illegal marketing schemes that prey upon the sick and unsuspecting," Attorney General Abbott said. "Aided by an army of multi-level sellers and their fictitious claims about its products, Mannatech has aggressively marketed supplements to countless unwitting purchasers. With today's enforcement action, the Office of the Attorney General seeks to shut down an elaborate scheme to defraud innocent consumers across the nation." Documents filed in Travis County district court reveal Mannatech's scheme to exploit families, including those challenged by cancer, Down's syndrome, cystic fibrosis and other serious illnesses. For more info, see http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=2086

[Seems to be a biased article. Is a company not considered innocent until proven guilty?]

Mannatech and GlyconutrientsGlyconutrients is a term coined by Mannatech, a multilevel company. Mannatech, based in Coppell, Texas, sells its products through a global

network-marketing system throughout the United States and the international markets of Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Denmark and Germany. According to their website, Mannatech claims, "Medical research has discovered that eight glyconutrient sugars are needed at the cellular level for optimum immune function. Considering that six of these glyconutrients are often lacking in modern diets, Mannatech sought new and better sources of the nutrients. The effort culminated in the Ambrotose (R) complex. Today, 20 patents -- including one from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office -- have been issued to Mannatech for technology related to the Ambrotose formulation. Mannatech has more than two dozen glyconutritional products for adults and children that address health and nutrition, sports performance, weight management and skin care." Note by Dr. Sahelian: I have not seen research that indicates "six glyconutrients are lacking in the diet."

[Check any edition of Harper’s Biochemistry this decade. You might also find interesting the research reported at http://www.explorejournal.com/article/PIIS1550830706004162/fulltext]

I am not against the concept of multilevel marketing if the product is legitimate and is helping people, and many people have made a good income this way. However, more often than not, the people at the bottom of the chain end up losing more money than they make, or spend a lot of their time for little profit, or end up alienating some friends and family members due to their persistence. I personally know several people who spent enormous amounts of time and energy as distributors for little gain.

[Is that because their MLM was not marketing a legitimate product or was not helping people? Or, was it because those Ray knew lacked effectiveness? How many stores go out of business? Do they also lose more money than they make? Point being...?]

A "glyconutrient sham". Glycobiology. 2008 Sep; Schnaar RL, Freeze HH. Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. The discipline of glycobiology contributes to our understanding of human

health and disease through research, most of which is published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Recently, legitimate discoveries in glycobiology have been used as marketing tools to help sell plant extracts termed "glyconutrients." The glyconutrient industry has a worldwide sales force of over half a million people and sells nearly half a billion dollars (USD) of products annually. Here we address the relationship between glyconutrients and glycobiology, and how glyconutrient claims may impact the public and our discipline.

[Now, having already sent the reader to http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=2086 Ray feels the need to quote this misinformation further. Is he going to ever quote anything in favor of glyconutrients - just to be ‘fair’ and ‘honest’?]

Human studies regarding a Mannatech glyconutrient productsThere are some early studies being conducted with these products that I have listed below. Before claims are made that Mannatech glyconutrients treat or cure ADHD, cancer, immune dysfunction, lupus, etc, it would be helpful to see at least a few of long term double blinded placebo controlled human studies conducted by independent researchers who are not on the payroll of glyconutrient manufacturers. I am not referring to studies with various monosaccharides, polysaccharides, arabinogalactans, glycoconjugates and other molecules containing sugar chains such as in glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans. I am referring to the Mannatech glyconutrients, "the eight essential sugars" that are promoted as cure alls.

[If these studies were done, and if glyconutrients were indeed proven to impact on disease, then Mannatech would be closed down because only drugs can legally impact on disease and we do not have a license to market drugs. Indeed, a license would not be granted to Mannatech, because glyconutrients are natural and drugs have to be synthetic. So, what’s gained by doing the research when one can simply google: glycoconjugates (any health challenge)?]

Cognition and memoryGlyconutrients and perception, cognition, and memory.Percept Mot Skills. 2009 Feb; Stancil AN, Hicks LH. Howard University, 2400 Sixth Street N.W., Washington, DC 20059, USA. Neuropsychological tests were administered to 62 college students to

assess the influence of glyconutrients on perception, cognition and memory in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced studies. Participants were given both a glyconutritional supplement and a control substance prior to testing. In Exp. 1. a Same-Different visual discrimination task, Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, and the Stroop test were administered. In Exp. 2, simple and complex working-memory capacity were measured. Participants receiving the supplement performed significantly more accurately on the visual discrimination task and the first session of the simple working-memory test. Comments: There are dozens of inexpensive and easily available over the counter herbs and nutrients that influence memory and mental abilities. Examples include acetyl l carnitine, ginkgo biloba, DMAE, choline, cdp-choline, vinpocetine, fish oils, certain B vitamins, etc. One could easily use these or others and most will be less expensive. For a comprehensive list, see memory.

[Oh, for a moment there, I thought he was going to say something good about Mannatech’s Ambrotose. After all this research on Ambrotose wasn’t done by Mannatech; “significantly more accurate” seems good, eh?]

Colitis study in rodentsPlant-Derived Polysaccharide Supplements Inhibit Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in the Rat.Dig Dis Sci. 2009 Jun 10. Koetzner L, Grover G, Boulet J, Jacoby HI. Eurofins Product Safety Laboratories, Dayton, NJ, USA.Several plant-derived polysaccharides have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in animal models. Ambrotose complex and Advanced Ambrotose are dietary supplements that include aloe vera gel, arabinogalactan, fucoidan, and rice starch, all of which have shown such activity. This study was designed to evaluate these formulations against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in rats and to confirm their short-term safety after 14 days of daily dosing. Rats were dosed daily orally with vehicle, Ambrotose or Advanced Ambrotose. On day six groups of rats received tap water or 5% Dextran Sulfate sodium. Ambrotose and Advanced Ambrotose significantly lowered the disease scores and partially prevented the shortening of colon length. An increase in monocyte count was induced by dextran sulfate sodium and inhibited by Ambrotose and Advanced Ambrotose. There were no observable adverse effects after 14-day daily

doses. The mechanism of action of the formulations against DSS-induced colitis may be related to its effect on monocyte count.

[Does Ray offer any comment on this study as he did for the previous one? Is “significantly lowering the disease scores” a good thing? This research wasn’t done by Mannatech, either.]

Myasthenia gravis study is retracted by the publisher of the journalGlyconutrient Supplementation in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis.J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Oct 30. Randell DJ, Byars A, Williams F, Miller L. University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX.This pilot study examined the benefits of GN supplementation on various objective and subjective physiologic measures related to myasthenia gravis. Seven (7) male and 12 female volunteer patients (n = 19) with symptomatic MG, ages 16-84 were randomly assigned to either a GN intervention group (IG) or control-crossover group (CCG) that began the GN dietary intervention at 6 weeks. Patients were assessed at various time intervals over 52 weeks and included physiologic measures using the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis Score (QMG) along with several self-report measures related to current health status. At baseline, no significant differences existed between the CCG and IG on any of the test parameters. At 6 weeks, the IG demonstrated significantly improved QMG scores while the CCG remained essentially the same. The CCG, which had begun the dietary intervention protocol 6 weeks into the study, also exhibited significant improvement in QMG scores similar to that of the IG. At 52 weeks, the entire sample exhibited significant improvement in QMG scores from baseline. Significant percentage improvement was also reported from subjective measures of activities of daily living (78%), energy (81%), endurance (79%), productivity (92%), and quality of life (88%). Dietary support with GN may potentially provide physiologic benefits to patients with MG. Continued efficacy studies employing randomized placebo-controlled trials examining specific GN are warranted to evaluate possible autoimmune benefit. Comments: This article was retracted after being published online, see below. I would like to review a larger sample of myasthenia gravis patients treated in a double blinded placebo controlled manner and done by a group of independent scientists who do not have any association with makers of glyconutrient products. The "glyconutrient" supplements used in this study apparently consisted of a propriety blend, including gum ghatti (from Anogeissus latifolia) and manapol (from Aloe vera). It seems the volunteers

also took a combination of multivitamins and /multiminerals, phytonutrient supplements, and phytosterols. Therefore we don't know what results who have been achieved without the latter supplements added to the "glyconutrients." Note: This article has been retracted because the amounts of ingredients in a product were not included as the product was a proprietary formula. This situation presents an obstacle to replication of the study results. Kim A. Jobst, Editor in Chief of the Journal of Complementary Medicine.

[Whatever amount it was, it seems that “significant improvement” would be a good thing]

Glyconutrient in FoodHow is a glyconutrient defined? Is a glyconutrient any sugar molecule attached to something else like an amino group or another molecule? In that case, sugars and sugars attached to other molecules are plentiful in the diet in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, etc.

[The definition has already been dealt with twice before]

Are these Glyconutrients?Are the following substances considered glyconutrients? Glactosamine, glucose, fructose, lactose, ribose, glucosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, rhamnose, arabinose, mucins, gum polysacharides, mannose, glycosaminoglycans, and galactose? Who determines what types of sugar chains, or related molecules are called a glyconutrient? Who determines which of these sugar- and sugar-related substances are 'essential?'

[Ray is the one reporting on his research. Why can’t he find the answers to these questions? Why does he ask the reader?]

In my opinion, until proven to me otherwise, the term ' glyconutrient appears to be a marketing gimmick and does not really help explain anything but only adds to confusion. I[‘d] rather refer to the individual molecule when reading the research about a particular substance. I[‘d] rather learn what the research says about glucosamine, arabinogalactans, rhamnose, etc., [rather] than a confusing term such as glyconutrient.

Mannatech AmbrotoseA multilevel company, Mannatech introduced a product called Ambrotose many years ago. If you do an internet search you will find Ambrotose being promoted for a number of conditions. For instance, I came across this statement on a website, "It was recently brought to my attention that a product called Ambrotose, produced by Mannatech Inc, has been proven by independent studies to be an effective treatment of Lupus, multiple sclerosis and Chronic Fatigue; among other auto-immune diseases, such as less common Myasthenia Gravis. Ambrotose is a complex of naturally occurring mono-sacharides and poly-sacharides that have been put together in a capsule form or in a powder. It is completely non-toxic and has no side effects." I did a Medline search for Ambrotose and could not find any studies published on this product, so it is difficult for me to accept the claims made about Ambrotose.

[The person to ask would obviously be the person who made that claim]

How do we know ingesting a glyconutrient supplement for prolonged periods causes no harm or side effects?

[By checking with MannatechScience.org or calling the labs directly? They have been tracking the effects of this supplement for prolonged periods of time.]

DiabetesI have not seen any studies that support the use of Mannatech glyconutrients for diabetes.

CancerI have not seen any studies that support the use of Mannatech glyconutrients for cancer.

[If the studies were done, Mannatech would be shut down for the reasons listed above. The conclusions of such research might enable Mannatech to make a legitimate claim, but it would be for a natural product which can’t therefore be a drug. What happens when one googles: glycoconjugates diabetes (or cancer)?]

Dr. Sahelian's opinionOne in vitro study shows glyconutrients stimulate the immune system. This

really does not give us much information on how glyconutrients, and in what dosage, would have an influence on the immune system in humans when ingested as a supplement. Furthermore, there are countless varieties of glyconutrient molecules and glycunutrient molecule combinations within an herbal product. The immune system is extremely complicated with countless cells and substances, tissues and organs, all communicating in unimaginably complicated interactions. As an aside, there are countless herbs and supplements that have an influence on the immune system. For the time being, I am not in a position to recommend the use of a Mannatech glyconutrient supplement to enhance the immune system or for other purposes. There are many more nutrients and herbs that have been studied more thoroughly. For a list, see Immune system. Even the ones that have been studied more thoroughly are not understood that well. There are hundreds of different glyconutrients and glyconutrient combinations in a variety of different dosages (assuming scientists agree on the definition of a glyconutrient or even feel the need to use such a term). We have no idea on how these interact with each person's immune system. Some people may benefit by taking a glyconutrient supplement while another person may find it harmful or get a side effect. To complicate matters further, there could be a short term benefit but, prolonged use could lead to overstimulation of the immune system and could potentially reverse any initial benefit. The whole issue of glyconutrient supplementation is very complicated and if you hear of promotional material that makes it appear simple, be skeptical. I suggest you be even more skeptical if you hear of cure all promises and endless testimonials that tout the benefits of glyconutrients. Most of the time testimonials are made up by the marketers selling the products. In brief, the use of the term glyconutrients is unnecessary and does not help the advancement of nutritional research.

[The marketers selling the products were first consumers in trouble who are so passionate about the results they got that they frequently just give the products away to others suffering. Ask any Mannatecher if they made up their testimonial and they will give you all the proof you could ask for from their medical records.]

Side EffectSince I don't exactly know what glyconutrient sellers mean by this term, and not having seen glyconutrient research in humans, I don't know if taking a glyconutrient supplement will lead to side effects. As a rule (not always), if a

supplement or a medicine has a positive effect, most likely it will have some sort of side effect, too, since it is changing the structure or function of the body, biochemistry, or physiologic function.

[This certainly is true for a ‘medication.’ However, broccoli and carrots still don’t appear to have bad side-effects.]

MLM - multi level marketing - do most people really make money?John Taylor, MBA, PhD, runs the Consumer Awareness Institute http://www.mlm-thetruth.com. He claims that over 99% of new distributors for various MLM companies lose money.

[What percentage of people going into business for themselves in other areas of the economy lose money? There is a reason why 90% of Americans are employees rather than employers. It is not easy, but it can be done - especially with a good system to follow.]

Glyconutrient review articlesThis email was sent to us in August 2008. Q. Dr. Sahelian, here is new information that you may wish to post on your site. Prominent glycobiologists expose the glyconutrient scam in great detail in the academic journal Glycobiology. http://glycob.oxfordjournals.org/current.dtl

[Don’t see the reference, but Mannose is mentioned. This is the glyconutrient from aloe vera, one of the eight necessary for cellular communication.]

Glyconutrient ResearchEffects of a glyconutrient on macrophage functions.Int J Immunopharmacol. 2000. Lefkowitz DL, Stuart R, Gnade BT, Roberts E, Lefkowitz SS. Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas Previous studies have shown that mannosylated bovine serum albumin (mBSA) enhances the respiratory burst (RB), phagocytosis, and killing of Candida albicans and Escherichia coli by resident murine peritoneal macrophages (Mphi). Upregulation of the above Mphi functions was associated with the binding of mBSA to the macrophage mannose receptor. The present study was done to determine if certain glyconutrients could stimulate Mphi functions in a similar manner. Resident peritoneal murine

Mphi collected from C57BL/6 mice were exposed to the glyconutrients for 10 and 60 min. The RB was measured using chemiluminescence. Both phagocytosis and killing were measured after incubation with each of the following microorganisms: Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The percent phagocytosis and killing were determined using fluorescence microscopy. Results indicated that certain glyconutrients, caused a dose and time dependent effect on Mphi-induced killing of all three microorganisms.

We received this email from someone who read the study listed below and had a comment about it: "I was reading on your website about the use of glyconutrients and saw research update where you listed Dr. See's research at UC Irvine. I just want to inform you that Mannatech is using a study supposedly performed at UC Irvine and partially funded by NIH, which is untrue. Just thought you should update your report on " glyconutrients " because it appears on your website that this is a valid study (albeit in a test tube), but in reality it's just more Mannatech propoganda. Mannatech apparently paid Dr. See more than $100,000 to speak at sale rallies and conduct research, and his wife has been a Mannatech distributor since 1997. Thanks for the work you do! See the link below for the thorough report on this fraud: http://www.caic.org.au/commercial/Mannatech/manna-uses%20study.htm

[Mannatech assumed, as did all the others, that this research was legit. But Mannatech went beyond assuming and paid $30,000 to have his research audited. Doing so is actually what broke the story.]

Study was debunked, Mannatech suing Dr. See: http://www.caic.org.au/commercial/Mannatech/manna-misled.htm"

[This proves Mannatech was not in cahoots with Dr. See]

The in vitro immunomodulatory effects of glyconutrients on peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.Integr Physiol Behav Sci. 1998. See DM, Cimoch P, Chou S, Chang J, Tilles J.

University of California, Irvine, Department of Medicine, Orange

A good article on Glyconutrients and MannatechThis is a quote from a September 2006 newspaper article on glyconutrients written by Denny Robbins for the Star-Telegram: "These and other issues have caused outrage among some advocacy groups and brought scrutiny from at least two state attorneys general, a class-action lawsuit and questions from some of the world's pre-eminent scientists. "My blood boils when I think about all the desperate people who have taken this stuff on," said Hudson Freeze, a professor of glycobiology at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, Calif."" For details, see http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/15486290.htm?source=rss&channel=dfw_news

[Don’t see the reference here]

Questions and emails - new ones are added to the bottom of the listQ. I read your article and now I am more confused than ever. I have listened to a CD with Dr Dan Fouts, Dr Alex Omelchuk and Dr Michael Schlachter (all MD's) who claim that there has been much written on glyconutrients. Not only has research been done but they are using it in their practices. New Sun bottles a product called Salmana, that product is suppose to be good for just about everything. Are these Doctors telling the truth or just digging deeper into there research? A. For the time being, I stand by my comments above. If there are human studies with Mannatech glyconutrients that these products treat or cure a particular disease, I am not aware of them.

Q. I just found out about Ambrotose. I bought some for a friend with Hep B. I went to the sales rep's site www.glyco-facts.com. It sounds very convincing, especially with the AMA backing. Then, I find your article on glyconutrients ...I am confused!!! Would you visit the www.glco-facts.com and read what is there...am I being taken? I kinda feel like I am. A. We generally don't comment on information posted on other web sites only to say that we stand by the glyconutrient info on our site. It is for the consumer to judge the integrity of the info they read on the internet or in print. We have had this glyconutrient web page on for several years requesting anyone who has a published study on Mannatech glyconutrient research to email it to us, and all we get is sales

people sending us email on testimonials that most likely they have made up claiming that glyconutrients are a cure all. We're still waiting for even one good human study on Mannatech glyconutrients in terms of treating a disease. At this time there is no evidence that Mannatech glyconutrient supplements help with cancer, lupus, heart disease, myasthenia gravis, hepatitis, fibromyalgia, cystic fibrosis, or anything else.

R. [They are available (in terms of systems & function, rather than diseases - as explained). Check MannatechScience.org. If Ray were to take any Class I, AMA approved Continuing Medical Education credits offered by Proevity (www.proevity.com) on glyconutritionals and glycomics technology, he would discover the course selection includes, “Glyconutrients”, “Overview of Glyconutrients”, and may other such topics backed by a listing of excellent papers such as, Introduction to Glyconutritionals, Is Saccharide Supplementation Necessary? Glycoproteins: Crucial Molecules for Health. Glycoproteins: Crucial Molecules for Disease. Glycobiology & Medicine A Millennial Review.]

Q. I read your comment about glyconutrients, and would like to tell you that you can get continuing medical education approved by the AMA by going to Proevity dot com/homepage.html. If you would like to buy syllabi on different disease states please go to FisherInstitute dot org. Dr. Omelchuck & others you named on your explanation of you didn't find studies on glyconutrients with people, is a real person I've heard several times, along with Dr. Dan Fouts etc. On Satudays at noon EST there is a free "chat" that only requires anyone to put in any name to join it. The author of chapter 56, Harper's Biochemistry Medical Textbook year 1996, examined Mannatech's science & joined the "Editorial Board." He also has spoken to us who have had their life turn around by taking core nutrients that aren't in our food chain, or very scarcely & extemely hard to find. You can download a free powerpoint presentation of Dr. Robert Murray's by going to DoctorsHealthCall dot com & clicking on "past speakers." It's further down the page. I do guess you've seen GlycoScience dot org ? I wish you the best, a Mannatecher who has been relieved of deep pains, a back that had me in the ER, lost >70 lbs {phytogenins}, and other wonderful things. A. I'm still waiting for human glyconutrients study before making any definitive comments.

Q. If you were referring people to a website that sold glyconutrients, don't you think you would say good things about a glyconutrient product? A. I could easily refer people to a website that sold a glyconutrient product and say good things about Mannatech glyconutrients on this page and get a referral commission. But since I don't have any proof that they treat or cure a disease or are any better than other sugar related supplements that are cheaper, no amount of money would influence my opinion.

Q. Hi Dr. Sahelian: I stand with you in your comments on glyconutrients. I had some patients that began to ask me questions. However, what I have found were the two studies you've found plus one dissertation http://gradworks.umi.com/31/84/3184894.html

[This is pretty significant and more recent studies can be found at MannatechScience.org!]

Glyconutrients and cognition, perception, and memory by Stancil, Atiya Njeri, PhD, HOWARD UNIVERSITY, 2005, 55 pages; 3184894 I don't believe the dissertation has been published yet. I briefly read through the papers presented in the glyconutrition science website http://www.glycoscience.org/glycoscience/summary_display.wm?SECTION=MAIN&MAIN=productSpecific&CRITERIA=productSpecific <http://www.glycoscience.org/glycoscience/summary_display.wm?SECTION=MAIN&MAIN=productSpecific&CRITERIA=productSpecific> and http://www.avantrex.com/resources/Sweet2003-3.html. These are all sponsored by Mannatech and other pharmaceutical companies. They look promising, but I am like you, I would like to see the publications in the mainstream scientific journals.

[In an open-label human dosing study, Dr. Azita Alavi, a Research Fellow at the Sir Joseph Hotung Centre for Musculoskeletal Disorders, Division of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St. George’s University of London, U.K. and colleagues showed that intake of Advanced Ambrotose® powder resulted in a significant shift towards increased sialylation in the N-glycosylation profile of the serum of healthy adults. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which has shown that dietary changes can affect serum glycosylation profiles. Co–authors include St. George’s University researchers Professor John Axford, Dr. Edward Tarelli and Dr. Owen Fraser, and Professor Martin Bland, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, UK. This is hugely important.]

Q. Dear Dr. Sahelian: I am a retired medical doctor and read your web page on glyconutrient with great interest and have several comments that you

may find helpful. If you look at the compositions of these glyconutrients (gum tragacanth, gum ghatti, arabinogalactan, aloe vera gel polysaccharides) you will note they are gums and fibers. These plant polysaccharides are soluble fiber and are not digestible. Therefore, their sugars could never be released and absorbed by the body. These fiber are destined to be fermented by the colonic bacteria in the gut where they are used as nutrients to make more bacteria. No study has ever shown that the human body absorbs sugars from a diet of fiber.

[Dr. John Kalns and colleagues (Hyperion Biotechnology, Inc., San Antonio, TX) conducted an in vitro study demonstrating that human fecal bacteria can partially break down Advanced Ambrotose® powder and two of its constituents (aloe vera gel polysaccharides and arabinogalactan). Bacteria identified that could best compete for these polysaccharides were Enterococcus species (a species that is a popular probiotic in some countries). Those interested will find these and other studies at MannatechScience.org]

R. Mannatech makes the sugars appear to be necessary and also essential by telling people they are no longer in the modern diet. The truth is that these glycontutrient sugars can be obtained in the modern diet from the glycoforms that cover every cells, but these sugars are most likely made by the body from other sugars. They say these glycontutrient sugars are needed for optimal health. There has never been a study that shows taking more of these sugars has any health maintaining purpose. Mannatech brandishes every piece of scientific literature on glycoscience and glycomics as validating their product when in fact these paper have absolutely nothing to do with their glycontutrient product. This is a flagrant, although clever and deceptive, example of falsely misleading the consumer. It certainly puts a black mark on the otherwise legitimate dietary supplement industry and needs to be addressed.

Q. Hello Dr. Sahelian. Below is part of an email that I recently received from a friend. My guess is that my friend is going to start selling this Ambrotose. It sure looks like a marketing scam (and a bunch of lies) to me. I did email your glyconutrient website link to her. This is what she had emailed me, "Hey I really want to talk to you about this new technology that I am promoting. Father Derrick is on this new wellness program I introduced him to, and he is very pleased. It is tops in the WORLD. Everyone on the planet will want it. It is a new discovery called Ambrotose. It is the discovery by a doctor who found that there are 8 essential sugars ( glyconutrients ) that

help the body heal itself naturally plus more. It is outstanding discovery. He has won three Nobel prizes, the glyconutrient product is patented in 20 countries, his wife is feeding it to the malnourish children in third world countries. she has reached 10,000 so far. they have a new life filled with hope and promise now. Use the stock market as a measure stick if you so wish...stocks are going higher and higher and higher. there is no limit. this is going to be the end of outrageous doctors cost, hospitalization, medication. People are going to take control back of their health - if they so choose it. Glyconutrients are another one of God's miracles in nature. It is a miracle the way the body does this. It is about cell to cell communication, and how they heal themselves with this Ambrotose. Pay attention....it is here... Look forward to hearing from you soon...

Q. Hi and thanks for allowing me to ask you all a question regarding Glyconutrition. First do you sell a glyconutrient product, and secondly, is a glyconutrient supplement safe to take orally? With all the different ingredients in Glyconutrients I'm concerned about it's safety record, especially with long-term use, as well as it's effectiveness. A. Since we mention that there have been no disease treatment human studies with Mannatech glyconutrients that we are aware of, we can't say if they are effective or not. Also, we do not know the long term health consequences of a glyconutrient supplement, positive or negative.

[Drs. Massimo Marzorati and Sam Possemiers (University of Ghent and ProDigest, Ghent, Belgium) and their colleagues employed state-of-the-art human gastrointestinal tract simulations and microbiological analyses to show that Ambrotose® complex and Advanced Ambrotose® powder exerted positive prebiotic effects.* Both products exhibited good selective fermentability throughout the entire colon and positive and selective bifidogenic effects. They also demonstrated the possibility of enhancing species belonging to Bacteroidetes, a phylum recently associated with body weight management.]

Q. Regarding Glyconutrients. I commend your efforts in trying to educate the public regarding glyconutrients however, in my opinion, your information is not updated. Please see http://www.glycoscience.org/. This is a site that has won the WWW award since 2001 and the HON award for accuracy and efficacy. Please read the Human Intervention studies and then the Editorial Board. A broad spectrum of complex monosaccharides in a patented formula is already in the PDR. Also, please see ALL of the Proceedings (Case studies) from the Fisher Institute for Medical Research by going to http://www.fisherinstitute.org/. Should you need any more info, Dr. Vicky and I would be happy to help

you as we have been involved with pediatric genetic studies now for 11 years with extremely impressive results. (By the way, these sugars are already in the diets just not in substantial amounts). Totally non-toxic. Please pay special attention to Consolidated Reviews on the Glycoscience.org site as it will up date you on the Glucose Only Theory. Which was disproved in 1998. http://www.HealthSugars.com (Glyconutritional videos)

[I’m going to stop commenting now. What I’ve said more than suffices. Most of these web sites are no longer up and the arguments have already been addressed. Review them and you’ll see why Mannatech is having such a wonderful effect on thousands of orphans in over 80 countries and over 800 orphanages. Check MannaRelief.org for all of that. These orphans and medically fragile children aren’t marketing anything, and neither are their care-givers, but the results can’t be denied.]