Until recently, scientists have primarily focussed on the study of proteins as it was believed that proteins were responsible for cellular communication and cellular recognition (Smith 2002). However, within the last ten years, the developing field of glycobiology has shown that glyconutrients may play a vital role in cellular communication and may represent a new category of nutrients and dietary supplements.
It is said that these sugar molecules constitute an ‘alphabet’ of ‘letters’ that can be combined in endless ways to form ‘words’ which are used by the body to communicate information required for healthy function. McAnalley and Vennum (2000), explain that the process of molecular communication codes can be thought of as a written language whereby just as four different shapes can be combined to make many letters and the letters can be combined to make words, the different carbohydrate molecules combine to make cellular recognition (McAnalley and Vennum 2000, p2).
Once cells have been sufficiently glycosylated only then are they able to send a cell-to-cell communication and communicate with other cells, (i.e. recognise the enemy and tag it). It is believed that autoimmune diseases occur when cells are not glycosylated (the presence of a sugar added to a protein) and thereby unable to differentiate between a ‘friendly’ cell and an ‘unfriendly’ cell (Nugent 2005, p21). Although it is recognised that a multiple of factors ensure good health and no nutrient stands alone in this process, there is strong belief that without proper cell-to-cell communication, there is no hope for good health because without communication there can be no function (Nugent 2005, p21).
The above is an extract from my dissertation, for which I received a First Class Honours: ‘What is the evidence for glyconutrients? The concepts and theories behind glyconutrition and glyconutrient supplementation’.
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