About Herbs

Bottom Line: Glyconutrients have not been shown to treat cancer in humans.

Glyconutrients are a group of sugars extracted from plants and thought to be essential for the body by helping cell-to-cell communication. These products have been marketed to cancer patients under the brand name Ambrotose through networking marketing approach. While some of the constituents have been studied for their anticancer effects, there is no evidence that glyconutrient products are effective as cancer treatment in humans.

Glyconutrients and related products are not cancer treatments.

There are no known side effects with Ambrotose.

Mannatech and its founder have been charged by the Texas Attorney General for deceptive trade practices that exaggerated the products' health benefits.

Ambrotose AO, Manapol

Glyconutrients refer to eight plant monosaccharides: galactose, glucose, arabinose, glucosamine, mannose, xylose, rhamnose, and fucose. Related products are mostly marketed by a company called Mannatech under the brand name Ambrotose. Proponents claim that these monosaccharides are essential for the body because they are building blocks of glycoproteins which are used for cell-to-cell communication. They also suggest that modern diet is deficient in monosaccharides and supplementation can restore cellular health and support the immune system. However, strong scientific evidence to support these claims is lacking. These products are promoted aggressively to cancer patients through network marketing approach but their benefit as cancer treatment is unclear.

Antitumor properties

Health maintenance

Immunostimulant

Commercial products may contain a combination of the following ingredients:
Quercetin dihydrate
Grape pomace extract
Green tea extract
Australia Bush Plum
Gum Arabic
Xanthan
GumGum
TragacanthGum
Ghatti
Aloe vera gel extract
Arabinogalactan
Rice starch
Ghatti Gum
Gum Tragacanth
Glucosamine HCl
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida)
Algae Extract

Although sugars such as glucose are essential for normal functioning of the body, true deficiencies are rare except in malnourished patients. Humans can convert saccharides into different forms according to the body's need. More complex polysaccharides, such as beta-glucan, have been studied for their immunomodulating effects, but it is unclear if the marketed products contain substantial amounts of such polysaccharides. Even though some of the constituents have been investigated for their anticancer effects, none of them have been shown to be effective for cancer treatment. In a trial sponsored by Mannatech, Ambrotose was shown to enhance brain wave activities when compared to placebo. However, the clinical implication remains to be determined ⁽¹⁾.

There are no known side effects from using Ambrotose.