D-Mannose Powder

 

 

What is Mannose?

Technically known as D-Mannose this simple six-carbon sugar is also sold as Seminose or Carubinose. Mannose is a sterioisomer of Glucose and naturally occurs as a monosaccharide in fruit like pineapple and cranberry as well as in the glycoproteins of many plants and fungi. NOW Foods pure Mannose is derived from corn, white and sweet potatoes and has a caloric value similar to other sugars of 4 calories per gram.
Mannose exists in two anomeric forms - alpha and beta.
The alpha form is mild sweet while the beta form is bitter. The manufacturing methods for Mannose produce a mixture of these two anomers; thereby yielding a product that is mildly sweet with a slight bitter aftertaste. Occasionally a batch of Mannose will have a much more bitter taste, indicating a predominance of the beta anomer over the alpha one.

How can a simple sugar like Mannose be good for me?

Studies suggest that Mannose may maintain and support a healthy urinary tract by blocking the adhesion of disease causing organisms like E. coli to the surface of the host tissue. In most cases pathogenic bacteria that cause urinary tract infections do so by utilizing tiny hair-like projections on their surface called fimbrium. Protruding from the tips of these fimbrium are glycoproteins called lectins. It’s these lectins that bind to certain sugar components like Mannose that are present on the surface tissues that line the urinary tract thereby initiating the bacterial infection process. When sufficient Mannose is consumed the excess molecules of this sugar present in the resident urine act as a sacrificial bodyguards that attach themselves to the lectins thereby blocking the disease causing E. coli from adhering to the tissues of the bladder and subsequent colonization. The Mannose bound E. coli bacteria are subsequently flushed away by the urine through the urinary tract and down the “ porcelain drain”.

Does Mannose act like sucrose once digested?

Though Mannose is a simple sugar and is absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract, it is absorbed at a slower rate than most sugars and is not readily converted to glycogen for storage. A substantial amount of Mannose is absorbed into the bloodstream mostly unchanged and after passing through the kidneys it’s excreted into the urine and continues its journey through the ureters, bladder and urethra where it performs a valuable service to support and maintain a healthy urinary tract before exiting the body.

How do you monitor the quality of your Mannose?

It is not certain just what is a "perfect" alpha to beta Mannose ratio, but a sweet taste is a certain indicator the ratio is sufficiently "good". Mannose is analyzed by HPLC to determine its purity. This is to preclude any dilution with other sugars such as dextrose, sucrose, etc. However, HPLC will not differentiate between the alpha and beta anomers. Testing for an acceptable anomer ratio can be performed by a very expensive proton NMR analyses or traditionally reliable organoleptic taste testing on pure mannose. NOW currently requires a vendor HPLC assay to ensure the mannose content is >99% AND the taste must be mild sweet with only a minimum of a slight bitter aftertaste.

Does Mannose work like an antibiotic?