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HEALING THROUGH UNITY
December, 2004
A monthly newsletter dedicated to serving the principles of
physical and spiritual health envisioned in the Baha'i TeachingsVolume 8, Issue No 10
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CONTENTS
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SPECIAL ISSUE
— Glyconutrients: Hype or Hope?
— Book Corner
• “Sugars That Heal: The New Healing Science of Glyconutrients
— The Power of Acquiescence and Amity
— Live Foods and Rheumatoid Arthritis
— 2004 Baha'i Conference on Social and Economic Development
— Whole Foods Recipe Swap
— Question of the Month
— Reader Requests Assistance
— Seeking New Editor for Newsletter
— Letters
— Purpose of the Newsletter/Subscriptions**************************************
GLYCONUTRIENTS: HYPE OR HOPE?
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By LYNN ASCRIZZI
EDITOR'S NOTE: In the Oct. 2004 issue, we published an article by Dr. Iain MacRobert that praised the benefits of glyconutrients, eight essential sugars or monosaccharides responsible for the ability of cells to communicate and cohere. Glyconutrients have been shown to offer remarkable health benefits for a number of diseases, MacRobert said. Informational Web sites about glyconutrients were also offered, to help readers search further.
The article elicited a number of readers' letters, positive and negative, which were published in the Nov. 2004 issue. Several more letters on the subject can be found in this month's Letters section. Because of the questions raised, we thought a special feature on glyconutrients, including interviews with people who have taken them, and more information about the company that dominates the glyconutrient supplement market, would help interested readers delve deeper into an important subject.
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Dr. Rayburne Goen, 90, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, practiced medicine for 60 years and retired at age 80. An alert, astute and good-natured "doc," when he first heard about glyconutrients a number of years ago.
"I was closed-minded — call it skeptical, dubious, or cynical. . . . I was, however, receptive enough to read the pertinent medical journals offered to me, and I must admit, I was a little jarred at the implications of what I read. I began to look into what turned out to be an overwhelming amount of related literature: Carbohydrate ("glyco") metabolism is suddenly a hot subject — over 20,000 papers in Medline ( 1996-1998), and a greater number since. . . . case reports of a series of patients with a major disease, and with suspiciously high percentages of positive results," he said.
Finally, as a personal experiment, he decided to try glyconutrients manufactured by Mannatech, Inc. After all, what did he have to lose? he thought. He identified 21 of his own ailments and rated them on a scale of one to 10, all of which he had attributed to old age, such as: arthritis of the knees, peripheral neuropathy (which impaired his balance, walking and sleep because of restless legs), rotator cuff wear, low back pain, inflammatory osteoarthritis of the hands (he could not shake hands without hurting), urinary urgency incontinence, prostate cancer, cataracts, etc.
"Within four months I became symptom free of 19 of the 21 complaints," he said, in a phone interview. He discontinued eight prescribed drugs and all over-the-counter drugs except one baby aspirin daily. Yet, he still thought the results were a "fluke," he said.
He began to prescribe glyconutrients to former patients with diseases ranging from diabetes to cerebral palsy and cancer. One of his articles describes the benefits these former patients derived.
"We are noting that one-third of those taking glyco-supplements show striking improvement; one-third require longer, or larger amounts, and one-third may not respond. Such results as these I have not seen before in my 65 years as a doctor," he said.
Goen does not sell Mannatech products, but he is an associate and gives talks on the subject for the company. You can read one of his articles about glyconutrients at the Web site:
http://studentsforlife.net/GlycoDoctors.html Or, e-mail him at: ljoesmith@cox.net
THE COMPANY
Part of the difficulty in separating hype from hope regarding glyconutrients, is that many people and physicians like Goen who testify about the benefits of Mannatech supplements also sell the products or are affiliated with the company in some way. Much of this has to do with the way Mannatech's multilevel marketing system is structured.
If you type "glyconutrients" into a search window, one of Web sites likely to pop up is that of full-time, independent Mannatech associate Steve Brown, a sales rep whose customer base is 600 to 700 people. Brown has sold Mannatech products for 2 1/2 years.
Brown operates five, glyconutritional Web sites, such as www.glycodiscovery.net, which gives an overall understanding of glyconutrition and what he calls "the wellness revolution."
His site, www.mannapages.com/stevebrown offers corporate, product and business information about the company.
Mannatech, he said, is a publicly traded company under the NASDAQ symbol MTEX and has grossed sales of over $1 billion in its 10 years. A multi-level marketing company based outside Dallas, in Coppell, Texas USA, Mannatech is a member of the Direct Sales Association and complies with their bylaws and rules. The company has more than 125,000 active business associates (sales people), but about 2 million people worldwide who use their glyconutrients are not involved in the business, he said.
Mannatech is not a pyramid scheme, he said. "It offers a real product and is the world's number-one glyconutrient supplement technology.
"It is recognized for its research and development and supplements created to pharmaceutical standards. . . . By using a multilevel marketing system, Mannatech is able to compensate not only business builders but individuals who use its supplements on a regular basis. Many users actually receive their supplements free each month simply by bringing on another six folks who use the Mannatech products each month. This way, it is the end-product user who benefits from the multilevel marketing plan," he said.
Many people become Mannatech associates because they have benefited from the product and become enthused about it, he said. Associates get a discount, if they buy $400 or more products per month. "I get a tiny commission off any one person. If they sign up for $99 worth of products, I get a one-time, direct bonus of $20," he said.
Every Monday evening, health-care professionals share Mannatech product knowledge directly through the life experiences of their guests, Brown said:
You can connect with this program at: 9 p.m.,EST; 8 p.m., CST, 6 p.m.; PST.
Phone: (Toll Free) (877) 626-6246
"It is not a miracle drug by any means," Brown said, of the company's products that he represents.
EVIE: A TESTIMONIAL
Posted on Brown’s Web site, www.glycoexpert.com, are a number of customer testimonials. We thought we would check one out. Once again, it was difficult to find a testimonial given by someone not directly affiliated with Mannatech. Readers will have to judge for themselves as to the sincerity of the following, personal interviews.
I first asked Brown to put me in touch with Jay Underhill of Delta Junction, Alaska, USA. The Mannatech supplement, Ambrotose, significantly helped her aged father with his Parkinson's symptoms, she said. Her father went from having difficulty getting in and out of chairs, keeping his balance and speaking, to a far more animated person who could speak clearer and was able to join in at the local bowling alley. She also weaned him off his arthritis medicine, she said.
It became clear, however, that she also sold the product. Brown was asked if he could supply a testimonial from someone unaffiliated with Mannatech.
He obligingly set up an interview with Evie, age 80, who lives in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Evie does not sell the supplements, but her daughter does.
Her daughter first bought the supplements for Evie's husband, who is a diabetic,
A woman of faith, Evie was an unbeliever at first about the supplements, she said. But when she saw the improvements her husband was making after taking Ambrotose for six months, she thought she'd give it a try. Moreover, about a year ago, Evie was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
"It started with a draggy leg and a tremor in my right hand. I couldn't turn over in bed. I couldn’t get up or down. I felt stiff. I couldn't reach down and pick up stuff," she said.
"After about a year, (of taking supplements) I started noticing changes. I still drag my leg. I still have a slight tremor in my hand. But I definitely have no trouble turning around in bed. Now, I have no trouble picking stuff up. I still have trouble getting up. When I scrub the floor, I can't get up without pulling myself up on a chair."
She takes one teaspoon of Ambrotose in the morning and evening and also takes Phyt-Aloe, another Mannatech supplement.
"I feel better. I used to get up in the morning and dread the day. Normally, I lay down every 15 minutes. I was tired and worn out and felt half sick.
But I would fight it. Now, I get up and have a normal day. I take a 15-minute nap twice a day. I used to be in bed by 7:30 p.m. I'd be worn out.
I can stay up now and decide when I go to bed.
"I've been feeling like a new person. I used to have kidney stones once a year. No more kidney stones," she said. Evie does not take any prescribed Parkinson's drugs .
Her husband, 80, a diabetic for more than 10 years, has been taking the supplements for one-and-a-half years.
"About a year ago, the doctor took him off pills. He never goes over 120 (blood sugar level)," she said.
Evie does not sell the product and wouldn't have taken them on her own.
"When you are blessed, you want to be a blessing to someone else," she said.
A SUBSTANTIAL HELP
Dr. Goen provided another contact, retired Tulsa lawyer, Larry J. Smith, who has had Parkinson's for more than five years.
"I trudged around for 40 months taking a full amount of PD drugs; i.e., Sinemet, Mirapex, Amantadine and Comtan, then Stalevo and several others from time to time. The retail value of these drugs calculated at the frequency and strength prescribed was $1,000 per month," Smith said.
"I have used the glyconutrient products as complimentary and supplemental to the pharmaceuticals indicated above. As a result, I now have a strong sense of well-being. . . . It is now so difficult to express the joy which flows from feeling well after having previously asked the daily question, 'Am I ever going to have a good day again?'
"The last 16 months, I have been using a line of products which absolutely have been of substantial help in reducing a number of Parkinson's symptoms, even with a full compliment of PD medications for the first 40 months," he said, in a letter written to a physician.
Before taking glyconutrients, Smith, 63, said he had suffered from "a general malaise and depression for about four years. I had poor posture and poor motor skills, such as cutting meat on a plate, trouble rolling over in bed. I was stone-faced with little or no expression. Basically, all that
(symptoms) has abated and gone. I can smile just like the pretty girls now.
I can roll over in bed."
Smith takes a broad range of Mannatech products, including Ambrotose, Phyt-Aloe, Sport, Em-pact, Catalyst (vitamins), Ambrotose AO, an antioxidant, and Mannatonin (a natural sleeping aide), all of which cost him $300 a month. He also takes granulated soy lecithin produced by Lewis Labs.
"I feel awfully good. But I have plateaued. I have to increase my Ambrotose.
I have had no progression of symptoms in the 16 months of taking glyconutrients. I take 40 percent less of the PD drugs like Sinemet," he said, a reduction that saves him about $400 per month.
Like many people who use Mannatech products, Smith is affiliated with the company. He has a Mannatech associate's number, can attend company meetings and owns stock. "I don't sell the product or make any personal income from the product," he said.
He buys the supplements, however, through his wife, Jackie, an active Mannatech associate.
"He still has some of the PD characteristics show up but not as severe," she said, during the phone interview. "It’s getting better, rather than declining. He is not deteriorating. His gait has speeded up. He used to shuffle. He used to dangle his arms, and now he moves them. We know it isn't the drugs. He couldn't button his shirt. Now he can button his shirt."
Larry Smith's private agenda is to seek out other doctors in the hopes of forming a pilot study.
"I am totally convinced that we are on the verge of bringing a large amount of relief to the Parkinson's disease community," Smith said, of glyconutrients.
He has also put together a VHS tape, "Targeting Neurology with Glyconutrients," which consists of testimonials given by seven individuals, Goen included, who have had positive responses to the symptoms of their health challenges, which besides Parkinson's include: essential tremor, Alzheimer's disease, tourrettes syndrome, vertigo, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy. The $8 tape is available at: www.glycotools.com
MORE INFORMATION
When researching glyconutrients, one has to make a distinction between scientific research on essential saccharides and glyconutrient products offered through Mannatech or some other company.
Glycoscience is, indeed, attracting great scientific interest, but this does not necessarily reflect the virtue of commercial supplements, unless those studies are related to them. Furthermore, the science Web site, www.glycoscience.org is affiliated with Mannatech, which of course, has a vested interested in the discoveries of glycobiology and in new glyconutrient research.
Mannatech associate Laurie LeMay, whose family uses the products, offered more information.
"I understand that www.glycoscience.org has a connection to Mannatech, but many of the articles it archives have nothing to do with any Mannatech doctor or researcher. If you see the linked article is from PubMed, then it doesn't likely have any connection to Mannatech," she said.
If you search on-line, check out the following keywords, she said:
glycoscience, glycobiology, glycomics glycosylation (the act of sugars joining to proteins, fats, etc.), glycoproteins (when sugars join with proteins).
"Many diseases have been shown to have sugar or glycosylation problems, like cystic fibrosis. If you add "conference" to the first three keywords, you'll probably find groups not associated with Mannatech," she said. LeMay suggested the following sites:
Oxford University has created a department of glycobiology with about 60 staff persons.
Check them out on-line, at: http://www.bioch.ox.ac.uk/glycob/
Searching "glycobiology conference" on-line gives you the following link:
December 2003 - San Diego California
http://www.mhecoalition.com/Glycobiology_Conference_Research_Update.html
If your research budget allows for $25, LeMay recommends the report: "Stem Cell/FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) Learning and Behavior Problems In Children With Maternal Alcohol Damage (FAS) Led To Benefits Reported in Infants and Youth Responsive To Micronutrients," available from:
http://www.fisherinstitute.org/ordering/OrderForm.asp
"The report goes beyond FAS, as research seems to be showing that an increased intake of glyconutrients allows the body to make more of its own stem cells. The report states that this knowledge has perhaps solved a 10 year mystery — why people with brain damage thought to be permanent got a return of brain function," she said.
LeMay has a Web site of her favorite on-line articles, titled: "Researching Glyconutrients with Doctors," at:
http://studentsforlife.net/GlycoDoctors.html
The site includes a glyconutrient testimony by Dr. Omelchuk who speaks of remarkable results after suffering from the painful aftermaths of a stroke for 12 years. Omelchuck, it should be noted, travels widely as a Mannatech consultant. His tape includes an audio link, at the end of which, he discusses an elderly lady bedridden with Parkinson's, who after 10 months of doing glyconutrients, was out doing community volunteer work, he said.
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BOOK CORNER
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'SUGARS THAT HEAL'
"Sugars That Heal: The New Healing Science of Glyconutrients," By Emil I.
Mondoa, M.D. and Mindy Kitei, Ballantine Books (2001).
This book discusses eight simple or essential sugars, six of which are hard to come by in the typical Western diet, according to the authors.
"Only two (essential saccharides), glucose and galactose, are commonly found in our limited, overprocessed diets,” Mondoa and Kitei said.
According to the book, the benefits of adding simple sugars such as fucose, xylose and mannose to our diets, is because they are the basis for cellular communication and have powerful effects on the immune system..Research has shown essential saccharides to "lower cholesterol, increase lean muscle mass, decrease body fat, accelerate wound healing, ease allergy symptoms, and allay autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, psoriasis and diabetes," the authors said.
The research the authors cite claims that bacterial infections, common cold, flue, herpes, HIV, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and Gulf War syndrome respond remarkably to these essential saccharides, which also mitigate toxic effects of radiation and chemotherapy, thus improving survivor rates.
This well-researched book has a scientifically technical side which may be steep going to some readers. Yet, the information is clearly presented and many studies, personal anecdotes, medical advice regarding various illnesses and also cautionary notes, should be accessible to the lay reader.
For instance, the book notes that some people are allergic to mushrooms, some of which, like shitake, are naturally rich in glyconutrients. Aloe vera extracts and mushrooms are potent immune boosters, but if you are adding them to your diet, first consult your doctor. Reishi mushrooms thin the blood and can cause bleeding. Do not take them if you have a bleeding disorder.
In the first chapter, Mondoa mentions Ambrotose, a product manufactured by Mannatech, Inc. of Coppell, Texas USA. He had served as a company consultant for several years. Many other manufacturer's supplement products, however, are listed in the book's extensive resources section.
"Sugars That Heal" presents information in a moderate, scientific way and states that glyconutrients are intended "to complement your current medical treatments."
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THE POWER OF ACQUIESCENCE
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The spiritual act of acceptance and fostering a "quiet awareness" releases spiritual and healing energy in our lives. Being angry, unaccepting and impatient depresses the immune system, stresses one’s body and mind and that of others around us and does not help in the progress of the soul.
The following quotations should be illuminating:
"We ought to show something greater than forgiveness in meeting the cruelties and stricture in our lives. To be hurt and to forgive is saintly, but far beyond this is the power to comprehend and not be hurt. This power we may have — acceptance without complaint — and it should become associated with our name. We ought never to be known to complain or lament. It is not that we make the best of things, but that we may find in everything, even in calamity itself, the germ of enduring wisdom. We ought not to resist the shocks and upheavals of life, nor run counter to obstacles, we ought never to be impatient. We ought to be as incapable of impatience as we would to revolt. This is not being so much 'long suffering' as a quiet awareness of the forces that operate in the hours, days or years of waiting and inactivity. Always we ought to move with the larger rhythm, the wider sweep towards our ultimate goal, in that complete acquiescence, that perfect accord which underlies the spirit of the Faith itself." — Attributed to Bahiyyah Khanum( "The Passing of Bahiyyah Khanum" by Marjorie Morton in "Crystalizations," page 174).
The above quotation is also on a drawing at the following site:
http://www.myheartsart.com/drawing.html The creator of the poster is Jameelah Sheridan.
Here is a prayer that seems to fit with this guidance:
"If any differences arise amongst you, behold Me standing before your face, and overlook the faults of one another for My name's sake and as a token of your love for My manifest and resplendent Cause. We love to see you at all times consorting in amity and concord within the paradise of My good-pleasure, and to inhale from your acts the fragrance of friendliness and unity, of loving-kindness and fellowship. — Baha'u'llah (Gleanings From the Writings of Baha'u'llah, page 315)
Quotations on acquiescence and amity compiled by Claire and Dennis Cline of Augusta, Maine USA
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LIVE FOODS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
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By DAVIS EDGY
I have rheumatoid arthritis and have been in constant, severe pain in all the joints in my arms, legs and neck for the past two-and-one-half years..
It stopped my life, and I thank God every day that I didn't get this when I was younger, as so many people do.
I was on three different drugs for two years, but the disease was still very painful day and night, and progressing. Then, I found a naturopathic doctor in Vancouver and began a complete detoxification program. I went off the drugs gradually, began eating only live foods, raw organic fruits and vegetables, brown rice, whole grains and raw nuts. I did a three-month parasite cleanse, went for colonics hydrotherapy and had my colon cleansed.
Then I moved in with the doctor and did a 21-day fast of just purified water and total rest.
What an incredible difference it made. My fingers straightened out, the knobs on my feet receded, and I am able to wear shoes again. The pain backed off about 70 percent, and my energy level was better, not to mention the weight loss — a bonus.
Now I continue with a diet of live foods, with some fish, farm chicken and wild meat, prayer, exercise and lots of rest. This ongoing detoxifying process has given me my life back again. I am gradually working on decreasing the pain further as I detoxify, doing strength exercises and getting back to complete health.
Hygiene has helped thousands of patients with all kinds of diseases, such as AIDS, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, MS (multiple sclerosis) and fibromyalgia, and I believe it is definitely worth investigating if you have health issues. The Internet is a good place to begin, as well as Dr. Herbert Shelton's books, which you can find at health food stores.
I pray that this gives hope to some of your readers, and a place to start or continue their own research for health.
— Davis Edgy lives in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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2004 BAHA’I CONFERENCE
ON SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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This year's Baha'i Conference on Social and Economic Development (SUED) is being held December 16-19 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
Conference workshop sessions are related to the theme: "Developing Greater Capacity to Address Humanity's Urgent Needs." Other workshops are aimed especially at youth and deal with monitoring and life planning.
Speakers will include counselor Roebuck Murphy (U.S.), counselor David R.
Smith (Canada), Forebears Samba (Canada), and Robert C. Henderson, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States.
Click on the following link for a complete program overview:
http://www.rabbanitrust.org/program_overview.hum
Click on this link for full conference and online registration details:
(http://www.rabbanitrust.org/Baha’i_sued_conference.hum)
NOTE: If you are a health professional with an interest in serving humanity, check out the details of the Dec. 16 "Health for Humanity"
mini-Conference in Orlando, Florida USA at:
http://www.healthforhumanity.org/content
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WHOLE FOODS
RECIPE SWAP
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CABBAGE IN TOMATO SAUCE
Ah, the lowly cabbage! This inexpensive vegetable becomes a prince when prepared with tomato sauce, olive oil and garlic. And remember. The nutritional benefits of cabbage makes it a royal superstar among veggies.
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1 1/2 pounds cabbage, cut into 1/4-inch strips (about 8 cups)
3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped, or a large can of chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 cloves of pressed garlic (to taste)
Heat the olive oil and pressed garlic in a heavy, Tunisia skillet, add the onions and cook them over moderate heat, stirring constantly for 2 or 3 minutes. When they are transparent but not brown, stir in the cabbage, tomatoes, salt and a few grindings of pepper.
Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Serve in a heated bowl. This recipe can be served with pasta or rice (cook separately), as a separate dish, or to accompany a fish or meat course.
(Please share your favorite, healthy recipes with this column. Send them to the editor of this newsletter at: dreams@uninets.net)
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QUESTION OF THE MONTH
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What do the Baha'i writings say on breast feeding and how long a baby should be breast fed? We would also love to hear about the experiences of our dear friends in this regard. — Very sincerely, Hidayatullah Neakakhtar, Pakistan
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READER REQUESTS ASSISTANCE
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I have a 3-year-old daughter whose favorite word is "no." She will often pout, cry and stubbornly refuse to do many things I ask. I have tried various ways to get her to cooperate, but she seems to be getting the upper hand. I do not believe in spanking a child. I hope she is just going through a phase. I hope some experienced parents can help. — Frustrated Mom
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NEW EDITOR FOR NEWSLETTER
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We are happy to announce that we have found a new editor for this newsletter. Her name is Cheryll S. McCarty Schuette of Ann Arbor, Michigan USA.. We will be working together on the January 2005 issue during this transition. More information about our new editor will follow in the January issue.
I am planning to stay on as contributing editor. Thank you for all your beautiful, caring support this year. — Sincerely, Lynn Ascrizzi
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LETTERS
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MAKE YOUR OWN GLYCONUTRIENTS
In response to the Mannatech debate, you can actually make your own glyconutrient supplement. The following link explains how. It is written by Dr. David Bird MbChB, Dip Clinical Nutrition, FACNEM:
http://www.lit.net.a/~bird/glyconutrients.hum — Loran
LOOK WITH AN UNBIASED EYE
This is in response to some of the questions about glyconutritionals as expressed by individuals who read your newsletter.
I have taken glyconutrients for six years, and they were the only thing that helped me lift out of the oppressive fog and pain caused by chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. I had been ill and off work for six months and was desperate, yet extremely skeptical.
I am an instructor of nursing and needed to see some independent scientific evidence. I researched the Internet for scientific support and found many studies on glyconutrients had been done, most of them in Europe over the past 20 years. Some studies were on individual, simple glyconutrients; others used several glyconutrients together. All the studies were conducted apart from any company selling the product. The results were so positive, I decided to try the glyconutrient products from Mannatech, Inc.
To learn more about the actual science behind the products, go to www.glycoscience.com Yes, this Web site is Mannatech-sponsored, but much of the quoted research is based on independent studies. This Web site has been recognized and honored by HO (Health on the Net) a foundation and non-governmental organization founded in 1996, in consultation with UNESCO.
The Mannatech Company does not make any claims to curing disease but bases its work on the science of glycobiology or glycomics, as outlined in Chapter
25 of Harper's Biochemistry textbook, Third edition.
The basic principle, is that our body cells have protein receptors on their outer surfaces which are designed to fit with certain simple sugars
(glyconutrients) to promote optimum cellular function and communication.
When these sugars are missing, the cell is limited in its ability to function, and over time, this can result in disease. Replacing the missing sugars seems to provide body cells with nutrients needed to gradually return to a more normal function, and, in many cases, reverse the disease process.
This reversal is not immediate and not even complete for many people, but the science behind it indicates something of importance is happening.
In last year's February 2003 issue of Technology Review magazine, an MIT enterprise, glycomics was named in its annual innovation issue as one of the "10 Emerging Technologies That Will Change the World." Glycomics is a discipline of biology that deals with the structure and function of oligosaccharides (chain of sugar).
Mannatech was invited to participate in the Second Annual Emerging Technologies Conference at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Sept. 29-30, 2004. It was one of 25 exhibitors selected from a pool of 120 showcase applicants by Technology Review. Companies present their technology to an international audience of entrepreneurs, inventors and investors.
Mannatech was the only dietary supplement company that participated in this event.
Mannatech distributes its products through networking. The company has a branch that raises money for research and product purchase to give products free of charge to needy children throughout the world. To learn more, go to:
If you make an unbiased investigation into people's life experiences with glyconutrients, you will see a pattern of healing. Not everyone benefits from them, and of those who do respond, not all have a complete recovery.
But, for many people, glyconutrients seem to provide the body with what it is lacking to rebuild health. — Nan Hsieh
DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER
I have lived with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for the past seven years. In that time I have had any number of medications, diets, supplements and treatments recommended to me by friends who sincerely believed that my cure was at hand. I tried each one, from the ordinary to the bizarre.
Glyconutrients might be helpful for some people, but for me, they were not effective. And, no, I did not take them for six months, much to the dismay of the two friends who recommended them, who know of two others with my disease who have been cured. To me, that always sends up a red flag. Cured. Hmmm.
I prayed for guidance in the decision to try them. Glyconutrients are expensive. If they worked for me I would not mind. They must be ordered from a company representative, and I was encouraged to become such a rep myself.
I absolutely balked at that idea. I may have continued if I could have bought the supplements at a local health food store. So, I felt guided to try them and equally guided to stop.
Frankly, I believe that many people experience good results due to the simple increase in water consumption that taking them gives and not due to the substance itself. Vitamin usage, as recommended by the company, would be helpful for any person. Is the improvement due to the glyconutrients or to the vitamins?
I personally know two families who swear that their own health has dramatically improved from taking glyconutrients. I also know another lady who tried them for a significant period of time and felt no improvement. The glyconutrient story sounds the same to me as all the other wonder treatments and miracle cures that have come my way and have left me disappointed.
I do not wish to judge for anyone other than myself. I pray for continued guidance to make sound choices for better health. Recently a physical therapist has given me an exercise and movement routine which has been quite effective. We must all keep trying.—Joyce in Arizona
PRAISE FOR MARKOVITCH
What a fabulous article by Nancy Markovitch! What a woman of courage and faith. — Linda Javelin Popov
(Editor's Note: Nancy Markovitch's stories about her positive struggles with leukemia were published in the October and November 2004 issues.)
A THANK YOU
I'm sorry to hear that Lynn Ascrizzi has to retire from doing this newsletter. I love how she incorporates Baha’i writings in each newsletter.
I hope whoever takes over this newsletter does the same. I look forward to each newsletter and see I'm not alone in that feeling. I want to thank her for all she has done, all she has given to making this a successful, informative newsletter. — Sincerely, Jacqueline
P.S. Reach high for the stars hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
Editor's Note: Thank you for your kind thoughts. The wonderful tradition of using Baha'i quotations in each issue began with the newsletter's founder, Frances Mezei.
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PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
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All of us have had healing experiences — physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual. Please share your stories and other ideas about staying healthy in a stressful world. Your articles do not have to be long — just a few paragraphs will suffice. Encouragement is a big part of a healthy lifestyle, and sharing stories and ideas that work for you brings encouragement to others.
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WHERE TO SEND STORIES & CORRESPONDENCE
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Many thanks to all of you who share helpful ideas for "Healing Through Unity" Newsletter. We welcome submissions from everyone. The decision to select and edit material submitted for publication is determined by the editor.
Please e-mail your stories, comments, suggestions or "Question for the Month" ideas to newsletter editor Lynn ASCRIZZI, at: dreams@uninets.net
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WEB SITE
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You can visit our Web site, obtain back issues and the Healing Through Unity Course at: http://www.healingthroughunity.org.
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PURPOSE OF THE NEWSLETTER
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"Healing Through Unity" is published for the purpose of sharing thoughts, comments and experiences on how the teachings of the Baha'i Faith are being applied to physical and spiritual health. Other than the quoted Holy Writings, the material in this newsletter represents the thoughts and opinions of the writers and has no authority. None of the material published in this newsletter is intended to be a substitute for the advice of your physician.
All materials provided on this site are for informational and educational purposes only. Although the methods described are primarily lifestyle changes, it is important to let your health care provider know of any changes you are making, especially if you are taking any medication.
You are free to copy articles, provided you indicate the source of the article. There are 10 issues per year; it is not published during July and August. The newsletter is produced in Freedom, Maine, USA.
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SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:
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Please e-mail all new subscriptions, subscription cancellations and e-mail address changes (please include old address along with new one) to rocketman@mwt.net
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