Mannose is a simple sugar which is structurally related to glucose. It is absorbed by the body much more slowly than glucose, however; when ingested, it is not converted to glycogen or stored in the liver, but rather proceeds directly into the bloodstream as a source of energy. While small amounts of mannose are metabolized by the body, the majority of mannose consumed is excreted by the body via urine.
Evidence suggests that the e. coli bacteria can attach to mannose molecules, helping to remove it from the body. As a result, some practitioners may recommend mannose to help treat or prevent urinary tract infections. Mannose is also used in veterinary medicine to treat bacterial infections in animals, and to detect the presence of salmonella bacteria in animal feed.
To help treat urinary infections, some practitioners recommend 1 teaspoon of mannose, dissolved in water or juice and taken every 2-3 hours.
Mannose occurs naturally in a variety of fruits, including apples, blueberries, cranberries, oranges, and peaches. It is also available as a dietary supplement, usually as a liquid extract.
Test-tube studies have suggested that consuming large doses of mannose may cause birth defects. Although the risk of birth defects derived from mannose is considered extremely small, pregnant women should nevertheless consult with a licensed health care provider before taking mannose supplements.
As of this writing, there are no well-known drug interactions associated with mannose. As always, make sure to consult with a licensed health care provider before taking mannose or any other herbal remedy or dietary supplement.
References
Chronic pain afflicts over 20% of the adult population. Sadly, most MDs have essentially no education in treating pain, beyond offering a few toxic medications. Then they tend to steer people with pain away from those health practitioners who are trained. This puts the acupuncture community on the front lines for addressing this epidemic.
When the body is going through a stressful event, the sympathetic system is activated. This activation will help the body with a life-threatening situation. If this state is activated for prolonged periods of time, it starts to consume energy. These traumatic events that generate stressors in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) will eventually become internalized.
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One of the things that makes acupuncture so difficult to measure is that the medicine actually does contain some esoteric aspects. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the neurochemical reasoning behind why acupuncture points stimulate the autonomic nervous system to enact change However, not all the benefits of TCM can easily be measured by randomized, controlled trials. But does that make them fundamentally and definitively untrue?
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