There’s plenty of evidence that a high-sugar diet can come with some very damaging health risks. Too much sugar has been linked to increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, reduced “good” cholesterol, inflammation, insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
But that doesn’t mean all sugar is bad for you.
Added Sugars versus Natural Sugars
Added sugars, like the ones in doughnuts and soda, are the ones to be more concerned about. Put simply, added sugars are any sugar that gets added to food – either by you, a chef, or a food manufacturer = before it goes in your mouth. These sugars are calorie-dense with few nutritive benefits and can cause rapid increases in blood sugar and increase the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. They are also linked to heightened rates of obesity and heart disease.
A Natural or “Rare” Sugar Known As D-Mannose Effectively Treats UTIs
Mannose is a natural sugar that’s produced in the human body from glucose or converted into glucose when it’s consumed in fruits and vegetables. “D-Mannose” is the term used when sugar is packaged as a nutritional supplement.
Natural sugars are the ones found in whole, unprocessed foods — the fructose in bananas or berries, or lactose in a glass of skim milk, says Vanessa Voltolina LaBue, RDN, a clinical dietitian in private practice in New York City.
A Natural or “Rare” Sugar Known As D-Mannose Effectively Treats UTIs
Mannose is a natural sugar that’s produced in the human body from glucose or converted into glucose when it’s consumed in fruits and vegetables. “D-Mannose” is the term used when sugar is packaged as a nutritional supplement.
A great deal of research has been carried out on the use of sugars in the care of infections’, says researcher Anne Usvalampi, who recently wrote her dissertation on the microbiological production of rare sugars.
‘For example, mannose can be used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). Mannose’s effectiveness is based on its ability to cover the adhesion organs of the bacteria causing the infection, whereupon the bacteria cannot remain in the human body and is instead flushed out with urine’, Heikki Ojamo explains. Watch this video to see how the D-Mannose sugar molecules cause the E Coli bacteria to be flushed out of your bladder.
‘Rare sugars do not increase insulin levels, and as such, they are suited for diabetics’, Anne Usvalampi explains.
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How Can Sugar Be Safe for Diabetics?
D-Mannose is similar to glucose, but it is absorbed more slowly in the gastrointestinal tract. This accounts for its lower glycemic index. Compared with actual glucose, which is readily absorbed and has a glycemic index of 100, mannose must first be converted into fructose and then into glucose, significantly blunting the insulin response and reducing its impact on blood sugar levels.
After mannose is absorbed by the gut, it is not stored in the liver like glucose but is filtered out of the body directly by the kidneys.
D-Mannose is rapidly absorbed and reaches organs within 30 minutes, after which it may be excreted via the urinary tract. The human body can’t metabolize or store D-Mannose, though it is possible much of it is metabolized by bacteria in the gut. Any effect on blood sugar levels should be minimal. For this reason, many sources claim D-mannose is safe for use by diabetics. https://draxe.com/nutrition/supplements/d-mannose-uti/
D-Mannose Is Now Being Investigated for Its Ability To Suppress Diabetes
A new study led by Dr. Wanjun Chen suggests that D-Mannose may even suppress diabetes. Using a mouse model of autoimmune diabetes, they found that D-mannose, an epimer of glucose that occurs in plants and fruits, can suppress type 1 diabetes and asthmatic lung inflammation.
In this study, they supplemented small amounts of D-mannose in the drinking water of diabetic mice before they developed any symptoms. Strikingly, this prevented the development of diabetes in these mice, while mice drinking regular water became ill. Additionally, supplementation of D-mannose in drinking water also prevented airway inflammation in the lungs of asthmatic mice.
My wife, a type 1 diabetic, had her blood sugar go way, way up (over 300 and she had difficulty getting it down) from d-mannose each time she took a gram. She’s on a pump and has good control normally. Sad, because it was working for her UTI.
Hi Allen: we’re sorry to hear that your wife had an adverse reaction to D-Mannose. Based on the medical research that we continue to conduct each week, there is no other natural alternative to antibiotics which has been proven to provide relief from UTI symptoms. The FDA has recently approved cranberry capsules which contain a minimum of 36 mg of PAC’s (proanthocyanidins) for the prevention of UTIs. While this will not get rid of the bacteria in the bladder associated with an active UTI, it may help her avoid future UTI’s.
Just want to add for anyone else reading this, 1g of d-mannose has repeatedly caused extremely wide blood sugar swings in me. I am pre-diabetic (5.7% A1C), not diabetic, but I check regularly because of family history. I’ve never been above 170 even after carb-rich or sugar-rich meals. Fasting levels 95-100. But after dosing d-mannose my glucometer got a reading of 245, and in the days preceeding that I was having major blood sugar crashes, probably from other spikes that happened when I wasn’t measuring, along with terrifyingly strong “blood sugar crash” feelings even when my readings were in the 110-120 range.
As far as I can tell there’s *no* mechanism by which this should be possible, and it sucks because d-mannose is the best thing ever for UTIs, but the hard data of my glucometer is incontrovertible.
Hi Andrew: yes, we are hearing from some of our customers that the D-Mannose works to alleviate the symptoms of their UTI’s but has an impact on their sugar levels. So, other than antibiotics, there are no real alternatives for diabetics for clearing the baceria out of the bladder. One suggestion is that after taking a course of antibiotics, immediately follow up a daily cranberry extract capsule which contain a minimum of 36 mg PAC (proanthocyanidins), which has been proven to PREVENT future UTIs by not allowing the bacteria to stcik to the bladder wall. A recommended source of these casules is Cranberry Plus at http://www.goodbye-uti.com.
Confusing. You say it’s ok for diabetics, then specify Type 1. The last comment talks about big spikes in glucose. I’m type 2, post-menopausal, prone to UTI. I’ve been prescribed estrogen cream. My sister wants me to try this but I dont want something that spikes my glucose. What’s up??
This is a rare sugar product. We always advise anyone who has diabetes to consult with their doctor before taking this product. The scientists have approved this product for use by diabetics because it stays in the system a very short period of time, but only your dcotr will know if your diabetes is serious enough to avoid taking it.
My blood sugars rose to a dangerous level after using the clinical strength azo dmannose. unfortunately, it works on the bladder but destroys diabetics.
Hi Debbie: you may want to look at Goodbye UTI’s Extra Strength Formula for UTI’s which consists primarily of apple cider vinegar, which has positive effects for diabetics. It has only a minor amount of D-Mannose in the formulation. Check it out here: https://goodbye-uti.com/products/extra-strength-goodbye-uti-liquid