Information from 'Breakthroughs In Health Vol. 1 Issue 2
We all want a strong immune system to zap viruses and other invaders, but we don't want our immune systems to attack our own cells. When that happens, the result is an autoimmune disease, such as lupus erythnematosis (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis. Modern medicine has no cures, and treatments, such as steroids, can damage tissues, bones and immunity.
Studies now show that healthy sugars may offer significant help for those suffering from autoimmune conditions. So, while they up regulate the immune system when needed, they also slow down the immune system when it is in overdrive.
Why this occurs remains unclear, but saccharides are believed to influence communication between white blood cells and the chemicals they produce. This raises the possibility that a lack of saccharides could cause that communication to misfire, producing an inappropriate immune reaction such as autoimmunity.
Research published in the Journal of Autoimmunity found that patients with a variety of autoimmune diseases (including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and Sjogren's syndrome) were found to have disturbances in the essential sugars galactose and N-acetylglucosamine. Theoretically, at least, supplementing the diet with saccharides in the form of glyconutrients might help correct autoimmune symptoms by correcting the process by which saccharides are joined to proteins and fats on a cellular level, or glycosylation.
