 | Joseph P. Galichia, MD is the founder and Medical Director of the Galichia Medical Group, PA. He is an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of interventional cardiology. In the 70's, Dr. Galichia studied in Zurich, Switzerland with the inventors of the balloon angioplasty technique for treating heart disease. As a result of his experience, he was able to bring this historic technique back to the United States where he was one of the first physicians to perform coronary angioplasty here. A noted medical spokesman, he appears on a weekly Newstalk segment on KWCH Channel 12 and has a weekly syndicated radio talk show on KNSS 1330 AM every Saturday live from 11:00 am to noon. Dr. Galichia may be contacted by sending an e-mail to service@galichia.com |
Health & Medicine
2004-02-01 15:36:00
What are glyconutrients?
QUESTION: Glyco-nutrients seem to be one of the hottest topics in the country… I was wondering what a cardiologist has to say about them.
ANSWER: In order for cells in our body to function correctly, four major classes of biomolecules are needed. These include proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. Proteins are primary communication molecules for cells. In recent years it has been learned that not enough protein configurations existed and that another code was needed. It has been discovered that glycoproteins, protein molecules bound with carbohydrate molecules provided the extra substances needed for cellular function. It has been hypothesized that carbohydrates other than glucose were needed for this process. A great deal of interest had been placed in other sugars such as mannose, fucose, and xylose. These other sugar molecules may be important in providing enough components for glycoprotein molecules. It has not been firmly established that supplementary sugars in the forms other than glucose are needed to maintain normal cellular function. Nevertheless, the number of nutraceutical companies have promoted these products as a treatment for many illnesses including arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. These glyconutritional supplements may or may not be helpful but their value remains questionable in the eyes of most physicians. A great deal of research is being done in this area, which may give us more confidence in recommending these substances in the future.
