What is the Glyconutrient N-acetyl Glucosamine and How Does it Benefit the Body

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The glyconutrient n-acetyl glucosamine, otherwise known as NAG, while essential to human life, is not available in our diet. It has to be synthesized within our bodies from one of the other essential sugars: glucose.

Chemistry is a wonderful and mysterious subject to many, and there is frequently confusion amongst laymen between the various derivatives of a specific substance. NAG is not the same as glucosamine and neither is it chitin, as some websites would have you believe. Chemically, NAG is the acetylated derivative of glucosamine, and we shall be discussing here the benefits of NAG to the human body, and not of glucosamine which is also essential to human biochemistry. NAG is produced in the body using glucosamine as the raw material.

Chitin is the hard substance that makes up seashells and insect carapaces and is formed from units of n-acetyl glucosamine. It is therefore a polysaccharide, and no more NAG than ethylene is the same as polyethylene (one a gas, the other a plastic solid). The two should not therefore be confused. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that is the first stage in the formation of NAG, and both offer their own specific benefits to our health and should not be confused.

NAG can then be further synthesized by the body to produce glycolipids and glycoproteins that are the messaging substances that sit on the surface of human cells to identify them from other types of cell, and also from interlopers that have to be dealt with by the immune system. NAG is therefore an essential component of the immune system that affects the health of everybody. This association of monosaccharides and amino sugars with the basic life processes has only recently been established, and is not yet fully understood.

In fact, human understanding of the human immune system has a long way to go, and more is being found as investigation continues. It was not expected that what had previously been regarded as unhealthy sugars that did nothing other than form fat would be found to be critical elements of the human immune system by which we live and die.

This amino sugar is formed in the body from glucose and the amino acid glutamine. Amino sugars are not only involved in the immune system, but also are absolutely essential to the structure of the basic building blocks of our bodies: the human cells. Not only are they involved in the structure of the cell surfaces and membranes, but also in the glue that holds the cells together.

N-acetyl glucosamine, and its precursor, glucosamine, are monosaccharides as glucose, mannose and fucose are, but they are what are termed amino-monosaccharides. They are combinations of monosaccharides and amino acids. NAG is only one of three such amino sugars that are essential to human life. Without them we could not exist.

Fortunately, the body normally gets sufficient raw materials to produce these amino sugars. In the case of NAG they are the amino acid glutamine, which is available in abundance since it is synthesized in the body from readily available raw materials, and glucose that is a sugar common in the average human diet. This amino sugar is specifically beneficial in the regeneration of cartilage and alleviation of the inflammation of our joints.

N-acetyl glucosamine is specifically beneficial in the treatment of osteoarthritis, the progression of which it can slow down, or in some cases even stop. It appears to do this by the stimulation the metabolism of cartilage cells, and also of the synovial tissue: the connective tissue that surrounds the joints.

This is because NAG is found in the exoskeleton of shellfish, it may cause reactions in people who are allergic to them. And, although there are no known reports of its toxicity, use NAG cautiously, and only after consulting a physician.

Women who are pregnant or nursing should always consult with a doctor before starting any new supplementation. While a recommended daily dosage for NAG has not been set, we recommend, for safety, that you limit yourself to lower dosages.

As you age, your skin dries out and tends to sag. There is a class of material called mucopolysaccharides that can retain water and maintain elasticity in your skin. However, as aging progresses, the ability of your body to produce these saccharides reduces and so your skin loses its moisture. This causes it to dry out and lose its vitality. If you take NAG as a supplement, then you can delay this effect since the glucosamines are effective in generating these mucopolysaccharides.

N-acetyl glucosamine has only one natural source, and it is not part of our diet. NAG can be obtained from the exoskeletons or shells of sea creatures such as crabs and lobsters. If you have a fish allergy then you have a problem with respect to this source of NAG supplementation. In such a case, the chemical can also be produced synthetically. There is no normal dietary source.

The natural source of this amino sugar is internal. As stated earlier, the body produces it from glucose and the amino acid glutamine. Glucose is freely available in the normal human diet, and generally a deficiency is unlikely. However, where it is believed that a supplement is needed, then it is likely best taken as part of a balanced combined glyconutrient supplement in which the eight essential sugars are available in the proportion that would normally be required.

Although there are dietary sources for many of these, and the others may be synthesized by the body’s biochemistry, circumstances such as major surgery, stress and normal aging can result in an impairment of the production of these essential products. Environmental toxins can also block the body’s biochemistry process. The conversion of amino acids and glucose to amino sugars is a complex and lengthy process, and can be bypassed by the use of a supplement.

The glyconutrient n-acetyl glucosamine is not only responsible for the effective operation of the immune system In combination with the other essential monosaccharides, but also possess a number of unique properties that enable it to help to maintain healthy joints and protect against many connective issue conditions.

~HealthCrazed.com

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