An underrated functional natural sugar: D-mannitol
D- mannitol is a naturally occurring hexose, which is widely distributed in fruits, rhizomes and plants in nature. It is also the core component of polysaccharides from rare Chinese herbal medicines such as Dendrobium candidum and Bletilla striata, and its content is one of the core indicators to measure the quality of Dendrobium candidum. D- mannitol is not the main energy-supplying sugar in human body, and its metabolic utilization rate is extremely low, so it will not increase blood sugar quickly; At the same time, it is an important substance involved in the glycosylation modification of human protein, and it is a key active ingredient to regulate the body's immunity and mucosal barrier. Simply put, ordinary sugar is responsible for providing calories, and D- mannitol is responsible for regulating functions. It is a typical "functional natural sugar".
Low calorie, low sugar and light burden
The sweetness of D- mannitol is about 60% of sucrose, and its taste is sweet and soft, without bitter aftertaste, and its calorie is much lower than that of sucrose. At the same time, its glycemic index is extremely low, which will not cause violent fluctuation of blood sugar and stimulate a large amount of insulin secretion after intake, and is suitable for the dietary needs of people with sugar control, fat reduction and diabetes.
Multiple mechanisms help fight cancer
D- mannitol can inhibit tumor growth: all cells need to rely on glucose to provide energy, and cancer cells will madly draw glucose from the blood because of their fast growth. D- mannitol is similar to glucose in chemical structure, so it can be confused and transported into cells. However, it is found that when tumor cells ingest a large amount of D- mannitol, they will metabolize and produce a large amount of mannitol -6- phosphate, which can inhibit three enzymes involved in glucose metabolism, thus affecting intracellular glucose metabolism, making tumor cells lack nutrients and thus inhibiting their growth.
This study also found that when mannose was used in combination with cisplatin or adriamycin, the number of cell death was 2~3 times that of chemotherapy alone, which greatly enhanced the chemotherapy effect.
Prevention of urinary tract infection
Urinary tract infection is mainly caused by bacterial invasion, such as common Escherichia coli. D- mannitol can adhere to Escherichia coli, prevent it from combining with cells in the inner wall of bladder, and finally be washed out with urine, eliminating pathogenic bacteria, thus playing a role in preventing urinary tract infection. Moreover, another study pointed out that the effect of D- mannitol in preventing the risk of recurrent urinary tract infection in adult women is similar to that of antibiotics, and the side effects are small.
Auxiliary improvement of intestinal environment
D- mannitol is not digested and absorbed by the human gastrointestinal tract, but directly enters the large intestine, which can be used as a prebiotic to rapidly stimulate the proliferation of beneficial bacteria, improve the vitality of beneficial bacteria and improve the intestinal microecological environment. A study published in Cell Reports also shows that D- mannitol can resist the harmful effects of high-fat diet, and intestinal flora plays an important role in it. Researchers at the School of Basic Medicine of Southern Medical University also found that mannitol supplementation may be a potentially feasible method to treat colitis and other diseases related to intestinal barrier dysfunction.
Auxiliary protection of nervous system
Studies have shown that D- mannitol may have a protective effect on the nervous system. It plays a certain role in synthesizing neurotransmitters and maintaining the health of nerve cells, which is helpful to improve cognitive function and memory.
Auxiliary regulatory immunity
Studies by the National Institutes of Health and west china hospital found that D- mannitol can regulate the immune system and help the body prevent and inhibit the occurrence and development of autoimmune diseases, which is different from other sugars in promoting inflammation.
Application
Food field
At present, the mature commercial application of D- mannitol in food is mainly concentrated in European and American markets. It is a very popular functional dietary supplement raw material overseas, and it is still in the initial stage of cognitive popularization and product landing in China. The mainstream application form overseas is D- mannitol dietary supplement, and the most classic combination is cranberry extract. Relying on the synergistic effect of double bacteriostasis and urinary tract protection, it mainly prevents female recurrent urinary tract infection. With the advantages of mild safety and no antibiotic side effects, it has become a just-needed dietary product for daily maintenance in European and American families. In addition, overseas, a small amount of it is also used in sugar-free functional drinks and light meal replacement, as a low-burden functional sweet auxiliary material. It has not been widely popularized in China, and there is broad room for growth in the future.
Medical field
Many countries have proved that D- mannitol can competitively block pathogenic bacteria from adhering to urinary tract mucosa, effectively prevent and improve recurrent urethritis and cystitis, and reduce the recurrence probability of infection. It is a functional raw material for urinary tract maintenance widely used in the European Union and the United States, and its safety and effectiveness have been verified by the long-term market. At the same time, it is the core symptomatic medical raw material for the global clinical treatment of congenital glycosylation disorder, which can effectively make up for the metabolic defects of human glycosylation and provide routine intervention programs for patients with rare diseases, and belongs to the medical raw material that is just needed by a small group. In the field of biomedicine, it can be used as targeted drug carrier and pharmaceutical synthesis intermediate, and can be used for structural modification and research and development of anti-tumor and anti-virus drugs, and can also be used for research and development of some immunomodulatory and metabolic conditioning drugs. Many countries have proved that D- mannitol can competitively block pathogenic bacteria from adhering to urinary tract mucosa, effectively prevent and improve recurrent urethritis and cystitis, and reduce the recurrence probability of infection. It is a functional raw material for urinary tract maintenance widely used in the European Union and the United States, and its safety and effectiveness have been verified by the long-term market. At the same time, it is the core symptomatic medical raw material for the global clinical treatment of congenital glycosylation disorder, which can effectively make up for the metabolic defects of human glycosylation and provide routine intervention programs for patients with rare diseases, and belongs to the medical raw material that is just needed by a small group. In the field of biomedicine, it can be used as targeted drug carrier and pharmaceutical synthesis intermediate, and can be used for structural modification and research and development of anti-tumor and anti-virus drugs, and can also be used for research and development of some immunomodulatory and metabolic conditioning drugs.
Cosmetic field
D- mannitol, as a sugar raw material with good application foundation, is mainly used for moisturizing, soothing and skin conditioning in the field of cosmetics, and can be used in water emulsion, mask, essence and repair skin care products. With its mild raw material characteristics and good formula adaptability, it can meet the needs of skin moisturizing and basic care. At present, D- mannitol has been incorporated into the raw material system of cosmetics in China and many countries and regions, which has a good foundation for compliance application.
