Have the glyconutrient producta sold by Mannatech proven to be of real
value to users or is this just a type of "scam" that many illegitimate
companies have used?

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Clarification of Question by slorose1-ga on 14 Feb 2005 14:13 PST

I am seeking more information on Mannatech products, specifically if
their use can dimish my chronic pain and also reduce my need for
morphine and pain medication side effects. List price is increased to
$20 in order to encourage further research.

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Clarification of Question by slorose1-ga on 18 Feb 2005 12:56 PST

stoerman ga Thank you for your answer. Could you please look up
Mannatech products and give me an opinion as to its value for pain
compared to other products you are familiar with. Any information on
the product, even of a more general nature would be helpful. Thanks

"Mannatech, a multilevel marketing health products firm, is promoting
itself as a "nutraceutical frontrunner." "Nutraceutical" is a
marketing term for foods alleged to favorably alter the structure or
function of the body beyond what normal foods can accomplish. The
company's lead product, Manapol, is simply aloe vera juice."

"Mannatech tells consumers scientific studies show its nutritional
supplements are safe, promote good health and are even covered by a
health insurance plan. Investors have been given another story. In
documents for its initial public stock sale in February, 1999,
Mannatech told potential buyers it doesn't know whether its products
were safe, or even if they worked."

--William T. Jarvis, Ph.D. [http://www.ncahf.org/articles/j-n/mannatech.html]

Also see:
http://www.masmith.inspired.net.au/docs/mannatec.htm

"Mannatech?s claims for Ambrotose were particularly compelling, due to
the apparent existence of an independent, Government-funded scientific
research study, published in a medical journal, proving its
effectiveness...[T]his study was said to have been funded by the USA
National Institutes of Health, and conducted at the prestigious
University of California Irvine Medical School (UCI). The author,
Associate Clinical Professor Dr Darryl See, was already known as an
immunologist with an interest in CFS...[I]n August 1999, the Orange
County Register and the Los Angeles Times carried stories that See?s
work was under investigation at UCI [5]. They said he had been asked
to resign following internal audits into the conduct of some of his
previous research - there had been allegations of conflict of
interest, and he had broken research rules...[T]he so-called "National
Institutes of Health study of 196 natural products", which had been
the jewel in Mannatech?s crown, was now shown to be neither
independent, nor Government funded - if indeed it had ever been done
at all. Mannatech?s prestigious spokesman was not only no longer
Clinical Professor of Medicine of UCI, but had apparently left under a
cloud."

deantravers information is helpful but I am still looking for current
information on the value of Mannatech'sproducts.

I am considering taking it for chronic pain.  Will Mannatech's
products help, are they worth the cost?
I am taking morphine for some relief and want very much to stop taking
pain medications. Any further information that is not biased would be
very helpfull.

The infiormation supplied by deantravers-ga is certainly helpful and I
would be glad to have the $10fee go to him for his effort. I am
willing to renew the same fee to anyone who can supply further current
information that will help me in my decision to use the Mannateech
products for pain relief or to confirm my doubts that it would be of
little or no help and not worth the cost for a product that is more
hype than help.

Hi Slorose -
I work for a company that produces trade shows for natural and organic
products. I do regulatory compliance for the company, which means I
review the marketing materials from our exhibitors (including dietary
supplement companies) for their compliance with FDA regulations. I can
tell you that no dietary supplement has ever been proven to FDA to
reduce chronic pain. I would be very skeptical of such claims (in
fact, the claim itself -- 'reduction of chronic pain' -- would be
illegal for any dietary supplement. That claim would make the product
a drug). I'm not specifically familiar with the products you're
referring to; perhaps there is some good research on them. Obviously
proper diet/nutrition and good sleep are important to your overall
health. Supplements could play an important role in that, but don't
expect a miracle.

Well, mannotech is one of those products that you have to try yourself
and see how it responds to your body.  A patient of mine had me "sign
up" and I brgan to take it.  In three days I noticed it harder for me
to breathe.  I called the help line and they said it was a "cleansing
reaction".  trained and experience in natural medicine for over 20
years, I went along.  A month pased and my breathing became worse and
I was getting tired.  By the second month, I really felt liek there
was water on my lungs and called again and they said " That is a
cleansing response."  Knowing that such a response only need go on for
3 to 7 days, I told them this.  They referred me to their MD or
whatever he was, and he got back to me a week later!  He told me it
was a cleansing reaction...I didnot agree by then as I stopped taking
it and in two days, the problem had cleared.  On the third day I took
it and BINGO!  Water onthe lungs.  I stopped and everthing becamse
well again.

It was a product NOT for my body and I stopped prescribing it as well
as some others had the same response.  You are better going to a
professional and asking how to know more about how your body responds
to food, water etc., and learn rather than take another pill for pain
relief.

Dr. J.N Nauss

There is a question about Mannatech and the product line. Everyone is
not approaching this right. First of all the information in the
previous answers has mentioned the web site "Quackbusters" as the true
basis for the misleading information they are giving. Quackbusters is
in it's own problems; they are not the expert that the site tries to
lead you to think. You can read about the court case that the web site
is involved in. I have listed them below and don't want to take any
more time on that website (funded by the pharmaceutical industry) and
old news. In 10 years in business look at all the good that Mannatech
has done for so many, not just one source of bad news ? then the
source is not creditable. There are many good news article and website
on Mannatech.

What I do want to do is to answer the question and get everyone on the right page.

First these products that are produced by Mannatech are FOODS and as
we all know foods DON"T cure or treat disease. So everyone needs to
get that point. All of the answers that I have read in any online
bulletin board about Mannatech go back to the treat and cure claims,
which only DRUGS can do. Only Drugs cure diseases and only Drugs treat
diseases. So the Mannatech products DO NOT cure or treat any disease.
I hope now we are on the same page.

Now on the subject of foods I want to keep this simple, hopefully this
example will make it clear. We all know what the cause of "Scurvy" is.
We learned this in school. It was all about the "Limes" and the
Sailors, the ships went out to sea and the sailors came down with
scurvy, but once the limes were introduced back into the diet the
"Symptoms" were gone. So when the body is lacking Vitamin C we come
down with the SYMPTOMS of scurvy. So a Question is ?Does Vitamin C
cure scurvy??  Now another question "Do FOODS have any bearing on our
overall health, how we age and how we feel on a day to day basis?" If
your answer is "NO" show the science. Why do we eat on a daily basis?
Another question - "Do we all eat right foods today?" Question - "Are
our foods the same as your Grandparents had?" So over time has your
body been getting what is needed in your diet? Are the environmental
stresses (Water & air) the same as your grandparents? So with all of
the factors today, your body is dealing with a lot of issues on a
daily basis.  I want to say Mannatech does not have the magic bullet
and there are a lot of other products out there that are needed as
dietary supplements in our diet. But Mannatech carries a line of
"Standardized" products. This is hard to find in the natural food
arena. Standardized foods missing from our diet, like VINE ripened
fruits and vegetables, Glyconutrients and foods that support the
endocrine system (Hormones) and it is the BODY that heals and repairs,
not the food. When the body is given the right "Fuel" to burn the body
can then do some wonderful things. In our diet we are not lacking in
DRUGS, we are lacking some good nutrition, exercise and rest.
For example, try running a "Top Fuel Dragster" down the racetrack with
the standard unleaded gas in the tank. The car is designed for a
higher octane of fuel. The body was designed for a better fuel than we
have been giving it. So by putting the better fuel into the body, the
BODY can then heal, defend and repair. That is how simple Mannatech is
and the product line. There is a lot of scientific validation on the
subject of how foods affect the body and now the new nutrient that has
been found to be missing in our diet and is "ESSENTIAL" are
"Glyconutrients", this is not a drug it is a food. Remember foods DO
NOT cure anything, but science has shown that giving the right
nutrition the body has the amazing capacity to repair and/or heal
itself of just about any condition.
 Here is a site to get some of the basics and there is a tab that
shows some of the validation. www.glycoinformation.info This is also
something that Mannatech did not discover but they have an excellent
product. This science has been around long before Mannatech. Dr
McAnalley PhD when with Carrington labs (now with Mannatech)
discovered the active ingredient in Aloe, an essential carbohydrate
?Mannose?. There are several other award-winning doctors involved in
this science. All you have to do is to do a search on "Google" and
look at the different sites studying this science. You will find a lot
of sites promoting Mannatech these are independent associates, but
bypass them and look at the science of "Glycobiology". You can look at
all of the science on Glycobiology it is everywhere. Mannatech has the
Glyco product, Patent is pending in the US, the patent has been issued
in many other countries.
The reason that people that use the Mannatech products have such good
results in all different areas is that the products work. They give
the body some essential nutrients that are missing from our diet. The
body does the rest. If you want to know "HOW", I guess you would be a
candidate for Medical school. Mannatech and its associates do not
claim any treatments or cures. If one does they are WRONG. The fact is
the findings are real people, and real things happening. The body is
amazing, something we are still learning so much about.

So my strong suggestion to slorose1-ga is to move forward in trying
this product. Everyone is different so people get different results in
different lengths of time. Everybody is different in the break down
process of aging and everyone is different in the healing process.
Remember it is a food. Feed your body with these nutrients and keep
this board posted with your results.

Example, if we were stranded, without food and water and it was to the
real serious point for both of us. We come across a farmer?s house,
the farmer?s wife feeds us with good home cooking and we both ate the
same foods. Within a week you jump up and you are ready to go on, I am
not I am not strong enough. Why? We rested the same we ate the same.




The following are some links that will explain ?Quackbusters?

http://www.quackpotwatch.org/opinionpieces/quacksurv2005.htm 

For more background on Quackbusters:

    http://www.njnhc.org/articles/swanson-2.htm  
    Deconstructing the Quackbusters and their myths about alternative
health; 4-part series by Kent Swanson

    http://www.quackpotwatch.org/opinionpieces/RacketeeringColorado.htm  
    Quackbusters Accused of "Racketeering" (RICO) in Colorado...
    Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen; Thursday, August 12th, 2004 

    http://www.ghchealth.com/forum/post-121.html  
    Medscape - Your Credibility is on the Line...
    An Open Letter to Medscape
    Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen; Saturday, November 13th, 2004 

    http://www.happyherbalist.com/quackbusters_busted.htm  
    California Superior Court Judge Rules on Quackbuster "Credibility"
(This is a copy of the original Court document signed by Judge
Fromholz.)

Tip $5

Tip $5 to deantravers-ga
$10 to afbinor-ga
$5 to jnaturalga
$5 to staorman
all were helpful as the question may be unanswerable

My aunt, (I can get you her phone number, she's a real person) started
taking glyconutrition for her arthritis.  She developed a case of
arthritis in her hips, legs and knees and the BEST course of action
her doctor could take, was to prescribe a pain medication.  She said
the pain medication took the pain away minimally and there was not a
moment of the day she was without pain.  My friend told her about
glyconutrition and she skeptically started taking it.  She said in a
month the pain went away a little bit, and the last thing she wanted
to credit the pain going away to, was the new glyconutrients she had
added to her diet.  So she stopped taking them for 5 days.  She said
at the end of the 5 days, she could not believe how much pain she was
in.  She then got back on the glyconutrition.  3 months later she was
100% pain free and off of her pain prescription medicine.  The part
that makes me so mad is this is the best course of action her doctor
could take-prescribe her something that only suppressed the symptoms
and was never going to heal or prevent the ailment (90% of drugs only
suppress symptoms) AND it had side effects like nausea and
constipation.  Through glyconutrition she is now able to live 100%
pain free; something her doctor would say, is not possible.

Please read this scientific article:
http://www.glycoscience.org/glycoscience/start_frames.wm?FILENAME=G002

Doctor's have found that arthritis is linked to a lack of the
galactose sugar molecule in the body.  People don't understand how
these 8 biologically active sugars (glyconutrients) can do so much,
because they usually mis-associate sugar with the only sugar they
know, which is sucrose or fructose.  The fact is, there are over 200
naturally occuring sugars in nature.  The doctor/editor that wrote
Harper's Biochemistry (Dr. Murray), one of my M.D. friend's used this
textbook in school, is now a member of the board of doctor's at
Mannatech.

Science Magazine is the most prestigious and widely read scientific
publication in the world. Forty-two pages of the March 23, 2001 issue
of Science were devoted to describing the incredible new field of
research that has so excited Medicine, Biotech companies, and the
Pharmaceutical industry. From cancer and genetic defects, to
inflammation, anti-aging, infections, and much more, this new
information is revolutionizing the way medicine will be practiced. The
exciting news is you don't have to wait on new drug development that
is years away. The new category of nutrients those "drugs" will be
based on is available now.

In 2003, for the first time in the history of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, MIT invited a nutrition company to present
their information to the distinguished University.  After this
presentation, MIT called Glycomics (the scientific study of
glycobiology), one of the TOP 10 technologies that WILL change our
future.  In the MIT science and technology publication that year,
Glycomics made the cover of their magazine and 46 pages of MIT's
magazine were devoted to this new technology.

I don't know if you're a Christian or not, but you'll never see an
unbeliever in hell.  Once they get there, they sure become a believer.
 Christianity is the #1 humanitarian effort on earth.  When someone
has beliefs like believing in the stars, their belief prompts them to
do nothing but talk about the stars.  It doesn't prompt them to any
action.  When your faith is centered on unconditional love, it forces
you to be a part of the #1 humanitarian effort in the world.  That's
why it's #1.  I say all this because people who talk about
glyconutrition in a negative way are just talk, they haven't seen any
first hand experience with a loved one's health being changed by it,
so they will continue to talk negatively about it.  Their negativity
forces them to collect negative ideas.  When they actually stand up
and do something, and give it to someone with health problems, see
their health radically restored, they can't do anything but talk about
it and give it to other people because it works.  When this happens
you will see you can literally change people's lives as it works with
genetic disorders, auto-immune and immuno-deficiency disorders, etc. 
If you're a skeptic, simply accept that it's just non-toxic food
(people give this to their new born babies), and get it to someone
with a health condition.  Make sure they take enough of it for a long
enough time (atleast 90-180 days) and I guarantee you won't be posting
your negative comments any longer.  PROVE ME WRONG.  I say this
because people I PERSONALLY KNOW who HAD: arthritis, skin cancer,
hepatitis C, rheumatiod arthritis, diabetes, fibromyalga, chronic
fatigue, don't have those conditions any longer.  All your negative
comments mean nothing to me because I've seen it work and people are
off of their prescription medication that was doing nothing but
killing them.  Properly prescribed drugs are now the 4th leading cause
of death.  Get out there and do something about your friends and
families health before they are dead!  You can make a difference right
here and now.  If you research Christianity on the internet, you're
going to get more negative articles than you would with Mannatech. 
But Christianity is still the truth.