What Is D-Mannose?
D-mannose is a naturally-occurring sugar found in many different fruits but it’s found in high concentrations in apples and cranberries.
The traditional way of ingesting D-mannose is by drinking large quantities of cranberry juice. Although this will give you a healthy dose of D-mannose, there’s just one problem — cranberry juice is also very high in sugar.
Consuming high levels of sugars such as glucose and fructose from cranberry juice may lead to other negative health effects.
Supplementing D-mannose allows you to consume enough D-mannose to reach an effective dose without all the added sugar. Supplementation also allows more precise dosing of D-mannose itself — something that’s much harder to do with cranberry juice when the levels of D-mannose can vary significantly from one bottle of juice to another.
The Main Benefits of D-Mannose Include:
• Supports digestive health.
• Encourages healthy microbiome diversity.
• Supports the health of the kidneys, bladder, and urethra.
• Provides a source of energy.
The Science Behind D-Mannose
D-mannose is a type of sugar closely related to glucose.
In fact, the body uses glucose to manufacture its own mannose (both D-mannose and L-mannose). Likewise, we can also convert D-mannose into glucose to use as a source of energy, if needed.rnMost people take D-mannose for its ability to stop bacteria from attaching themselves to the urinary tract – thus reducing the ability for infectious bacteria to thrive in the urinary tract.
1. Urinary Tract Microbiome
The microbiome is a term used to describe the complex ecosystem of microbes living throughout the body – especially in the digestive tract and urinary systems.
It’s important to have an abundance of organisms living in these areas to resist overgrowth of harmful organisms such as E. coli, Candida, or Salmonella.
D-mannose is used to protect the urinary tract from an invasion of harmful organisms by preventing these bacteria from being able to attach themselves to the urinary tract wall – thus causing them to become flushed from the system during urination.
This works because of the similarities of D-mannose to glucose – allowing it to pass through the kidneys unchanged where it accumulates in the bladder.
Eventually, the D-mannose comes into contact with bacterial species living in the bladder or lower down in the urinary tract. Here, the D-mannose inhibits adhesion proteins found on infectious organisms like E. coli – making it very difficult to colonise the urinary tract.
2. Digestive Function
Our intestines are home to more than 100 trillion bacteria that form what’s known as the microbiome.
Research is investigating the role of the microbiome in supporting various aspects of human health including mood, digestive function, immune activity, and even cognitive function. An equilibrium of thousands of different bacterial and fungal species in the gut is essential for our overall health.
One of the most impactful things we can do to support the microbiome is consuming prebiotics on a regular basis.
Prebiotics are a class of compounds that work to feed various organisms living in the microbiome. They’re used to support the growth of “good bacteria” which in turn helps lower “bad bacteria” by outcompeting them.
D-mannose acts like a prebiotic in the digestive tract by providing sustenance for some of the good bacterial species living in the gut. This useful sugar compound takes it one step further by inhibiting the ability for bad bacterial species such as E. coli from thriving.
D-mannose supplements causes E. coli to stick together in clumps, preventing them from spreading into colonies around the digestive tract.
Too much E. coli in the digestive tract can cause long-term gastrointestinal discomfort and upset.
Is D-Mannose The Supplement For Me?
D-mannose supplementation is especially useful for people looking to improve the health of their urinary tract.
Instead of drinking large amounts of cranberry juice — which is exceptionally high in sugar — D-mannose offers a rich source of the active ingredient without any of the sugar.
Others may choose to take D-mannose to support the microbiome in combination with high-fibre diets, and foods rich in antioxidants.
Ingredients & Dosage
Amount Per Serving (1 Scoop):
Pure D-Mannose Powder (1000mg).
Recommended Dose
As a food supplement mix 1g (1 scoop) into 200ml of liquid and consume twice a day, or as advised by your healthcare professional.