The 8 Essential Saccharides & Where They Can Be Found

  1. Fucose (not to be confused with Fructose, a fruit sugar that is not essential) is readily found in several medicinal mushrooms, and such seaweeds as kelp and wakame, and beer yeast.
  2. Galactose is everywhere: Dairy Products; Fruits (Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Currants, Dates, Grapes, Kiwi Fruit, Mangos, Oranges, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Plums, Prunes, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Passionfruit; Herbs (Echinacea, Boswellia, Fenugreek); Chestnuts; Vegetables (Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Avocado, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Potatoes, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Leeks, Asparagus, Lettuce, Green Beans, Mushrooms (not buttons), Beetroot, Onions, Parsnips, Green Peas, Pumpkins, Spinach.
  3. Glucose is also everywhere, but the following examples are better sources than what is found in the average diet that consists of processed foods: Maple Syrup, Honey, Grapes, Bananas, Cherries, Strawberries, Mangoes, Aloe Vera Gel, Licorice Herb, Sarsaparilla, Hawthorn, Garlic, Kelp, and Echinacea.
  4. Mannose is not difficult to find. One of the main sources is Aloe Vera Gel. Other sources include Fenugreek (contains a high amount of galactomannan [as does Carob gum and Guar gum], a polysaccharide of Mannose and Galactose), Black or Red Currants, Gooseberries, Green Beans, Capsicum (cayenne pepper), Cabbage, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Turnips, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Kelp.
  5. N-acetylgalactosamine is abundant in Bovine and Shark cartilages (Shark cartilage should not be used by those with diabetes or kidney disease), red algae called Dumontiaceae, and as a constituent of Chondroitin sulfate (a useful sugar but not essential). It is often combined with Glucosamine as a treatment for osteoarthritis. Using both together (Glucosamine and Chondroitin) the absorption rates of both dramatically increases.
  6. N-acetylglucosamine is most often found as Glucosamine Sulfate, a dietary supplement used to treat arthritis. It is also found in Shiitake Mushrooms (as a constituent of chitin) and in Bovine and Shark cartilage. (Shark cartilage should not be used by diabetics or those with kidney disease.)
  7. N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) is found in whey protein isolate or concentrate – not the powder (the concentrate has a higher amount than the isolate) and hen’s egg (organic is best)
  8. Xylose (not to be confused with Xylitol, a sugar substitute) can be found in Guava, Pears, Blackberries, Loganberries, Raspberries, Aloe Vera Gel, Kelp, Echinacea, Boswellia, Psyllium, Broccoli, Spinach, Eggplant, Peas, Green Beans, Okra, Cabbage, and Corn.