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D-Mannose: The Natural Alternative to Antibiotics
A few strains of E. coli bacteria that cause most lower urinary tract infections - urethritis and cystitis - are like Velcro. They have tiny "grappling hooks" (pili) that allow them to bind to "loops" (certain receptors) on the cells of the urinary tract. A key part of the structure of these "loops" are residues of the simple sugar D-mannose. So when these bacteria are surrounded by high levels of D-mannose, their "grappling hooks" become glommed up, preventing them from adhering to the cells of the urinary tract. (It is a separate, complementary mechanism to the anthocyanins in cranberries). E. Coli's Grappling Hooks If E. coli bacteria get into the bladder (or the urethra), the body has ways of fighting them off - including the obvious methods of simply flushing them out with the urine. However, these invading bacteria have evolved ways of anchoring themselves to the cells of the urinary tract. E. coli are able to take advantage of receptors naturally found on the cells of the mucosal lining of the urinary tract. (These receptors are like molecular "docking bays" for substances which the cells need for their normal growth and development). E. coli then, like pirates in an old movie, use "grappling hooks", called type I pili, to first hook on to these receptors, and then to invade the cell. Once inside the cell, E. coli CAN live and reproduce in safety, shielded from many of the body's defensive immune responses. In fact, E. coli are so sophisticated that when the body detects that cells have been infected and activates the cell suicide program to destroy the bacteria, these bacteria can actually... flee the dying host cell before it is flushed out, and look for... new cells to invade! D-Mannose: Molecular "Chaff" Pathogenic E. coli bacteria's pili "grappling hooks" are composed of long, fibrous chains of a molecular "glue" called adhesion. The effective binding of these adhesion molecules depends on the chemical attraction that exists between them and the residues of a simple carbohydrate called D-mannose on the cell surface receptors of the urinary tract host cells. The chemical attraction between E. coli adhesions and D-mannose is their strength - but it also provides a point of vulnerability. Therefore, if you can interfere with the binding of adhesions to the D-mannose residues in the receptors of your urinary tract cells, then you can also prevent E. coli from getting a foothold for adherence and infection. One way to do this - long known to work in a test tube - is by using D-mannose itself. When isolated urinary tract cells are bathed in D-Mannose, it acts as a molecular "chaff." The E. coli's bacterial adhesions bind to the D-mannose in their environment instead of to the D-mannose residues on the cells. This gums up their pili and prevents them from hooking onto urinary tract cells. D-Mannose: Clinical Application It was discovered in the late 1980s that a small amount of D-mannose is present in the urine normally, apparently acting as a defensive mechanism against pathogenic bacteria. When D-mannose is taken as a supplement, much more of the carbohydrate passes through the urinary tract, therefore, strengthening this natural defense. Many of our clients and customers have been reporting the successful results in using supplemental D-Mannose Pure Powder to rid themselves of bladder infection. Even those who had remained infected after having been subjected to a wide range of potent, side-effect-inducing antibiotics have successfully rid themselves of chronic or acute infections using D-Mannose Pure Powder. The feedback is uniformly excellent from urinary tract infection sufferers and their caregivers alike. D-Mannose: Try It First Perhaps the best available evidence, though, comes from the experience of people who have used it. Natural medicine-oriented physicians have been recommending D-mannose to their patients with urinary tract infections since the mid-1980s with great success.
It Is Effective in "Honeymoon Cystitis" If a urine culture shows the presence of E. coli, taking D-mannose, 1 teaspoon 1 hour prior to intercourse-will mostly likely completely eliminate further infections.
It Helps Prevent Repeated Bladder Infections
It Is Effective in Acute Bladder Infections In over 90 percent of such cases, 1 teaspoon of D-mannose every 2 to 3 hours usually clears the infection in 1 to 3 days. Ninety percent of the time, bladder infection which is caused by E. coli, will respond to D-mannose treatment with significant symptom reduction within 24 hours.
PLEASE NOTE: Recommended Dosage Take ½ - 1 teaspoon (~1.1 to 2.5 grams) of D-Mannose (Glucose Steroisomer) in purified water, every 3-4 waking hours.
Discussion: Purity: Assured by independent laboratory testing. Contains NO wheat, gluten, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, fish, or shellfish. Source: Biological fermentation. Cautions: None known. Pregnancy-Nursing: No studies, believed safe. Consult with a physician. Positive Reaction Our Clients Write to Us
I was prescribed ciprofloxin, a very strong antibiotic with numerous possible side effects, for an acute and painful kidney infection. After 7 days it did seem to stop the infection in my kidney, but not in my urinary tract. 24 hours after completing my course of the antibiotic my order of D-Mannose arrived in the mail. Within about 8 hours of beginning the natural remedy I began to feel relief from my discomfort. After 24 hours, my fequent urination stopped and I had no discomfort. I am continuing to take the remedies for another few days to make sure all infection is gone. I am convinced that if I had have taken D-Mannose as soon as I noticed the symptoms of my infection, I would not have had to take dangerous anti biotics. I recomend D-Mannose highly, it works and it is safe.
Leo Downey At Full of Health, we are sure that D-Mannose will do as much for you as it has done for them. If other people have benefited from it you can benefit as well. D-Mannose is a nutritional supplement and is naturally occuring in peaches, apples, berries and even produced in the body. Therefore, it is safe and suitable for all ages, including pregnant women and small children. Effective in Paraplegic Bladder Infections Neurological conditions like paraplegia, a spinal cord injury, also called spinal cord impairment (SCI), usually result in neurogenic bladder - an unstable or atomic bladder, with no muscle tone. People with spinal cord injuries have lost, partial or complete, control over their bladder and sphincter due to the compromised nerve receptors that are responsible for:
Due to this condition, most paraplegics are exposed to the regular use of catheters and drugs. (The more traditional cap and bag, with continual drainage, is falling from favor even though it is a safer system). However, catheters often increase the risk of the urinary tract injuries and repeated bladder infections - a common problem in people with spinal cord impairment. Exposed to repeated or long-term courses of antibiotics, in time, they also develop resistance to drugs what makes maintaining healthy urinary tract for them even more difficult. However, contrary to a popular belief and common medical practice, people with spinal cord injuries or spinal cord impairment:
It is our clinical experience that paraplegics, especially those who use catheters, can successfully remedy, and most importantly, prevent bladder infections with the help of supplemental D-Mannose Pure Powder. Therefore, you, or someone you know or hold dear, who suffers from paraplegia, should give this natural alternative to antibiotics serious consideration. If Your Infection Persists Not ALL urinary tract infections are caused by E.coli. Therefore, if you try a course of D-Mannose and infection persists, it is likely NOT caused by E. coli bacteria but by some other pathogen or pathogens, like Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, or - more likely - Proteus or Staphylococcus aureus ("Staph"). In that case, don't just keep going on with the supplement in hopes that it will eventually "kick in." Discontinue the use of D-Mannose. If this is a non-E. coli infection caused by Proteus or "Staph" consider using herbal remedies, such as: Urinalysis Test A sample of your urine needs be tested for pus and bacteria. You will be asked to give a "clean catch" urine sample by washing the genital area and collecting a "midstream" sample of urine in a sterile container. (This method of collecting urine helps prevent bacteria around the genital area from getting into the sample and confusing the test results.) Usually, the sample is sent to a laboratory, although some doctors' offices are equipped to do the testing. In the urinalysis test, the urine is examined for white and red blood cells and bacteria. The bacteria are grown in a culture and tested - usually, against different antibiotics - to see which drug best destroys the bacteria. This last step is called a sensitivity test. However, some microbes, like Chlamydia and Mycoplasma, can only be detected with special bacterial cultures. These infections are suspected when you have symptoms of an infection and pus in the urine, but a standard culture fails to grow any bacteria. Selected References
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