Your Health Education Center

Discover the Surprising Health Benefits of Polysaccharides

Gundry MD Team
June 23, 2023
4:48 pm
No Comments

What Is Polysaccharide?

When it comes to the definition of a polysaccharide, it’s relatively simple: a polysaccharide is one larger molecule that is made of several smaller molecules called monosaccharides. Basically, monosaccharides are simple sugars, such as glucose. Your body contains special enzymes that bind together the smaller monomers (or monosaccharides), thereby creating larger sugar polymers, known as polysaccharides.¹

Another name for polysaccharide is “glycan” or “complex carbohydrate.” There can be different types of polysaccharides. For instance, you can have a homopolysaccharide, where all of the little monosaccharides are the same. Or you can also have heteropolysaccharides. These are polysaccharides in which the monosaccharides are varied. Polysaccharides can take on a whole variety of different forms.²

For instance, molecules with straight chains of monosaccharides are called linear polysaccharides. But those with a monosaccharide chain that has arms and turns are referred to as branched polysaccharides.³

History Of Polysaccharide

As it turns out, there are a bunch of different ways in which one can classify polysaccharides. The most common system of organization is to divide them by their sources — do they come from a plant or animal? For example, you can divide polysaccharides into plant or animal-based molecules. Then, you can further divide them into the following categories:

Skeletal polysaccharides like cellulose
Reserve polysaccharides like starch
Gums and mucilages
Algal polysaccharides
Bacterial polysaccharides

And the list goes on. Now, when it comes to function, several reviews mention that polysaccharides can help store energy.⁵

Interestingly, when side chains of monosaccharides form hydrogen bonds with themselves, water cannot invade the molecules. This makes them hydrophobic, which can allow molecules to stay clumped together. Hydrophobia lowers the sugar content in a given cell, making room for more sugar to be taken in. The process can influence a cell’s intake of water and other nutrients.⁶

Polysaccharides: Top Potential Health Benefits For A Healthy Lifestyle

Polysaccharides support energy storage and the cellular absorption of much-needed nutrients.^7,8

Furthermore, polysaccharides are among the most abundant carbohydrates you can find in various foods. They can be essential for the following biophysical processes:

Helping your body process insulin and glucagon†
Using oxygen to make energy from sugar in the body†
Gastrointestinal function⁹†

But polysaccharides are also crucial because they form the most significant supply of carbs to the human diet. In fact, scientists and researchers alike have investigated their potential health benefits and discovered that polysaccharides might help to support:

Healthy blood sugar levels already in a normal range†
Healthy weight†
Heart health†
Healthy blood pressure levels already in a normal range†
Healthy cholesterol levels already in a normal range¹⁰†

So, if you’re interested in where to buy supplements containing polysaccharides, read on.

Which Gundry MD Supplements Include Polysaccharides?

Gundry MD Total Restore contains useful polysaccharides. You can read detailed customer reviews on the Total Restore website. From there, you can click through to read up on other Total Restore ingredients, and you can also check out the rest of Gundry MD’s supplements.