Beware of Glucose Syrup! The Glycoprotein Syndrome
Cause of many diseases? A revolutionary theory about hidden triggers of modern ailments
Key findings of the article:
- Glucose syrup has been massively used in the food industry for 40 years
- The glycoprotein syndrome could be the cause of many modern diseases
- Lectins from corn and wheat permanently overload the immune system
- Consistent avoidance can lead to healing – case studies prove this
Glucose syrup has been used by the food industry for 40 years because of its mild sweetness and especially its stickiness. Whether jam, chocolate, yogurt, ice cream – it’s found in almost everything, even in organic products. According to the findings of Dr. med. Hartwig Carstensen, a variety of modern diseases from allergies to rheumatism and Crohn’s disease to psoriasis can be traced back to this substance.
Carstensen speaks of a glycoprotein syndrome and promises healing, provided the trigger is avoided.
The Hidden Enemies: Lectins and Glycoproteins
Every educated layperson now knows that a focus of infection somewhere in the body can trigger joint rheumatism and worse by forcing the immune system into continuous overactivity. What’s surprising is that there are a series of natural substances that can have exactly the same effects on the immune system as a chronic focus of infection.
What are glycoproteins and lectins?
- Glycoproteins: Proteins with a carbohydrate component
- Lectins/Hemagglutinins: Plant glycoproteins that irritate the immune system
- Function in plants: Defense against predators, built into seeds
- Effect in the body: Attach to red blood cells, causing them to clump
Glucose syrup is made from raw corn and wheat starch and contains a glycoprotein concentrate of these two grain types. These plant glycoproteins are problematic for us: they irritate the immune system, leading to inflammation and bleeding.
The target of lectins are the sugar binding sites in the cell membrane of many immune system cells. Their considerable toxicity is based on the blockade of these sugar binding sites.
Attack on the Intestinal Wall
The surface membranes of small intestinal cells are heavily populated with sugars, so lectins easily react with them. They attach and dramatically influence the cell’s metabolism:
Lectins can accelerate metabolism and cell growth so dramatically that cells die and must be replaced after 12 hours instead of 72 hours. This creates an excess of immature cells and the intestine’s absorption capacity for nutrients decreases.
Lectins that are transported through the protective barrier of the intestinal wall into the bloodstream can profoundly influence the body’s hormonal balance and protein metabolism.
Industrial Food Exceeds the Tolerance Threshold
Such glycoproteins (lectins) are an unavoidable component of our daily diet. They are consumed in amounts up to 300 mg/day and originate mainly from legumes, wheat, and corn. A diet that includes these food plants, however, does not exceed the tolerance limit.
The situation is completely different when frequently consuming industrially produced foods whose manufacturing involved glucose syrup:
Glucose syrup contamination in foods:
- 60% of jams and compotes
- 80% of chocolates
- 80% of ready-made cereals
- 95% of ice cream products
- 99% of fruit gums and licorice
- Also in yogurt, desserts, baked goods, and even baby food
Particularly shocking: The additive is also found in many baby milk substitute foods, preferably in the so-called hypoallergenic starter foods from several manufacturers.
Dangerous Concentration Through Processing
During the fermentative saccharification process of corn and wheat starch, additional new lectins are apparently formed with the proteins present in the starch and the added glucose.
If neither manufacturing nor use involves heating above 100 degrees, considerable amounts of reactive lectins can be contained in individual foods.
Therefore, ice cream or coconut bars contain about 70 times more lectins than a pastry made with the same amount of glucose syrup.
50 percent of food intolerances can be traced back to corn and wheat. In addition, there’s cow’s milk intolerance with another 25 percent, which is probably also attributable to corn feed.
The Overloaded Immune System
If the immune system has three to four days to recover after the lectin attack, it recovers and probably no permanent problems arise. However, since not only luxury foods but also foods like sweetened yogurt or sweetened ready-made cereal are contaminated with glucose syrup, the lectin-free interval becomes too short.
Thus, the individually harmless small amounts of glycoproteins can develop their full effect through constant repetition and long-term consumption, leading to pathological permanent activation of the immune system – exactly as a chronic inflammatory process from bacterial toxins would do.
Case Study: Dramatic Healing
An exemplary disease case can illustrate this:
The now 65-year-old patient developed psoriasis vulgaris at age 50. At 60, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis broke out, while the psoriasis simultaneously worsened.
In his dietary habits, almost daily consumption of ice cream and industrially produced jam was notable, as well as frequent consumption of coconut bars, chocolates, and caramel nut bars – all products with high lectin content.
Due to severe worsening of rheumatoid arthritis, chemical therapy with maximum doses of cortisone and prostaglandin inhibitors had to be considered unsuccessful.
The turning point: Drug intolerance caused the patient to discontinue all medications on his own and consistently follow a low-lectin diet with complete avoidance of glucose syrup.
The result: Nine months later, he was symptom-free regarding rheumatoid arthritis. Even capsular thickening at the knee joint regressed. After one year, the psoriasis also disappeared.
Provocation tests: Two provocation attempts with ice cream and coconut bars each led to highly acute new episodes of rheumatoid arthritis after 14 days. The worsening of psoriasis followed with a delay of one to two months.
How Does the Glycoprotein Syndrome Develop?
We know that intestinal wall mucous membrane cells fully occupied with lectins die. Our organism has adapted to this. This only becomes problematic when the massive intake of glucose syrup constantly overwhelms this system’s capacity.
Then lectins penetrate through the intestinal barrier into the blood along with bacterial toxins from intestinal contents increasingly infiltrated with foreign bacteria and eventually fungi.
The vicious cycle:
- Immune system overload for years
- Maladaptation and regulatory rigidity
- Recognition of foreign proteins no longer functions
- Deposition of macroglobulins in connective tissue
- Overreaction against these deposits
- Inflammation in joints, skin, and organs
The Three Phases of Glycoprotein Syndrome
Phase I – Immune System Overactivity:
- Allergies, asthma, neurodermatitis
- Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases
- Sensitization possible already in the womb
Phase II – Silent Antigen Deposition (over 10 years):
- Occasional joint complaints
- Skin itching, periodontosis
- Gastritis, fermentation stool
- Heart rhythm disorders
- Psoriasis vulgaris
Phase III – Acute Outbreak:
- Rheumatoid arthritis, Morbus Bechterew
- Psoriasis vulgaris
- Arteritis temporalis
- Regional enteritis (Crohn’s disease)
- Possibly also multiple sclerosis
What Helps with Glycoprotein Syndrome?
Most important: Lifelong and consistent diet!
Anyone who consumes natural whole foods without processed products and especially sweets is already on the safe side. However, one must always keep in mind that one to two dietary errors within a week can completely ruin the hoped-for success.
Dietary recommendations:
- Avoid: All products with glucose syrup
- Caution with organic products: Also declared as corn syrup or wheat syrup
- Honey problem: Glucose syrup is an EU-approved feed, no declaration requirement
- Safe alternatives: Rye, spelt, green grain, rice, millet instead of corn and wheat
Important note: Discontinuing rheumatism medications like diclofenac or cortisone is necessary, as these destroy the intestinal barrier and worsen the problem. However, this must definitely be discussed with a doctor!
Complementary therapies have proven effective: fasting, systemic enzyme therapy, magnetic field therapy, and conflict resolution, eliminating stress factors.
Healing process: After interrupting excessive lectin intake, the immune system recovers. Initial worsening may occur. Improvement should begin after three months, with symptom-free status achieved after six to nine months.
Impressive Success Stories
The thoroughly researched and examined five cases became symptom-free after six to nine months (approximately one month per year of previous illness duration).
Among them is a case of severe ankylosing spondylitis (Morbus Bechterew), who after a final unsuccessful attempt with thorium X radiation was given a life expectancy of two years by his doctors. Now, after more than ten years, the patient has crossed the Atlantic on his sailboat for the second time.
In another case of thirteen-year severe rheumatoid arthritis, diclofenac had to be discontinued due to allergy. This was only possible through a six-month inpatient withdrawal, as the patient had severe withdrawal symptoms. Today the woman is symptom-free without medications.
This article presents Dr. Carstensen’s research findings on glycoprotein syndrome. The theory is controversial in conventional medicine and further research is needed. Therapy changes should always be discussed with a doctor.
Original source: Dr. med. Hartwig Carstensen – “Beware of Glucose Syrup! The Glycoprotein Syndrome”, Naturarzt 04/2003