Ambrotose claims that it’s “everything you want in one supplement.” Should you take this supplement to improve your immune system, cognitive function, and gut health? Read our review to find out.
What Is Ambrotose?
Ambrotose is a supplement that comes in the form of a powder or a capsule. You take the supplement daily to provide the following benefits:
- Improves mood and decreases irritability
- Enhances recall and recognition memory
- Supports your immune system and proper organ function
- Helps support proper digestive system function
- Promotes gastrointestinal health
- Supports cell to cell communication through a blend of plant saccharides called glyconutrients
Ambrotose is a rare type of supplement. Few other supplements on the market today claim to provide benefits as diverse as “gut health” to “memory recall”.
So what’s the secret behind Ambrotose’s effectiveness? Does it actually work? Let’s check the science behind the supplement.
What Are Gylconutrients and How Do They Help your Body?
The makers of Ambrotose, Mannatech, make a big deal out of the fact that their supplement contains glyconutrients.
What exactly are those glyconutrients and how do they help your body?
Well, glyconutrients are specialized ingredients derived from plants and aloe. They provide targeted nourishment to your cells. Mannatech claims that’s important because “there are trillions of cells in your body that talk to each other, but environmental toxins, age and bad eating habits can make it harder for them to communicate.” This can lead to suboptimal health – including everywhere from your digestive tract to your brain.
In any case, the active ingredients are found in a proprietary formula called the Ambrotose Complex. That complex contains all of the following ingredients (the specific ingredients and dosages vary whether you’re using the powder or capsule)
-Powder Supplement: 2 Grams of Arabinogalactan (from Larix spp. Wood), Rice Starch, Aloe Vera Extract (Inner Leaf Gel Powder), Ghatti Gum, Glucosamine HCL, and Tragacanth Gum.
-Capsule Supplement: 150mg of Arabinogalactan (from Larix spp. Wood), Aloe Vera (Inner Leaf Gel Powder), Ghatti Gum, and Gum Tragacanth.
Because these ingredients are part of a proprietary formula, the manufacturer doesn’t list the exact dosages of any specific ingredient. As you can see, the dose in the powder formula (2g) is significantly more than the dose in the capsule formula (150mg), which is why there’s a significant price difference between the two.
Both supplements also contain a small amount of other additional ingredients. The powder, for example, contains 4% of your daily recommended value of fiber, while the capsule contains a 280IU serving of vitamin A (6% daily value). Obviously, at these low dosages, neither ingredient is a key component.
Does Ambrotose Actually Work?
Unless you have a degree in biology, you probably don’t know what ingredients like “arabinogalactan” or “ghatti gum” actually are. In fact, even if you do have a background in biology you might be scratching your head.
The scientific basis for Ambrotose is actually very controversial. Several major researchers have issued public warnings about the supplement, calling it things like an “empty promise” and “sham”.
20/20 actually did a 3 month hidden camera investigation into Ambrotose and found that Mannatech’s sales associates were extolling the virtues of the supplement far beyond what’s suggested by science. Multiple associates said that Ambrotose could be used to cure cancer, for example.
Meanwhile, this study published in a 2008 edition of Glycobiology called the company’s products a “Glyconutrient sham”. That study showed that there was limited human trials performed on Ambrotose – at the time the study was published back in 2008, there was just one study that came up when you searched for Ambrotose on PubMed. That study concluded by stating that “There’s no good evidence to back any of these [therapeutic] claims”.
That being said, some animal trials on Ambrotose were positive. However, widespread human trials have not yet been performed, so there’s limited evidence to suggest that Ambrotose provides meaningful health benefits.
That’s not a major problem if you’re spending $10 or $20 on a nutritional supplement. But Ambrotose can cost over $100 per month – more than certain prescription drugs. You would expect it to be backed by more research.
Ambrotose Pricing
Ambrotose comes with three different price points. There’s a price for normal people (retail price), a price for people who sign up for a Mannatech account (member price), and a price for people who sign up as Mannatech distributors (associate price).
100g Ambrotose Complex Powder (50 Servings)
-Retail Price: $138.49 USD
-Member Price: $131.42
-Associate Price: $124.50
60 Capsules Ambrotose Complex (60 Servings)
-Retail Price: $39.49
-Member Price: $37.47
-Associate Price: $35.50
Who Makes Ambrotose?
Ambrotose is made by a multilevel marketing company named Mannatech (which explains the high prices – a good chunk of your payment goes up the ladder in the form of commissions).
The company’s official website spends just as much time advertising its “opportunity” as it does advertising products. Mannatech claims it has “one of the most generous compensation plans in the industry” and allows you to “earn some extra money for the little things or create a substantial income” so you can enjoy financial freedom.
Most Mannatech products revolve around plant-based nutrients and glyconutrients, a term the company created to refer to its plant-sourced saccharides.
The company is headquartered in Coppell, Texas and has an active presence in 24 countries around the world. It was founded in 1993.The company has also received a number of legal complaints over the years, including a 2005 class action lawsuit for an alleged violation of the Securities Exchange Act and an issue in 2007 where the Texas attorney general investigated the company under the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Ambrotose Review Summary
Ambrotose is an ambitious nutritional supplement that claims to provide positive benefits throughout multiple parts of your body – including your gut and brain – using the power of plant-based saccharides called glyconutrients.
That sounds good – until you realize there’s limited scientific evidence supporting those benefits. The makers of Ambrotose, Mannatech, have had legal trouble in the past for the way in which they advertise the supplement. The company uses a multi-level marketing commission structure, which means a good chunk of the sales price goes towards commissions that pass up the network. And, the company’s associates have also been caught in the past advertising Ambrotose based on the fact it can cure cancer.
Ultimately, there’s no evidence that Ambrotose can cure cancer – or provide other meaningful health benefits in human beings. Unless you want to spend over $100 on an unproven powdered plant supplement, Ambrotose doesn’t appear to be worth the high price tag – although that could change if more unbiased, double-blind human clinical trials take place.
What alternative is there to be used?
you couldn’t be more wrong… Maybe you should be the one that checks your facts.
Well, it would certainly make your claims more verifiable if you could link alternative studies that point to your claims.