What is AMP?
AMP stands for Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharide.
The most straight forward description for AMP, is that it is thought
to be the key ingredient from the Aloe Vera plant that is responsible for healing.
There is
controversy between whether or not there is a "magic bullet" in aloe.
Some argue that all the ingredients are required to create the healing effects
of aloe, and no one ingredient of the 200 or so that are present in the Aloe Vera
plant is sufficient on its own. Clearly there are others that believe
that AMP is that single ingredient that is responsible for healing.
Isolating this component means that it can be delivered in more concentrated doses,
ideally increasing the healing potency. Aloe mucilaginous polysaccharides
are long chain sugar molecules composed of individual mannose and glucose sugar
molecules connected together. It's these long chains of sugar molecules
that interact with the immune system and coat the intestinal lining promoting health
internally.
How does it work?
It's thought that the varying chain lengths
contribute differently but work together to create a very potent healing effect.
For example, smaller polysaccharide chains are responsible for the anti-inflammatory
effect of aloe. While the medium to large length chains have anti-oxidant
and anti-bacterial effects. The largest chains have been described to have
immune modulating properties, meaning that they directly affect the immune system
and can have an impact on auto-immune disorders. It is also this large
molecule that regulates the production of a natural chemical,
tumor necrosis factor which is involved in creating inflammation in the
body, and thought to be a component of Crohn's Disease.
There is little research to confirm the effects of aloe mucilaginous polysaccharides,
but many products indicating that it is working for some people. The
difficulty about these products is that it is expensive to manufacture and there
is no regulation on the manufacturing process. It's mostly a buy it
and see if it works approach at this point, with each company claiming that it has
the best patented manufacturing process that no other has. Some companies
even claiming that other products contain harmful ingredients. With no regulation
it's difficult to know what products to buy, and at an average around $150US for
a months supply, it's not accessible for everyone.
Check the review section of this site. There is a comparison of the existing
AMP products. Also the discussion forum should have information on the various
products.