MannoHealth™ (D-Mannose — Bioenergy Life Science)

Urinary tract health in women

No trial of MannoHealth itself has been published. In trials of other D-mannose products, an open-label study in 308 women found fewer recurrences over 6 months on 2 g/day than with no preventive treatment, but the largest double-blind trial, in 598 women, found no benefit over placebo, and pooled analyses found no significant reduction.

Short-term urinary comfort in a placebo-controlled study of another brand

A different D-mannose product, UClear (1.5 g twice daily for 3 days), was tested against placebo in 29 women with urinary symptoms. Its main outcomes, complete resolution of all symptoms and total symptom severity, did not differ, but overall symptom bother, a secondary outcome, was lower by day 3. This small study was funded by a supplement company that employed four of its authors; MannoHealth was not tested.

Studied as a non-antibiotic option

In an open-label trial of another D-mannose powder, recurrence over 6 months was 14.6% on 2 g/day, 20.4% on the antibiotic nitrofurantoin and 60.8% with no prophylaxis, with no blinding or placebo. An uncontrolled pilot of Mannocist, a different D-mannose product, reported symptom improvement with no comparison group. Do not stop a prescribed antibiotic on your own.

Largest placebo-controlled trial: 598 women in UK primary care

Women with frequent past infections took about 2 g/day of D-mannose powder from another supplier or a fructose placebo for 6 months. A suspected infection needing care occurred in 51.0% on D-mannose and 55.7% on placebo, not a significant difference, and no secondary outcome differed. The authors advised against recommending it in this group.

FimH binding on E. coli fimbriae

Uropathogenic E. coli, the cause of about 80% of urinary tract infections, attach to the bladder lining through FimH, a protein on their fimbriae that binds mannose-containing sugars on bladder cells. Free D-mannose can occupy FimH in the lab, and the bacteria are thought to be washed out in urine rather than attaching.

Reaching the urinary tract

For this mechanism to work, enough D-mannose taken by mouth has to reach the urine. The prevention trials measured infections and symptoms, not urine mannose levels, so how much reaches the bladder at 2 g/day was not tested in them.

Not an antibiotic

D-mannose is proposed to block attachment rather than kill bacteria. That is why it is studied as an alternative to preventive antibiotics, but the largest placebo-controlled trial did not show fewer infections or less antibiotic use.

Only some bacteria use FimH

The mannose-binding route matters for E. coli strains that rely on FimH. Infections caused by bacteria or strains that attach by other routes would not be expected to respond.

Common Potential side effects

In the 598-woman placebo-controlled trial of another D-mannose product, 20 serious adverse events occurred on D-mannose and 8 on placebo; none was judged related to the intervention.

Diarrhea is the most reported side effect: 8 of 103 women on D-mannose in the open-label trial, as summarized in a 2020 review.

It does not replace medical care. Fever, back or side pain, blood in the urine, or symptoms in pregnancy or in men need prompt medical assessment.

Important Drug interactions

No drug interactions were reported in the D-mannose trials.

Diabetes medicines: D-mannose is a sugar and its effect on blood glucose was not measured in the prevention trials cited here, so ask your prescriber before adding it.

Antibiotics: D-mannose has been studied alongside or after antibiotic treatment, not instead of it. Do not stop a prescribed antibiotic without medical advice.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: these groups were not studied in these trials, so ask a doctor first.

Frequently asked questions about MannoHealth™ (D-Mannose — Bioenergy Life Science)

What is MannoHealth used for?

MannoHealth is a branded D-mannose powder ingredient used in supplements for urinary tract health, mainly marketed to women with frequent past bladder infections. No clinical trial of MannoHealth itself has been published. Trials of other D-mannose products disagree, and the largest placebo-controlled trial found no difference from placebo.

What is the recommended dosage of MannoHealth?

No dose of MannoHealth has been tested. Prevention trials of other D-mannose products used 2 g a day dissolved in water for 6 months, the dose that did not beat placebo in the largest trial, and a short symptom study used 1.5 g twice daily for 3 days. Follow the product label.

Is MannoHealth safe, and does it have side effects?

MannoHealth itself has no published safety study. In trials of other D-mannose products lasting up to 6 months, side effects were mostly mild and diarrhea was the most reported. Ask a doctor before use in pregnancy, while breastfeeding or for children, and seek care for fever, back pain or blood in the urine.

Has MannoHealth itself been tested in a clinical trial?

No published trial of MannoHealth itself was found. The supplier listing cites no study of MannoHealth, and the trials described on this page used D-mannose from other sources, such as a powder bought from Tiofarma in the largest trial and the UClear and Mannocist products in smaller studies.

What is MannoHealth?

MannoHealth is Bioenergy Life Science's branded D-mannose, a simple sugar. The supplier describes it as made from glucose by patented fermentation and lists it as Non-GMO Project Verified. In laboratory work, D-mannose binds FimH, the sugar-binding tip of the fimbriae that E.

Does MannoHealth interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: No drug interactions were reported in the D-mannose trials. Diabetes medicines: D-mannose is a sugar and its effect on blood glucose was not measured in the prevention trials cited here, so ask your prescriber before adding it. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for MannoHealth?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for MannoHealth as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 11 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(11 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

Hayward G, Mort S, Hay AD, Moore M, Thomas NPB, Cook J, Robinson J, Williams N, Maeder N, Edeson R, Franssen M, Grabey J, Glogowska M, Yang Y, Allen J, Butler CC. d-Mannose for Prevention of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection Among Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2024;184(6):619-628. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.0264.PubMedUsed to support: Tested D-mannose powder bought from Tiofarma, not MannoHealth. Double-blind randomized trial in 598 women with recurrent urinary tract infection across 99 UK primary care centers. Over 6 months, 51.0% on 2 g/day D-mannose and 55.7% on placebo had a doctor-attended suspected infection (risk difference -5%, 95% CI -13% to 3%, p=0.26), and no secondary outcome differed. The authors concluded D-mannose should not be recommended for prevention in this group.
Kranjčec B, Papeš D, Altarac S. D-mannose powder for prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a randomized clinical trial. World J Urol. 2014;32(1):79-84. doi: 10.1007/s00345-013-1091-6.PubMedUsed to support: Tested D-mannose powder not identified as MannoHealth. Randomized trial in 308 women with recurrent urinary tract infection, without blinding or placebo. Over 6 months, recurrence was 14.6% on 2 g/day D-mannose, 20.4% on nitrofurantoin 50 mg/day and 60.8% with no prophylaxis. Side effects were mild and less frequent with D-mannose than with nitrofurantoin.
Domenici L, Monti M, Bracchi C, Giorgini M, Colagiovanni V, Muzii L, Benedetti Panici P. D-mannose: a promising support for acute urinary tract infections in women. A pilot study. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2016;20(13):2920-5..PubMedUsed to support: Tested Mannocist (1.5 g D-mannose with sodium bicarbonate, sorbitol and silicon dioxide), not MannoHealth. Pilot study at one Rome center: 45 women with acute urinary tract infection were enrolled and 43 completed treatment twice daily for 3 days, then once daily for 10 days. Symptom and quality of life scores improved with no comparison group; in a later allocated phase, recurrences over 6 months were 1 of 22 (4.5%) with prophylaxis and 7 of 21 (33.3%) without (p = 0.05). The authors called it a pilot needing confirmation.
Lenger SM, Chu CM, Ghetti C, Durkin MJ, Jennings Z, Wan F, Sutcliffe S, Lowder JL. d-Mannose for Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection Prevention in Postmenopausal Women Using Vaginal Estrogen: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Urogynecology (Phila). 2023;29(3):367-377. doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000001270.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized trial of 2 g/day D-mannose vs control in postmenopausal women using vaginal estrogen. Of 57 enrolled, 44 started and 32 completed. Infection incidence was 41.1% vs 50.4% (hazard ratio 0.76, 99.9% CI 0.15 to 3.97). A futility analysis showed it lacked power, and it was halted. The authors described D-mannose as "well tolerated" over the 90 days, with high adherence. The product was not identified as MannoHealth.
Murali Krishna M, Joseph M, Pereira V, Nizami A, Ezenna C, Sadasivan Sreemathy L. D-Mannose for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in adult women: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Infect Prev. 2025;26(6):17571774251394869. doi: 10.1177/17571774251394869.PubMedUsed to support: Meta-analysis of 4 randomized trials (890 women) of D-mannose vs placebo or no treatment for prevention. Recurrent infection (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.11, p=0.082) and adverse events did not differ significantly, with very high heterogeneity (I2=90%). The authors said firm conclusions are not possible.
Al-Hajjaj A, Al-Maatoq A, Al-Asadi A. Efficacy of D-Mannose Monotherapy vs. Other Agents in Preventing Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Urol Res Pract. 2026;51(6):208-216. doi: 10.5152/tud.2026.25070.PubMedUsed to support: Systematic review of D-mannose taken alone for prevention in adult women: 5 studies, 1,038 women. Pooling 3 studies against placebo or control (n=831) gave a non-significant reduction (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.11 to 1.30, p=0.10, I2=94%), and the largest, highest-quality trial found no difference from placebo. The authors reported only mild and infrequent side effects across the included studies. The authors said the evidence does not support routine use.
Lenger SM, Bradley MS, Thomas DA, Bertolet MH, Lowder JL, Sutcliffe S. D-mannose vs other agents for recurrent urinary tract infection prevention in adult women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020;223(2):265.e1-265.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.05.048.PubMedUsed to support: 2020 meta-analysis of three studies (one randomized trial, one randomized crossover trial and one prospective cohort). Against placebo, pooled RR for recurrence was 0.23 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.37; 125 vs 123 women); against preventive antibiotics, 0.39 (95% CI 0.12 to 1.25). Diarrhea occurred in 8 of 103 women in one study. The authors cautioned about the small number and size of studies; it predates the 598-woman placebo-controlled trial, which found no benefit.
Cooper TE, Teng C, Howell M, Teixeira-Pinto A, Jaure A, Wong G. D-mannose for preventing and treating urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;8(8):CD013608. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013608.pub2.PubMedUsed to support: Cochrane review of 7 randomized trials (719 participants) of D-mannose for preventing or treating urinary tract infections. No two trials could be pooled; effects were uncertain in every comparison with very low certainty evidence, and adverse events were few and not serious. The authors found little to no evidence to support or refute its use.
Lupo F, Ingersoll MA, Pineda MA. The glycobiology of uropathogenic E. coli infection: the sweet and bitter role of sugars in urinary tract immunity. Immunology. 2021;164(1):3-14. doi: 10.1111/imm.13330.PubMedUsed to support: Review of how uropathogenic E. coli, which cause about 80% of urinary tract infections, use the FimH protein to bind mannose-containing sugars on bladder cells, the basis for studying D-mannose as an anti-adhesion agent. It is a mechanism review, not a clinical trial.
Bioenergy Life Science Inc. MannoHealth D-Mannose ingredient listing NXT Ingredients (supplier listing). 2026;Supplier listing, accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Supplier listing, not PubMed-indexed, read in 2026. It describes MannoHealth as produced from glucose by patented fermentation, supplied as a non-GMO ingredient, and lists Non-GMO Project Verified among its certifications. It lists D-mannose as the only ingredient and active, and the maker's own product page calls it D-mannose of high purity without giving an assay figure. It cites no clinical study of MannoHealth itself. It is a product description, not health evidence.
Singh RG, Nguyen E, Zhao Y, Zhang C, Liao X, Al-Wahsh H, Crowley DC, Moulin M, Guthrie N, Lewis ED. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study of the efficacy of D-mannose for urinary tract infection symptoms in women. Curr Urol. 2026;20(1):44-52. doi: 10.1097/CU9.0000000000000303.PubMedUsed to support: Tested UClear, a different D-mannose product (1.5 g), not MannoHealth. Triple-blind placebo-controlled study in 30 women (29 analyzed) with symptoms of an uncomplicated urinary infection, taken twice daily for 3 days against a glucose and maltose placebo. The primary outcomes, complete resolution of all symptoms and total symptom severity, did not differ. Secondary results favored D-mannose: total symptom bother was lower by day 3 (p = 0.027) and complete resolution of urinary frequency was more common on day 4 (43% vs 20%, p = 0.032). Funded by KEB Nutraceuticals USA, which employed four of the ten authors.