- Helps to control weight and blood glucose levels (glycaemia).
- Supports glucose metabolism.
- Standardised to 18% corosolic acid for optimal efficacy.
- Made from the plant species Lagestroemia speciosa L.
Main products | 35.00 € |
2 Additional products selected | 77.00 € |
Glucofit™ is a banaba supplement extracted naturally from the leaves of Lagestroemia speciosa. This renowned Asian plant helps to regulate glycaemia and maintain a healthy weight. Its content of corosolic acid, the plant’s main active ingredient, is standardised to 18% for maximum efficacy.
Blood sugar control is a key indication of good health. To understand why, we need to take a moment to look at carbohydrate metabolism.
During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down by digestive enzymes into simple, directly-absorbed sugars called monosaccharides, the chief one being glucose. Glucose moves directly into capillaries in the intestinal villi and then travels to the liver via the hepatic portal vein, producing an increase in glycaemia. At this point, the glucose can either:
The last two options are governed by insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas: its fundamental role is to lower blood sugar levels by, in particular, promoting the absorption of glucose by cells.
If glycaemia is too high, however, these ‘buffer’ mechanisms become saturated. The insulin then converts the excess glucose into fat deposits which will be stored in adipose tissue, potentially leading to weight gain.
What’s more, in overweight individuals, cell receptors tend to become indifferent to insulin, preventing the uptake of glucose, so creating a vicious circle: this is referred to as insulin resistance. (1) It’s the starting point for various metabolic disorders, precipitating the onset of cardiovascular problems in particular.
It should also be noted that the reaction that takes place between glucose and proteins (glycation) has the effect of accelerating cellular ageing (2).
Indigenous to tropical Asia, banaba (Lagestroemia speciosa) is part of the Lythraceae family. Populating the forests of the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan, it bears magnificent flowers ranging in colour from bright pink to purple, making it a very popular ornamental tree.
However, it’s the banaba leaves which are of particular interest to the scientific community. Having featured for centuries in the traditional south-east Asian pharmacopoeia, they have gone on to be used in the form of an extract or a tea for overweight people or those with blood sugar problems (3). As a result, they are now referred to as ‘green insulin’ by those working in the field of nutraceuticals.
Banaba’s effects on blood sugar levels have made it the subject of several ongoing studies which are focusing on the role played by its corosolic acid.
With the molecular formula C30H48O4, corosolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene with the scientific name 2-alpha-hydroxyursolic acid. It fulfils the role of transporting glucose across cell membranes, and has thus been widely popularised in the scientific literature as ‘phyto-insulin’ or ‘botanical insulin’.
Isolated in several plants such as cranberry and Japanese loquat, corosolic acid is predominantly known for being the most active compound in banaba leaf. Studies also suggest that its ellagitannins may act in the same way as, or synergistically with, corosolic acid (4).
It’s on the strength of these various factors that the supplement Glucofit™ features a banaba extract standardised to 18% corosolic acid for enhanced effects.
Glucofit™ offers two major benefits:
As well as supplementing with banaba, the following tips will also help you to reduce your blood glucose levels naturally:
The recommended dose is one softgel of GlucofitTM every 12 or 24 hours, according to your therapist’s advice.
You may also be interested in other supplements related to glucose metabolism and appetite control:
Note: diabetes must be monitored by a health professional. Certain anti-diabetes plant extracts may interact with your conventional blood glucose-lowering medication so be sure to consult your doctor before starting any supplementation.
Daily serving: 2 softgels Number of servings per bottle: 50 |
Quantity per serving |
GlucoHelp™: banaba extract (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) standardised to provide 18% (0.96 mg) corosolic acid | 5.3 mg |
Other ingredients: rice bran oil, glycerine, concentrated carob extract, beeswax, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide. Glucofit™ - Softgel. — GlucoHelp™ - Kenko/Chemco Corporation. |
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