The Ingredients in Glucocil

Proprietary Mulberry Leaf Extract

Mulberry (Morus alba) leaf has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for thousands of years. Pharmacopoeia of the Heavenly Husbandman, the first written documentation of Chinese herbal medicine (dating back to 200 B.C.), called mulberry leaf the “Divine Leaf” because of its healing and anti-aging power. Later, the Grand Materia Medica (or Compendium of Materia Medica), written in the 16th century, and the most authoritative classic Chinese herbal textbook, also described mulberry leaf as the “Divine Leaf,” saying “It can be boiled to drink as tea, and if taken often can make people wise...and the body light and ageless; it can promote beauty and strength digestion, calm spirits and stabilize moods."

Modern science confirms mulberry leaf extract to be immensely beneficial to those with blood sugar concerns, because it contains:

• Alkaloids and N-containing sugars, which help inhibit alpha glucosidase, a key enzyme in carbohydrate and sugar metabolism pathways
• Ecdysterone, which helps transform glucose into glycan, helping improve fasting blood sugar levels
• Fagomine, which helps potentiates glucose induced insulin secretion
• Flavonoids, which help inhibit protein glycosylation
• Quercetins, which help improve blood vessel function, serum lipid profiles, and erythrocyte membrane lipids

However, studies have found that the health benefits of mulberry leaf extract vary greatly, depending on where the leaves are grown, what time of year the leaves are harvested, what types of leaves are picked, and how the leaf extract is prepared. Glucocil’s mulberry leaves are grown in the deep mountains of Southeast China, harvested in late August, and only leaves on the distal parts of younger branches (i.e., the tips of younger branches) are picked to ensure the active ingredients are at their richest. A proprietary extraction method is then applied to prepare the final ingredient.

A growing body of evidence suggests that when it comes to reaching your blood sugar goals, post-meal levels are at least as important as fasting levels. No other complete formula has mulberry leaf extract. And only the proprietary mulberry leaf extract in Glucocil has been shown to reduce peak post-meal blood sugar spikes by an average of 44 percent and reduce the absorption of sugar and carbohydrates by 21 percent.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid is a natural molecule found deep inside every cell of the body, where it serves as an important regulator of cellular energy. Studies have found it not only inhibits liver production of glucose, but also helps insulin move glucose from blood into body cells, thus helping to improve insulin sensitivity. Additionally, alpha lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant with proven effectiveness in promoting nerve health in people with high blood sugar levels.

Banaba Leaf Extract

Banaba, a tropical plant grown in the Philippines, has been used for centuries to help keep levels of blood sugar and insulin in healthy balance. The major active compound in banaba leaf—corosolic acid—improves insulin sensitivity by facilitating the glucose transporter, one important part of the insulin signaling pathway. Banaba may also inhibit the body’s ability to produce glucose from proteins and lipids. Additionally, researchers have found that banaba promotes healthy blood lipids and blood pressure, of particular importance to those people with blood sugar concerns. Mulberry leaf and banaba leaf extracts have been shown to have a synergistic effect in improving glucose metabolism.

Chromium Polynicotinate

Chromium, a natural trace element, is found in nuts (like the Brazil nuts pictured at right) and fish, but an estimated 90% of American diets provide less than the minimum amount of chromium recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. It’s a “must-have” for getting glucose into your cells, because it helps increase the number of binding sites on your cells for insulin to enter, thus improving insulin sensitivity.

Insulina (Cissus sicyoides) Leaf Extract

A perennial vine native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Cissus sicyoides helps reduce post-meal blood sugar elevation. In studies, Cissus sicyoides also has been shown to help reduce blood triglyceride and glucose levels, thus suggesting it may be capable of increasing insulin sensitivity.

Veld Grape (Cissus quadrangularis) Stem Extract

Cissus quadrangularis is a succulent vine native to Southeast Asia and West Africa, and its unique chemical constituents show promise as potent antioxidants and as efficient lipase and amylase inhibitors, providing a mechanism that is thought to have potential in supporting weight loss by means of carbohydrate and dietary fat blocking, and reduced oxidative stress.

Vitamins B1, B6, B12, and Folic Acid

Vitamins B1 and B6 can help reduce harmful glucose/protein deposits caused by high blood sugar and blood sugar fluctuations. Vitamin B1 is an important vitamin involved in carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism, which influences the energy production process. Vitamin B6 is an important vitamin involved in protein metabolism. More recently, it was found that the combination of B1 and B6 is effective in inhibiting the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are glucose/protein complexes formed by high blood glucose levels, especially dramatic blood glucose fluctuations. It is recognized that AGEs cause cellular damage.

Together, folic acid and Vitamin B12 help to support blood vessel and nerve health by reducing homocysteine levels in blood. The traditional use of Vitamin B12 is to help maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells.