Dear Friends,
Have you looked into supplementing with berberine? It’s getting a lot of attention. Today, I want to share how to overcome the major challenges with taking berberine.
Berberine has emerged as one of the fastest-growing herbal supplements over the past few years because of its potential benefits for metabolic health.
One of berberine’s key functions is supporting blood sugar metabolism and helping the body convert carbohydrates into cellular energy.
This is particularly significant as we age, when maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, managing weight and body composition, and promoting cardiovascular health typically become more challenging.
One of the ways berberine works is by supporting insulin in its key function, which is helping to transport glucose from the bloodstream to muscle or fat cells. Cells use the glucose for energy or convert to fat for longer-term storage.
Additionally, it is believed that berberine helps activate the AMPK enzyme, which helps direct carbohydrates to muscle rather than fat, which can help promote a better body composition. Since AMPK activity tends to decline as we age, this support from berberine is very helpful.
Berberine is found in several plants, most notably in Berberis aristata, also known as Indian barberry.
Despite its benefits, one challenge with berberine supplementation is its low absorption rate in the bloodstream, which is why doses of 1,000mg to 1,500mg per day (taking 500mg at a time) are typically required to produce desired support.
This amount of berberine can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort for some users, making daily intake over time unsustainable.
To help absorption, our bodies convert some berberine into dihydroberberine (DHB) in the gut. Once in intestinal tissues, the DHB is converted back to berberine and enters the bloodstream.
You may be thinking… why not take DHB as a supplement since it’s more efficiently absorbed?
That’s now an option thanks to the makers of the GlucoVantage dihydroberberine ingredient. Sourced from the berberis aristate plant, GlucoVantage is made using a special process that converts the natural berberine to active dihydroberberine.
How much better is GlucoVantage at increasing berberine levels in the blood?
Research found that just 100mg of GlucoVantage increased blood levels of berberine by about 5x more, on average, compared to taking 500mg of regular berberine.
In addition to being more convenient, the lower GlucoVantage dose is much less likely to cause stomach or gastrointestinal distress.
One other tip... to maximize the benefits of GlucoVantage on weight management and body composition, combine supplementation with regular high intensity exercise or strength training. Here’s why…
You’ll recall that we said berberine helps support insulin in moving glucose to cells. This glucose has to go somewhere – either in fat cells or muscle cells.
If this energy is stored in fat, it can create more fat, so driving glucose to muscle is preferable. When you exercise, muscles get depleted of energy, so insulin will direct more glucose to these muscles and have less to give to fat cells (which means less fat creation).
At NatureCity, we incorporate 100mg of GlucoVantage in each capsule of our TrueGlucoSP product, which also includes InSea2 brown seaweed and chromium for a comprehensive approach to metabolic and blood sugar health. We recommend taking 2 to 3 capsules daily for optimal results. Take capsules about 15 to 30 minutes before meals.
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Yours for Good Health,
Carl Pradelli
