NEOGENESIS HEALTH - InsuGen - 60 Capsules

CLINICAL APPLICATION:

Insulin Resistance

Pre Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes 

Metabolic Syndrome

Reducing systemic inflammation

Fatty Liver

Fat loss

Improves liver health

PCOS causing by Insulin resistance

Elevated cholesterol/blood fats

Modulating dysbiotic bowel flora implicated in diabetes

Reducing fungus overgrowth in the gut

BENEFITS:

• Increases insulin sensitivity
• Reduces sugar cravings
• Regenerative effect on pancreatic beta cells
• Improves mitochondrial health
• Significant reducing in systemic inflammation
• Increased physical energy
• Improved clarity of thought
• Improved glucose metabolism
• Reduced blood fats
• Improved liver health
• Centimetre fat loss
• Antioxidant support
• Nerve support
• Circulation support
• AMPK activation

INSULIN RESISTANCE – A PANDEMIC OF METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION

Most patients understand the link between insulin utilization and diabetes, but few patients recognize the risks and symptoms of insulin resistance, the early stages and how being overweight is an indicator of it as well as contributor to the inability to lose weight and gaining more weight over time.

Insulin resistance leads to high blood sugar, which is a contributing factor to developing type II diabetes, 70% of people are insulin resistant in some form. If you are overweight/ obese even if your blood sugar levels are fine, you have a degree of insulin resistance, this is the start of metabolic dysfunction before before it develops into diabetes, insulin resistance is correlated with a slew of symptoms like brain fog, confusion, dysexecutive syndrome, sleepiness, excessive hunger, thirst, and weight gain. 

Once insulin resistance is established, it can be hard to revert because patients are often beset by a variety of lifestyle habits that contribute to insulin resistance, such as poor diet, seed oils, excessive carbohydrates and saturated fat or a lack of exercise. 

Given that the primary treatment for insulin resistance is diet modification and exercise, treatment compliance is often subpar and patients need a better solution.

Unfortunately, even if patients are diligent with altering their lifestyle to treat insulin resistance, reversing the resistance can be uncomfortable or even debilitating, requiring days or weeks of feeling out-of-sorts while their cells acclimatize to normal insulin levels.

 A sparse few pharmacological therapies for insulin resistance exist, but they suffer from weak long-term efficacy and difficult side effects like vitamin B deficiency. However, patients and clinicians continue to seek superior treatments and alternative herbal options and optimal potency of botanical formulas such as Insugen.

FORMULARLY EXPLANATION:

BERBERINE:

Berberine improves physiological stimulation of glucose via cascade reaction of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), thus inducing secretion of insulin in the body, reducing insulin resistance, and improving sensitivity of liver, muscle tissues and fat to insulin (16).22 Feb 2019

Elevated blood sugar levels characterize conditions like diabetes and prediabetes due to either decreased insulin production or decreased sensitivity to insulin.

Although it’s normal for your blood sugar levels to fluctuate throughout the day, prolonged high blood sugar levels can cause various health problems, including organ damage (5)

A decent amount of animal research suggests berberine may help lower blood sugar levels via various pathways, including by the following (6, 7)

• increasing insulin sensitivity
• promoting insulin production
• regulating metabolism
• increasing glycolysis, or the breakdown of glucose
• reducing glucose production in the liver
• increasing nitric oxide (NO) production, which helps widen arteries
• slowing carbohydrate absorption from the gut

Several studies among people with type 2 diabetes have shown that taking 600–2,700 mg of berberine daily may lower fasting and long-term blood sugar levels by up to 20% and 12%, respectively, especially when taken alongside blood sugar medication (8, 9)

Similarly, a review of 14 studies found that berberine lowered blood sugar levels and seemed to be as effective as common blood sugar medications, including metformin (Glucophage), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and glipizide (Glucotrol) (3)

Furthermore, research suggests berberine may help support the blood-sugar-lowering effects of other diabetes medications when taken alongside them (3,9, 10)

Therefore, berberine appears to be a promising blood-sugar-lowering treatment. This may be especially valuable to those who cannot take diabetes medications due to liver, kidney, or heart disease (11)

SUMMARY

Research suggests berberine may lower blood sugar levels and be as effective as some conventional diabetes medications in people with type 2 diabetes.

GYMNEMA:

 Gymnema sylvestre. This herb has a long history of traditional use in Ayurvedic medicine, particularly for diabetes because of its hypoglycemic effects.

A recent study examined its potential for those individuals with prediabetes. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 30 patients with nontreated prediabetes were divided into two groups of 15 patients each. The treatment group took 300 mg of gymnema before breakfast and dinner for 12 weeks, whereas the control group took a placebo.

The effects on glycemic control were tested by

-fasting blood sugar levels

-2-hour oral glucose tolerance tests, 

-HbA1c levels, 

-Serum insulin levels.

The researchers also measured 

body mass index (BMI), 

waist circumference,

body weight, 

blood pressure, 

triglycerides, 

total cholesterol, 

and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) 

and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels.

After treatment with gymnema, 46.7% of the treatment group had normalized HbA1C levels compared to none of the placebo group. 

The treatment group also experienced statistically significant reductions in 2-hour postprandial glucose levels, LDL cholesterol levels, body weight, BMI, and Matsuda index (a marker for insulin sensitivity).

Another study with a longer treatment time of 18 to 20 months found that patients with diabetes who were taking 400 mg of gymnema extract daily led to a significant decrease in blood glucose levels, HbA1C, and the required dosage of diabetes medication. 

Several participants (5 of 22) were able to completely stop their diabetes medication by continuing to take the supplement alone.

The mechanisms behind the efficacy of gymnema remain under investigation, but animal and human studies point to several potential mechanisms that affect both the absorption of glucose and the release of insulin to benefit glucose balance.

The main component (gymnemic acid) may occupy glucose receptors in the small intestine, thereby inhibiting or reducing glucose absorption. In addition, studies point to the potential of gymnema to inhibit α-glucosidase enzymes to delay or decrease the digestion of carbohydrates.

Gymnema may stimulate insulin secretion by modulating the incretin effect or by positively impacting beta cells and enhancing endogenous insulin production. Furthermore, gymnema may also have antioxidant properties that counter the inflammation and oxidative stress associated with diabetes and its complications.

PTEROCARPUS MARSUPIUM – INDIAN KINO WOOD

Pterocarpus marsupium, standardized to 5% C-glycosides. In Ayurvedic medicine Pterocarpus marsupium is famously known as “the miracle cure for diabetes”..The C-glycosidic bonds are considered to inhibit SGLT2, the co-transporter of glucose in the bloodstream, it also plays a key role in the reabsorption of glucose in the kidneys..Pterocarpus has demonstrated the effectiveness of C-glycoside for blood sugar management, in addition to other properties:

• Serum glucose level: significant reduction, dose-dependent
• Plasma insulin: significant increase, dose-dependent
• Total cholesterol, TG and LDL levels: significantly reduced
• HDL level: significantly increased
• Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c): significantly reduced, close to the normal value
• Significant reduction of TNF-α and IL-6

Another study showed that after 12 weeks, 69% of patients showed a significant drop in blood sugar (fasting and postprandial)..In a 36-week study, P. marsupium extract was found to give similar results to tolbutamide (a standard anti-diabetic agent), without the known side effects.

Pterocarpus marsupium (= Kino de Malabar = Indian Kino) is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as one of the most important ingredients in preparations for managing diabetes. Since ancient times, Ayurvedacharyas have used pieces of bark of Pterocarpus to manage diabetes.

Pterostilbene – a stilbenoid, defensive phytoalexin in plants – is the most important bioactive.

In a recent published study in J Dietary Supplements researchers found that Pterocarpus marsupium extracts lowered blood glucose and HbA1c levels, increasing the levels of the hormone insulin in diabetic rats.

These extracts, containing water-soluble C-glycosidic components, also lowered oxidative stress and inflammatory markers such as TNF-α, IL-6 (and its mRNA) in diabetic hepatic tissue.

Histological studies supported the biochemical measures. Lipid profile improved considerably for the diabetic rats that received Pterocarpus extracts. Overall very supportive evidence was obtained in this paper for the pharmacological actions of Pterocarpus marsupium extract for normalising blood sugar levels in diabetic rats.

These results reinforce the clinical trial results published earlier by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR – a research institute supported by the Government of India). 

P. marsupium is known for its antidiabetic activity [97] . Besides eliciting a strong antidiabetic property, Pterocarpus marsupium is reported to be effective against several diseases. It is reported to be antiobesity, antihyperlipidemic [98] , anti-inflammatory, anthelmentic [99, 100] , antioxidative, antitumorigenic and antiulcerative [71, 101] .

Pterocarpus marsupium is reported to have not only hypoglycemic property but also β-cell protective and regenerative properties [102] , effects which have been attributed to the flavonoid content in the plant. Complete restoration of normal insulin secretion and regeneration of beta cells have been reported in various experimental models of diabetes [103, 104] . A methanolic extract of Pterocarpus marsupium when supplemented for 7 and 14 days to STZ-diabetic rats showed normalization of streptozotocin-distressed serum glucose by correcting glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum protein, insulin, alkaline and acid phosphatase, and albumin levels [105] .

The blood sugar-lowering activity has been endorsed to be due to the presence of tannates in the extract of the plant. Antihyperlipidemic activity is contributed probably to the marsupin, pterosupin, and liquiritigenin present in the plant [106] . (−) Epicatechin has been shown to have insulinogenic property by enhancing insulin release and conversion of proinsulin to insulin. (−) Epicatechin has also been shown to possess insulin-like activity [107, 108] . Epicatechin has also been shown to strengthen the insulin signalling by activating key proteins of that pathway and regulating glucose production through AKT and AMPK modulation in HepG2 cells [109] .

BITTER MELON 

Several studies have demonstrated antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities, in Momordica charantia  [53, 54] ; however, the antidiabetic activity has been widely reviewed. In several animal studies, bitter gourd has been reported to ameliorate the metabolic syndrome, where diabetes is one of the risk factors [55–57] . In a study conducted on Taiwanese adults, a significant reduction in waist circumference, improvement in diabetes, and symptoms of metabolic syndrome has been observed [58] .

The hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering properties of bitter melon have been observed [59] . Studies have shown that Momordica charantia can repair damaged β-cells thereby stimulating insulin levels [60] and also improve sensitivity/signalling of insulin [57] . Bitter gourd is also reported to inhibit absorption of glucose by inhibiting glucosidase and suppressing the activity of disaccharidases in the intestine [61] .

Ethanolic extract of Momordica charantia is reported to show antihyperglycemic effect in normal and streptozotocin diabetic rats which might be due to inhibition of glucose-6-phosphatase and also stimulation of the activity of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase [62] . Studies have reported that triterpenoids may be the hypoglycemic components present in karela which could be responsible for activation of AMP-activated protein kinase [63] . The blood glucose-lowering activity of karela has been reported in several animal models [64] .

Bitter melon is also effective in loosening adiposity. It is reported to decrease the weight of epididymal and retroperitoneal white adipose tissues [54] . Bitter melon is found effective in augmenting skeletal muscle strength, an effect which could be due to higher mRNA expression for the glucose transporter 4 [55] . Extracts/fractions of Antidesma madagascariense and Momordica charantia were found to significantly inhibit the activity of α-glucosidase, a key carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzyme. However, glycogen-loaded mice showed significant depressive effect on increasing the level of postprandial blood glucose after ingestion of Momordica charantia  [65] . Presence of saponins to some extent might justify the inhibitory activities on α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Saponins are also supposed to stimulate insulin secretion [66] .

CINNAMON BARK:

A total of 60 people with type 2 diabetes, 30 men and 30 women aged 52.2 ± 6.32 years, were divided randomly into six groups. Groups 1, 2, and 3 consumed 1, 3, or 6 g of cinnamon daily, respectively, and groups 4, 5, and 6 were given placebo capsules corresponding to the number of capsules consumed for the three levels of cinnamon. The cinnamon was consumed for 40 days followed by a 20-day washout period.

RESULTS—After 40 days, all three levels of cinnamon reduced the mean fasting serum glucose (18–29%), triglyceride (23–30%), LDL cholesterol (7–27%), and total cholesterol (12–26%) levels; no significant changes were noted in the placebo groups. Changes in HDL cholesterol were not significant.

BANABA LEAF

Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) extracts have been used for many years in folk medicine to treat diabetes, with the first published research study being reported in 1940. 

The hypoglycemic effects of Banaba have been attributed to both corosolic acid as well as ellagitannins. Studies have been conducted in various animal models, human subjects, and in vitro systems using water soluble Banaba leaf extracts, corosolic acid, and ellagitannins. Corosolic acid has been reported to decrease blood sugar levels within 60 min in human subjects. Corosolic acid also exhibits antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities. The beneficial effects of Banaba and corosolic acid with respect to various aspects of glucose and lipid metabolism appear to involve multiple mechanisms, including enhanced cellular uptake of glucose, impaired hydrolysis of sucrose and starches, decreased gluconeogenesis, and the regulation of lipid metabolism. These effects may be mediated by PPAR and other signal transduction factors. Banaba extract, corosolic acid, and other constituents may be beneficial in addressing the symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome, as well as offering other health benefits.

ALA – ALPHA LIPOIC ACID

The role of ALA as an insulin-sensitizing agent for cells has been recognized since the mid-1990s. In 1995, a trial of 13 patients with type 2 diabetes given a single infusion of ALA (1,000 mg) showed a 50% reduction in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal versus those given a placebo.45 Since then, many studies have corroborated the role of ALA as an insulin-sensitizing agent. A meta-analysis of 24 studies published in 2018 concluded that ALA improved glucose homeostasis as well as lipid profiles in subjects with metabolic syndrome.46

That said, ALA’s role as an adjunct to proper diet and lifestyle in prediabetics and diabetics (type 1 and 2) has amassed an impressive amount of evidence.

ALA is appropriate for prediabetics as well as diabetics, possibly forestalling or eliminating the progression to type 2 diabetes. High intake of fructose, particularly high-fructose corn or agave syrups, has been implicated in glucose dysregulation.47 ALA may lessen the risk of obesity and diabetes in those who consume standard Western diets, which are high in fructose.48

In a study of 74 patients with DM, participants were divided into groups receiving 600 mg of oral ALA once daily, twice daily, three times daily, or placebo. There was a significant increase in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in those who received ALA versus the placebo, but it was not dose-dependent. This suggests 600 mg of oral ALA may be enough to improve insulin sensitivity.49