GlucoFit™ is an oily extract form of corosolic acid derived from the leaves of the plant lagerstroemia speciosa, grown in Asia. Also known as banaba leaf extract, corosolic acid is a powerful transporter of glucose across cell membranes, which means it could help efficiently regulate blood sugar.
Corosolic Acid Benefits
As you have gathered by now, one of the primary benefits of taking a banaba leaf extract supplement is its potential to help regulate blood sugar. While research specific to GlucoFit™ is limited, one recent study shows the extent to which banaba leaf extract may lower blood sugar levels in humans.
The body’s ability to transport glucose is extremely important to overall health. Glucose that is not transported into cells stagnates in the blood and is often converted into fat. Elevated blood sugar levels can not only lead to weight gain, but also to glycation, a specific type of damage caused by a reaction between glucose and protein, as well as other diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
But that is not the only corosolic acid benefit; banaba leaf extract also has powerful antioxidant properties and may also support overall heart health.
Antioxidant Properties
Antioxidants are essential for counteracting the formation of free radicals in the body. Free radicals accelerate age-related conditions and impact everything from your DNA to your body’s ability to fight off disease, making banaba leaf extract a highly recommended natural addition to your diet.
One of the most significant GlucoFit™ benefits is the ability to fight off and neutralize free radicals, as banaba leaf capsules contain high levels of flavonoids and phenols, both essential antioxidants.
Studies have shown that GlucoFit™ neutralizes high levels of free radicals and regulates antioxidant producing enzymes. Research remains ongoing, but the benefits of GlucoFit™ are promising.
Heart Health Support
GlucoFit™ supports heart health by way of cholesterol. The principle is that high levels of cholesterol in the blood raise the chances of experiencing heart disease later in life. But the corosolic acid in banaba leaf extract may lower the rates of cholesterol in the blood, along with levels of triglycerides.
Animal and human studies have contributed to the increased knowledge of the effects of corosolic acid supplements on cholesterol and heart health. One study showed a near 50% drop in liver cholesterol levels and a 32% drop in blood cholesterol levels in mice over ten weeks.
Scientists acknowledge that studying the effects of corosolic acid supplements – including the impact of banaba leaf extract – must continue, but early results are encouraging.
Corosolic Acid Supplement Side Effects
Whether you are looking to take GlucoFit™ for weight loss, heart health, or any other reason, you need to examine the potential for side effects to make an informed decision on whether or not taking corosolic acid supplements daily is for you.
First and foremost, it is essential to consult your doctor if you are already taking any prescription medications for a chronic condition, as adverse drug interactions are possible with almost any modern pharmaceuticals. Your primary care physician can review your medical history to determine whether you may be at risk of experiencing corosolic acid side effects.
In any case, you should always perform your own research. There are plenty of credible studies accessible online that examine banaba side effects and study the risks of experiencing them.
Generally, most people will find banaba leaf extract perfectly safe to take. Side effects are most common when consuming more than the recommended daily dosage or using GlucoFit™ with certain prescription medications.
Take control of your own health while taking corosolic acid for weight loss, heart health, and antioxidant properties. Monitor any side effects – however mild – and consult your doctor if they become unpleasant or uncomfortable.
Note that banaba extract side effects are mild to nonexistent for most people. Nevertheless, proceed with caution, as you should when adding any new supplement to your daily regimen.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Daily serving: 2 softgels
Number of servings per bottle: 50 |
Quantity per serving |
GlucoHelp™ Banaba extract (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) standardized to provide 18% (0.96 mg) corosolic acid |
5.3 mg |
Other ingredients: rice bran oil, glycerin, concentrated carob extract, beeswax, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide.
Glucofit™ - Softgel.
GlucoHelp™ - Kenko/Chemco Corporation.
|
How to Take Banaba Leaf Capsules?
Banaba leaf extract works best when taken at the same time every day. Adopting a consistent routine is essential in order to maximize corosolic acid benefits.
We recommend taking 2 capsules a day, spread throughout the day – i.e., not both at once. If you are unsure of the best time to take each capsule, talk to your primary care physician and get their input on how many hours you should wait in between consuming each soft gel capsule daily.
GlucoFit™ works best when taken with food, so try and take each capsule after a meal. The food aids your digestive system in absorbing the compounds within this supplement faster.
While banaba leaf extract can be taken on an empty stomach, you risk diminishing the benefits and increasing the time it takes for this supplement to take effect.
Never attempt to exceed the recommended daily serving size. It will not increase the supplement’s effectiveness and will increase the risk of side effects. And, as always, make sure you reach out to your doctor if you experience any unpleasant or uncomfortable side effects.
- Aragno M, Mastrocola R. Dietary Sugars and Endogenous Formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts: Emerging Mechanisms of Disease. Nutrients. 2017;9(4):385. Published 2017 Apr 14. doi:10.3390/nu9040385
- Stohs SJ, Miller H, Kaats GR. A review of the efficacy and safety of banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) and corosolic acid. Phytother Res. 2012 Mar;26(3):317-24. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3664. Epub 2011 Nov 17. PMID: 22095937.
- Miura T, Takagi S, Ishida T. Management of Diabetes and Its Complications with Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) and Corosolic Acid. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:871495. doi:10.1155/2012/871495
- Suzuki Y, Unno T, Ushitani M, Hayashi K, Kakuda T. Antiobesity activity of extracts from Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaves on female KK-Ay mice. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1999 Dec;45(6):791-5. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.45.791. PMID: 10737232.
- Goodwin ML. Régulation de la glycémie pendant un exercice prolongé, sous-maximal et continu : un guide pour les cliniciens. J Diabetes Sci Technol . 2010;4(3):694-705. Publié le 1er mai 2010. doi:10.1177/193229681000400325
- Bhupathiraju SN, Tobias DK, Malik VS, et al. Glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from 3 large US cohorts and an updated meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100(1):218-232. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.079533
- Whitworth SR, Bruce DG, Starkstein SE, Davis WA, Davis TM, Bucks RS. Lifetime depression and anxiety increase prevalent psychological symptoms and worsen glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: The Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase II. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2016 Dec;122:190-197. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2016.10.023. Epub 2016 Nov 9. PMID: 27865961.
- Zhu L, Chandran SR, Tan WB, Xin X, Goh SY, Gardner DS. Persistent Anxiety Is Associated with Higher Glycemia Post-Transition to Adult Services in Asian Young Adults with Diabetes. Diabetes Metab J. 2021;45(1):67-76. doi:10.4093/dmj.2019.0226
- Feng X, Sureda A, Jafari S, et al. Berberine in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases: From Mechanisms to Therapeutics. Theranostics. 2019;9(7):1923-1951. Published 2019 Mar 16. doi:10.7150/thno.30787
- Vergara-Jimenez M, Almatrafi MM, Fernandez ML. Bioactive Components in Moringa Oleifera Leaves Protect against Chronic Disease. Antioxidants (Basel). 2017;6(4):91. Published 2017 Nov 16. doi:10.3390/antiox6040091
- Zhu BJ, Zayed MZ, Zhu HX, Zhao J, Li SP. Functional polysaccharides of carob fruit: a review. Chin Med. 2019;14:40. Published 2019 Sep 30. doi:10.1186/s13020-019-0261-x