Glucose Disposal Agents (GDA) are becoming increasingly popular within the supplement space, and for good reason. They pose a plethora of benefits when it comes to athletic training and metabolic health. GDA's play an insulin-like role within the body; they aid in the transport of glucose out of the blood stream and into muscle tissue. This mechanism helps to prioritize glucose uptake into muscles to but utilized as energy, as opposed to being delivered to fat tissue and eventually converted to fat.

Glucose is the body's primary source of fuel and is essential to fuel both aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration. Once glucose is in the body, it travels through the blood stream and is delivered to energy-requiring tissue. Upon delivery, glucose is then broken down into ATP, the body's cellular form of energy. As previously mentioned, this mechanism proves to be highly beneficial in exercise performance and metabolic health.

AstroFlav's GlucoDrive is a fully loaded product that features several GDA ingredients. It also has other ingredients to improve gut health and/or nutrient absorption. Let's take a deeper dive into the beauty behind GlucoDrive, shall we?

Supplement Facts

ButyraGen® 200mg

To kick off GlucoDrive's formula, it features ButyraGen® dosed at 200mg. ButyraGen® is a partially hydrolyzed guar fiber. The active ingredient within ButyraGen® is tributyrin; tributyrin is broken down in the gut and eventually converted to butyrate. Butyrate plays a massive role in overall gut health and promotes healthy gut functioning by modulating inflammation and improving immunity. Several pre-clinical studies have reported that ButyraGen® reduces oxidative stress, gas production, and generates butyrate.

Banaba Leaf Extract 200mg

The second ingredient present within GlucoDrive is 200mg of Banaba Leaf Extract. Banaba Leaf has been used for centuries to treat diabetes by acting as a GDA agent. It's blood-sugar reducing effects of Banaba are attributed to its corosolic acid and ellagitannin content. Like other GDA's, Banaba Leaf Extract transports glucose into muscle tissue to be utilized as energy. Banaba Leaf Extract acts in several ways to reduce glucose levels and improve lipid metabolism:

• Enhanced glucose uptake into muscle cells
• Decreases gluconeogenesis (production of glucose)
• Regulates lipid metabolism

Multiple studies report that Banaba Leaf Extract and it's constituents may pose insulin-like activity and reduce blood-sugar levels. In addition, they also pose antioxidant properties as well. A human clinical study conducted on 24 individuals with mild type 2 diabetes used a proprietary Banaba Leaf product called Banabamin. Subjects were given tablets three times a day at an unmentioned dose; results showed that subjects experienced an average of 13.5 decrease in blood glucose levels, with no reported adverse effects.

GlucoVantage 150mg

GlucoVantage is a trademarked form of dihydroberberine (DHB) created by NNB Nutrition. GlucoVantage is one of the most studied GDA ingredients in the industry, and the benefits are extensive. For years, generic berberine has been used to support healthy blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity, and body composition. However, it certainly has its limitations, as berberine has low bioavailability and may cause GI distress. That's where dihydroberberine comes in. DHB is up to 5x more bioavailable and its effects last up to 2x longer than standard berberine. In fact, DHB is so powerful, research suggests its effects on treating type 2 diabetes may outperform metformin, an industry leading diabetic medication.

CyaniMax 130mg

CyaniMax is a trademarked ingredient developed by Global Natural Products Pioneer BGG that offers antioxidant protection via its rich anthocyanin content; primarily Cyanidin-3-O-Glucoside. CyaniMax is constantly tested to ensure the highest concentration of purity of Cyanidin-3-O-Glucoside, offering up to 80% anthocyanins. It's benefits include improved vision, cardiovascular protection, and improvement in diabetic symptoms. 

Shikonin 100mg

GlucoDrive also features a clinical dose of Shikonin at 100mg. Shikonin is a naturally occurring naphthoquinone dying pigment obtained by the roots of the Boraginaceae family. Studies show that Shikonin increases glucose uptake into skeletal muscle cells via an insulin-dependent pathway. Both in vitro and in vivo studies show that Shikonin improves glucose metabolism and possesses properties that make it beneficial for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Na-R-ALA 66mg

Na-R-ALA is a stabilized form of Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA). ALA is one of the most research backed GDA ingredients in the industry and poses a plethora of benefits. ALA is a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in energy metabolism. ALA kick starts the AMPK system in skeletal muscle; this process drives glucose into muscles to be burned as fuel and also helps to oxidize fatty acids. This mechanism can lower blood glucose acutely. ALA has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity by reducing triglyceride levels/fatty acid synthesis.

AstraGin 50mg

To round out the formula, AstraGin is a patented, plant-based ingredient developed by NuLiv Science that's been shown to promote nutrient absorption. The benefits of AstraGin are well documented, and it has been touted to provide "full gut support" through a variety of mechanisms:

1. enhanced nutrient absorption
2. enhanced microbiota viability
3. improved immune cell viability
4. promotion of healthy intestinal wall environment

AstraGin's mechanism of action is quite simple, but highly effective. AstraGin increases the number of transporter proteins present within the gut. These transporter proteins are specifically responsible for carrying nutrients to the wall of the intestine, which are then absorbed by the body.

Both in vitro and in vivo studies show that AstraGin significantly increases the absorption of amino acids, primarily arginine. AstraGin also has data supporting the absorption of glucose; for that reason, it has landed itself a spot in GlucoDrive's formula.

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