A clinical study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that GlucAffect, a nutritional supplement developed by Reliv International, Inc., significantly reduced blood glucose levels and helped control weight in study participants.
The study included 50 overweight individuals who had pre-diabetic glucose levels prior to the study. Subjects taking GlucAffect, a powdered product mixed with water or other liquids, lowered their fasting blood glucose by an average of 30 percent and they lost an average of 16 pounds. Subjects in the control group reported a marginal decline in blood glucose levels and no significant weight loss.
The study was conducted at Gabriele D'Annunzio University in Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
"The people in the GlucAffect group achieved statistically significant lower blood sugar levels as well as significant weight loss compared to both their own baseline starting point and to the results of the people in the placebo group," said Dr. Carl Hastings, Reliv's vice chairman and chief scientific officer, who is a Ph.D. in food science. "GlucAffect enabled subjects to achieve healthy weight and blood sugar levels after eight weeks," Hastings added.
Elevated weight and blood glucose levels are key factors in metabolic syndrome, which dramatically increases the likelihood of developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 1 in 4 American adults have the metabolic syndrome.
The participants consumed GlucAffect or a placebo product four times a day for six days a week, participated in an exercise program and ate a healthy diet. They didn't follow the study regimen on the seventh day of the week.
"GlucAffect is formulated with a unique combination of innovative ingredients selected to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and promote overall health," said Hastings, who created GlucAffect and was one of the authors of the study.
Reliv will apply for a patent on GlucAffect. All Reliv products are developed, tested and manufactured at the company's headquarters in Chesterfield, Mo.
About Reliv
Reliv International, Inc., based in Chesterfield, Mo., is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of a proprietary line of nutritional supplements. Reliv supplements address essential daily nutrition, weight loss and targeted solutions such as energy and performance enhancement, blood sugar management, digestive health and anti-aging. Reliv sells its products through an international network marketing system of approximately 68,700 independent distributors. Additional information about Reliv International, Inc. can be obtained on the Web at www.reliv.com.