Glucocil is marketed as a total blood sugar optimizer, its unique formula created with over 7 years of research. A gel capsule taken orally, it was created by Neuliven Health, home-based in San Diego, California. Neuliven started back in 2003, and now has a product they are proud of. But how effective is it, and what does it claim to do in the body?
The product claims a number of things, such as the ability to:
- reduce the glucose absorption to the intestines and liver,
- improve insulin sensitivity in the body,
- help with weight loss,
- help in obtaining a healthy circulatory system,
- help in reducing the absorption of sugars and other carbohydrates in the body. [1]
Glucocil Facts
As most people already know, when you eat sugar or refined carbohydrates of any type it causes a raise in your glucose levels. According to Glucocil’s site, “The key enzyme at the end of the digesting process is called alpha glucosidase, and its job is to release glucose from the more complicated carbohydrates.” [1]
In other words, breaking those carbohydrates down causes the glucose levels in your body to spike. This in turn causes a domino effect in the way the liver produces glucose, and how the pancreas functions with insulin later, causing your blood sugar levels to fluctuate. They are all substantially linked together. Glucocil is supposed to slow the effectiveness of this process.
While it is great to know the function of the product, it is even better to know specifically what it contains. I was concerned that there would not be an ingredient list, but there was a full list readily available on their website. [1]
Proprietary Mulberry Leaf Extract, Gymnema Sylvestre Extract, and Insulina Leaf Extract: The main functions of these ingredients are to reduce the glucose absorption amounts to the liver and intestines, increase glucose uptake in cells, and contribute to weight management.
Alpha Lipoic Acid: This is said to help increase the level of glucose uptake in the cells, as well as contribute to weight management.
Banaba Leaf Extract: I thought it was a typo, too, but it isn’t. The main function of this ingredient is similar to the ones above in reducing glucose absorption to the liver.
Berberine: This ingredient contributes to all of the above functions, and is also said to support normal blood lipid levels, aid in better circulatory health, and aid in weight management.
Chromium Picolinate and Cinnamon Bark Powder: These are supposed to aid in the uptake of glucose in the cells, similar to alpha lipoic acid.
Fish Oil and Vitamin D: These ingredients are said to aid overall cardiovascular health.
Vitamins B1, B6, and B12: These ingredients are said to help with sugar metabolism.
Veld Grape (cissus quadrangularis) Stem Extract: Similar to others mentioned above, this ingredient is supposed to help with weight management and with the reduction of glucose absorption to the intestines.
Each ingredient is explained in-depth, but one that stood out to me especially was the Mulberry Leaf extract. This was the first ingredient in Glucocil’s ingredient list, so I wanted to press into it a little further.
This extract has been clinically proven to help diabetics take control over their blood sugar woes, and has been proven to suppress high blood sugar levels. Mulberry leaves are used in ancient Chinese medicine, and for good reason.
According to a study done in Japan,
Another research group in Japan has found that white mulberry leaves contain compounds that inhibit these intestinal enzymes. In experiments with normal rats, they found that certain nitrogen-containing sugars in mulberry-leaf extract, notably one called 1-deoxynojirimycin, strongly inhibited the intestinal metabolism of disaccharides (especially sucrose), thereby restricting the amounts of monosaccharides that entered the circulation. [2]
In layman’s terms, when they pre-treated the rats with the mulberry leaf extract before giving them carbohydrates, their blood glucose levels did not rise as quickly.
back to menu ↑What’s The Word?
There are scientific facts and completed research to show why Glucocil should work in the body, but what do the actual customers have to say about how the product made them feel after taking it?
Larry said, “This seems to work very well as I definitely do not get the lulls in energy mid-morning and mid-afternoon that I had before taking this product. However, there is one interesting side-effect, when you urinate you will notice a very pronounced plastic-like smell.” [3]
Floyd Loney said, “I have been struggling with my glucose numbers for years. I’ve had readings anywhere from 160 to the low 200s. Since I started taking Glucocil, my numbers have been in the normal range, (70 to 110) most of the time.” [3]
Looking through over a thousand reviews on Amazon’s sale page for Glucocil, over 70% were very positive, though others voiced they felt Glucocil was no better than the multivitamin they take each morning. One of the common complaints was the cost for one bottle of sixty capsules, $40.00 plus shipping. The instructions are to take one softgel capsule at lunch and one at dinner for the first three days, and then double the intake to two capsules at lunch and two at dinner. So your forty-dollar purchase really only gets you 16 days of dosage.
NOTE: Not all supplements work for all people. Although Glucocil’s reviews were mostly very positive, there were some reports of blood sugar levels rising rather than dropping, or not changing at all. Even among the 4- and 5-star reviews where glucose levels dropped, there were mentions of loose and severely loose stools, gas, and upset stomach. [3]
back to menu ↑What Does Glucocil Offer?
Glucocil offers blood sugar stability to customers who are dealing with massive fluctuations. Diabetics need stable blood sugar levels to function normally throughout the day, and Glucocil is said to help with that. There is no shortage of research shown on the website, so if you are interested take a look here. The product did get great reviews from people who purchased it.
Not many people loved the cost, however, and the fact that you have to take 4 pills a day can feel like a lot for someone who has to remember to take their insulin shots as well as their other multivitamins and supplements for the day. The softgels are large, and this can be hard on someone who does not like to take capsules in the first place.
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Is Glucocil Worth A Try?
Depends. Neuliven was in trouble with the FDA back in April of 2013 for making illegitimate claims on their website. From the warning letter issued by the FDA,
The claims on your website establish that this product is a drug because it is intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. As explained further below, introducing or delivering this product for introduction into interstate commerce for such uses violates the Act. [4]
When looking into the enforcement investigations, it appears the company has cleaned up their main website and taken down claims that placed Glucocil as a “drug.”
It seems Neuliven has been able to move past the scandal and provide its customers an informational website, with many different points of research to look at.
The overall reviews for Glucocil were strong despite the side effects. If you struggle with maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, this might be worth a try for you. Always consult your doctor first before purchasing any supplements.
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