Metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure) -

How Stevia and Samento can support your health 

Metabolic syndrome has now become the number one widespread disease. This term describes the combination of obesity and the diseases that often result from it: high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and lipid metabolism disorders.

All of these diseases in themselves are significant risk factors for the development of very serious cardiovascular diseases, such as hardening of the arteries, heart attack, stroke or heart failure. If all of these risk factors occur together, the risk of resulting serious health problems is very high.

This makes it all the more important to prevent and treat obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and lipid metabolism disorders, if possible before serious consequences occur.

We all know the importance of a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet, sufficient physical exercise, avoiding nicotine, reducing alcohol and good stress management. There are already countless posts and blogs about this, so I would like to refer you to them.

This blog is about two natural substances that have been shown in two recently published studies that the combination of both substances can be a good support in the effort to achieve optimal metabolic health.

These two substances are, on the one hand, stevia (known to many as a sweetener) and, on the other hand, Uncaria tomentosa , the extract from the bark of the cat's claw tree, better known as Samento or Cat's Claw extract.

What is Stevia?

Stevia is a calorie-free sugar substitute obtained from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. The plant form of stevia is native to the mountains between southern Brazil and northern Paraguay and has been used for hundreds of years.

Although there are over 150 species of Stevia, only Stevia rebaudiana is used for its sweetening properties.

Stevia is 200 to 400 times sweeter than sugar and has no calories. It is produced in powder, liquid or granular form.

Stevia contains several glycosides that are beneficial to human well-being. The main ones that should be mentioned are stevioside and rebaudioside. These are not fermentable like sugar, but are heat and pH stable molecules.

Wellness Benefits of Stevia

1. Helps reduce calorie intake

As a sugar substitute, stevia can replace high-calorie sugar and reduce the overall calorie count of foods and drinks.

For people trying to reduce their calorie intake, stevia can be a great substitute for sugar.

2. Supports metabolic health

Limited research suggests that stevia may support healthy blood sugar levels within the normal range and help promote metabolic health.

Stevia may also support normal cholesterol levels and blood pressure in already healthy people.

3. Good for reducing sugar consumption

Because stevia sweetens foods and drinks, it can help reduce the amount of sugar you consume. Sugar has a number of harmful effects on human health, which is why nutritionists and doctors generally recommend a low-sugar lifestyle.

This is particularly important for children who are normally used to sugary foods but may find it difficult to transition to a low-sugar diet. Parents can replace the sugar with the stevia plant, which is not associated with the same problems as sugar.

4. Gentle on the body

Many sugar substitutes are known to cause allergic reactions or sensitivities in certain people. However, in the long history of research, no undesirable effects are known from purified stevia extract.

You can find detailed information about stevia and its diverse effects in our stevia blog ( https://www.nutramedix.de/blogs/news/stevia-geschichte-und-nutzen ).

What is Samento? 

Cat's claw is a tropical woody vine in the Rubiaceae family that is distributed throughout the world, predominantly in South America. It can grow over 100 feet long and takes 20 years to reach full maturity. It gets its name from its hook-shaped thorns, which look like a cat's claws.
The extract from the bark of the cat's claw tree (Uncaria tomentosa) is said to have a variety of effects:

Antioxidant support
Support in regulating blood sugar levels
Support of the cardiovascular system
Immune system support
Support for inflammatory reaction
Microbial support
Neurological support

There are 2 notable alkaloids in traditional cat's claw. The absence of either significantly alters the effectiveness of cat's claw for health and disease.

- Tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids (TOAs)
- Pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids (POAs)

The POAs are the source of the best cat's claw health benefits. The TOAs often block the pronounced effects of the POAs. 

Here too I would like to shorten the description and refer to our blog on the history of the cat's claw ( https://www.nutramedix.de/blogs/news/die-geschichte-der-katzenkralle ). However, it is important to know: An excellent cat's claw product should contain as many POAs as possible and at the same time be free of TOAs.

What happens when you combine Stevia and Samento? 

In two studies published in renowned specialist journals in 2022, evidence of a synergistic effect of the combination of Stevia + Samento (GlucoMedix Ò ) was shown for the first time. The effect on metabolic syndrome was described in an animal model and the effects on lowering blood sugar levels and reducing the need for medication in the case of existing diabetes were described in a case study on humans. 

Both studies show that, in addition to all important lifestyle changes and the sometimes unavoidable drug therapy measures, two natural substances can also be useful dietary supplements to achieve the goal of optimal metabolic health. 

Sources:

León F. Villegas Vílchez, Julio Hidalgo Ascencios2 and Thomas P. Dooley
GlucoMedix , an extract of Stevia rebaudiana and Uncaria tomentosa , reduces hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension in rat models without toxicity: a treatment for metabolic syndrome
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-022-03538-9
https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12906-022-03538-9.pdf

Thomas P. Doley, Jonny Martin Parades Perez, Carlos Regifo Rodriguez
Stevia and Uncaria extract (GlucoMedix Ò ) reduces glucose levels and the need for medications in type 2 diabetes: an open label case series of six patients
Clinical Phytosience, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40816-021-00332-x
https://rdcu.be/cEebb