Origin and history

Glucomannan is the name given to starch-like substances made from branched carbohydrate chains. Because devil's tongue root ( Amorphophallus konjac) contains about 40% glucomannan, the root, also known as konjac root, is the most important and prominent source of glucomannan. Konjac glucomannan is used in Europe as an additive in food under the number E 425 as a thickener. Also as a vegan replacement for gelatin. In Asia it has been used as a natural additive in traditional cuisine for around 1500 years. You can find higher levels of glucomannan in Shirataki noodles, for example. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine.  

Characteristics

Glucomannan is characterized by a high content of soluble fiber , which contains few calories. And contains hardly any fat, protein or sugar, making it an attractive supplement for a healthy diet. As such a source, the fiber has positive effects on the digestive system and intestinal bacteria and can also form a protective film on the intestinal wall. Because it causes food to stay in the body longer, it can help you feel fuller for longer.  

The following health claims related to glucomannan have been evaluated and approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through scientific studies:  

• Glucomannan contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels (at a daily intake of 4 g)  
• Glucomannan contributes to weight loss as part of a low-calorie diet (with a daily intake of 3 g glucomannan in three servings of 1 g per serving)  

In studies, the cholesterol-lowering effect of glucomannan has been evaluated and confirmed by the EFSA, but other health benefits are still being investigated in science.  

Potential health-promoting effects that have not yet been fully established and confirmed include:  

• Anti-diabetic effect – Studies have shown that type 2 diabetics have reduced fasting sugar and insulin levels, as well as lower sugar levels after meals. Thus, glucomannan could help diabetics regulate their sugar.  
• Anti-tumor effect – Studies suggest that glucomannan has a direct, blocking effect on a signaling pathway in tumor cells that inhibits growth. Additionally, it has anti-oxidant properties and reduces cell stress that could lead to tumors.  
• Immune-stimulating effect - In a study, when in contact with antibiotic-resistant staphylococci, glucomannan led to an improved immune response and glucomannan could therefore also act as an immune-stimulating substance.  

Possible side effects  

If glucomannan is not taken with enough water, it can cause a risk of choking and intestinal blockage. Other undesirable effects include diarrhea, belching and flatulence. Therefore, you should always make sure you drink enough water when taking it.  

Interactions 

People taking blood sugar control medications or blood thinners should consult a doctor before taking glucomannan because it may affect the absorption of these medications. Pregnant women, breastfeeding women and people with existing intestinal problems should also consult a doctor before use.  

Which AgilNature® products contain glucomannan? 

*Nutrient Reference Value = Percentage of the reference value according to Appendix XIII of the Food Information Regulation (EC) No. 1169/2011.  

** No recommendation available.  

Literature: 

1. E 425 Konjac gum, Konjac glucomannan - Lexicon of additives. https://www.zusatzstoffmuseum.de/lexikon-der-zusatzstoffe/konjakgummikonjakglukomannan.html (accessed on January 16, 2024)  
2. Chua, M; Baldwin, T.C.; Hocking, T.J.; Chan, K (24 March 2010). "Traditional uses and potential health benefits of Amorphophallus konjac K. Koch ex NEBr". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 128 (2): 268–78.  
3. Ho HVT, Jovanovski E, Zurbau A, Blanco Mejia S, Sievenpiper JL, Au-Yeung F, Jenkins AL, Duvnjak L, Leiter L, Vuksan V. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the effect of konjac glucomannan , a viscous soluble fiber, on LDL cholesterol and the new lipid targets non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 May;105(5):1239-1247.  
4. Devaraj RD, Reddy CK, Xu B. Health-promoting effects of konjac glucomannan and its practical applications: A critical review. Int J Biol Macromol. 2019 Apr 1;126:273-281.  
5. Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Tao X, Wang Y, Rao B, Shi H. Effects of Glucomannan Supplementation on Type II Diabetes Mellitus in Humans: A Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 24;15(3):601.  
6. Fang Y, Ma J, Lei P, Wang L, Qu J, Zhao J, Liu F, Yan X, Wu W, Jin L, Ji H, Sun D. Konjac Glucomannan: An Emerging Specialty Medical Food to Aid in the Treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Foods. 2023 Jan 12;12(2):363.  
7. Li JY, Sun F, Zhou HF, Yang J, Huang C, Fan H. A Systematic Review Exploring the Anticancer Activity and Mechanisms of Glucomannan. Front Pharmacol. 2019 Aug 23;10:930.  
8. Khanzadeh Tehrani M, Yazdi MH, Pourmand MR. Glucomannan enhanced the macrophage activity in exposure to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): in-vitro study. Iran J Microbiol. 2023 Aug;15(4):557-564.  
9. Igho Onakpoya MD igho.onakpoya@phc.ox.ac.uk , Paul Posadzki PhD & Edzard Ernst MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCP (Edin) (2014) The Efficacy of Glucomannan Supplementation in Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 33:1, 70-78.  

Origin and history 

Barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) is a plant species from the sweet grass family and one of the oldest types of grain that we humans domesticated for agriculture around 10,000 years ago, probably first in the Israel-Jordan region. Since then it has been grown as a staple food. It is an annual grass that reaches a height of 0.7 to 1.2 m.  

Characteristics 

Barley is a good source of fiber, vitamin B, iron and manganese. Not only does it provide nutrition and detoxification to the body, it also has some health-promoting properties due to its ingredients.  

The following barley-related health claims have been evaluated and approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through scientific studies, provided the barley has a certain beta-glucan content:  

• Beta-glucans contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels (barley must contain at least 1 g of beta-glucan and this effect is manifested with a daily intake of 3 g of beta-glucans from barley)  
• Consuming beta-glucans from oats or barley as part of a meal will help reduce the rise in blood sugar levels after the meal (if barley is taken with at least 4g of beta-glucan as part of the meal)  

According to studies, barley has numerous other health benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidative, antibacterial, anti-obesity, anti-fatigue and anti-aging effects. Based on the studies, it is known that barley grass powder plays a crucial role in preventing 20 chronic diseases.  

For example, one study showed that mice following a high-fat diet became overweight, but the group that consumed barley grass powder had significantly less weight gain. In another mouse study, barley powder attenuated tumor development.  

Which AgilNature products contain barley grass? 

*Nutrient Reference Value = Percentage of the reference value according to Appendix XIII of the Food Information Regulation (EC) No. 1169/2011.  

** No recommendation available.  

Literature: 

1. A. Badr, K. M, R. Sch, H. El Rabey, S. Effgen, HH Ibrahim, C. Pozzi, W. Rohde, F. Salamini, On the Origin and Domestication History of Barley (Hordeum vulgare), Molecular Biology and Evolution, Volume 17, Issue 4, April 2000, Pages 499–510.  
2. FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170285/nutrients (accessed December 17, 2023)  
3. Sharma R, Mokhtari S, Jafari SM, Sharma S. Barley-based probiotic food mixture: health effects and future prospects. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022;62(29):7961-7975.  
4. Obadi M, Sun J, Xu B. Highland barley: Chemical composition, bioactive compounds, health effects, and applications. Food Res Int. 2021 Feb;140:110065.  
5. Zeng Y, Pu X, Du J, Yang X, Li X, Mandal MSN, Yang T, Yang J. Molecular mechanism of functional ingredients in barley to combat human chronic diseases. Oxide Med Cell Longev. 2020 Mar 30;2020:3836172.  
6. Thatiparthi J, Dodoala S, Koganti B, Kvsrg P. Barley grass juice (Hordeum vulgare L.) inhibits obesity and improves lipid profile in high fat diet-induced rat model. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019 Jun 28;238:111843.  
7. Li J, Zhang W, Xu H, Zhou L, Guo H, Zhang S, Lu R, Liang X, Chang M, Liu C. Barley Grass Juice Attenuates Hydrodynamic Transfection-Induced HCC Initiation in Mice. Nutr Cancer. 2023;75(2):750-760.  

Origin and history of coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks worldwide. Hardly anyone can resist the enticing scent and intense aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Coffee can look back on a long tradition, and many legends and myths surround its discovery. The fact is, however, that detailed drawings and descriptions of the coffee plant were made for the first time as early as 1592. The plant genus Coffea comes from tropical Africa. It was only with human help that the plant reached other continents. The term "coffee" is derived from the Arabic "kahwe" or "qahwa", which means something like vitality or strength. The two main types of coffee are Arabica and Robusta coffee. Compared to Arabica, Robusta coffee contains twice the amount of chlorogenic acid, one of the most important active components in coffee (1).
Coffee is best known for its stimulating properties. Current scientific studies now show further health-promoting effects of coffee. Green coffee in particular is of particular importance here.

What is green coffee?

The fruits of the coffee tree are the so-called coffee cherries. After harvesting, the red cherries are dried in the sun if possible. Once the flesh of the cherries has dried, they are broken open and the green beans are removed from the inside. These green beans are called green coffee. For the usual coffee drink, the green coffee beans are roasted. The beans are exposed to high temperatures, which gives the coffee its intense aroma, but can also destroy important components (such as chlorogenic acids) (2).

Green coffee extract: Svetol®

Svetol® is a unique, decaffeinated coffee extract made from unroasted green coffee beans. A special variant of Robusta coffee is used for its production. Svetol® has a special composition of ingredients. The content of active ingredients such as chlorogenic acids and polyphenols is particularly high. Thanks to the special manufacturing process of the unique green coffee extract Svetol®, increased bioavailability in the body is also made possible (3).

Stimulate fat burning with green coffee extract Svetol®

The chlorogenic acid contained in Svetol® can inhibit the absorption of glucose from food in the intestine and at the same time reduce the new synthesis of glycogen in the liver. This leads to a lower blood sugar level. In order to be able to provide the body with sufficient energy, it draws on the body's own fat reserves. Fat burning is therefore stimulated, which can lead to weight loss (4).
A randomized, placebo-controlled study with 50 overweight subjects between the ages of 19 and 75 years, has this weight-reducing effect of Svetol® proven. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group received 400 mg of Svetol® daily, while the second group received a placebo. After 60 days of intake, the Svetol® group achieved a significantly higher weight loss than the placebo group (5).

Which AgilNature products contain green coffee?

 We recommend taking 4 capsules of FigureAgile active per day.

 Svetol® can be found in the ingredients as "green coffee extract". 

* Nutrient Reference Value = percentage of the reference value according to Annex XIII of the Food Information Regulation (EC) No. 1169/2011.

** No recommendation available.

Literature:

1. German Coffee Association e.V. (2022): Coffee knowledge. In. Deutscher Kaffeeverband e.V. https://www. Kaffeeverband.de (accessed on 01/16/2022)

2. Toledo Castanheira, Dalyse (2020): Coffee - Production and Research. In: IntechOpen.

3. Naturex (2022): Svetol® by Naturex proven effective for weight loss and toning. In: Naturex. https://www.naturex.com/Media2/Press-releases/Svetol-R-by-Naturex-proven-effective-for-weight-loss-and-toning (accessed 01/16/2022)

4. Naveed, Muhammad; Hejazi, Veghar; Abbas, Muhammad; Kamboh, Asghar Ali; Khan, Ghulam Jilany; Shumzaid, Muhammad et al. (2018): Chlorogenic acid (CGA): A pharmacological review and call for further research. In: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie 97, S. 67–74. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.10.064.

5. Dellalibera, O.; Lemaire, B.; Lafay, S. (2006): Svetol ®, a decaffeinated green coffee extract, induces weight loss and increases the lean mass to fat mass ratio in overweight volunteers. In: Phytotherapy 4(4), S. 194–197. DOI: 10.1007/s10298-006-0181-7.

 

 

Green tea is made from the same plant (Camellia sinensis) won like black tea. To make green tea, the leaves are simply dried. For black tea, the leaves are fermented, giving them the special black color. During fermentation, however, exactly the health-promoting ingredients of the tea - the so-called polyphenols - are broken down. If the tea is unfermented, i.e. green, the polyphenols are retained to a greater extent.

 

 

Which AgilNature® products contain green tea?

*Nutrient Reference Value = Percentage of the reference value according to Annex XIII of the Food Information Regulation (EG) No. 1169/2011.** No recommendation available.