Sales pick up for blood sugar management beverage
Glucose Health markets a line of beverages under the GlucoDown brand name. The beverages feature Fibersol-2, a digestion-resistant maltodextrin is a soluble corn fiber that acts as a low-calorie bulking agent containing 90% dietary fiber.
The formulation also includes a Banaba leaf extract (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) that features a high level corosolic acid. In addition, the company’s products feature a suite of minerals (chromium, manganese and zinc) and B vitamins. The product sells for $13.79 for a 45-serving container.
Sales start to gain momentum
The company, which is based in Bentonville, AK, reported this week that it has sold more than $277,000 worth of its beverages on Amazon for the year to date, which exceeds the total sales for 2020. The beverages, which are formulated as flavored instant powdered teas, were introduced in late 2018. Though the sales are still modest, the company claims that it was enough to remove the caveat on its financial reporting that there were concerns about the company continuing as a going concern.
Glucose Health claims Fibersol-2 “may help slow your body's absorption of dietary sugars; moderate after-meal increases in blood sugar levels; and maintain regular digestive health.” The products, which are sold as dietary supplements, carry a claim on the front of the label of “blood sugar maintenance.”
Data backing ingredients
ADM’s own research on Fibersol-2, which was developed in a joint effort with Matsutani LLC, has focused on its effects on the gut microbiome. In 2018 the company published a study showing the fiber boosted fecal bifidobacteria counts by as much as 38%.
A published review of the literature on Banaba leaf was more directly focused on blood sugar management effects. The review from a team of researchers headed by Sidney Stohs, PhD, of Creighton University, concluded that the literature supports the notion that, “Banaba extract, corosolic acid and other constituents may be beneficial in addressing the symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome, as well as offering other health benefits.”
Glucose Health Inc.’s stock price had hovered in the penny stock realm for years, trading for as little as 9 cents. Recently, however, the stock price has shot up, briefly topping $7 a share earlier this year. The stock trades for about $3.60 a share today. The company’s products are manufactured by Gravette, AK-based Natural Solution Labs.
