Better brain food?
Dr Jian Guan says while New Zealand blackcurrants are uniquely rich in cGP, they are also exploring other natural sources of the nutrient.
According to the latest data, approximately 5% of Kiwis is living with type 2 diabetes with this prevalence predicted to increase to 7% within the next two decades.
Dr Jian Guan, a University of Auckland scientist considered an expert on cyclic Glycine-Proline (cGP), says cGPMax will be tested in an open-label trial among a group of diabetic participants living with a range of metabolic syndromes.
cGP is a brain nutrient that normalises a hormone essential for overall body health and may play a wider role in improving circulation and creating new blood vessels than we previously understood,” she says.
The patient trial is now underway at a university affiliated hospital in China, using cGP derived from New Zealand blackcurrants at a Canterbury production facility.
She says the aim of the trial is to establish the efficacy of the natural form of cGP on type 2 diabetes associated with dyslipdemia, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, retinopathy and kidney dysfunction.
“Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of disorders resulting from poor metabolism, including hyperglycaemia, high blood pressure, poor insulin function and excessive LDL cholesterol.
“There is a strong correlation between poor metabolism, heart disease, cancer and premature death.”
Guan says the trial, which is expected to be completed later this year, will investigate whether consumption of the natural form of cGP can improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and complications from diabetes including poor eye function and nerve damage.
Guan has studied cGP for over 30 years at University of Auckland and says feedback from those taking non-synthetic cGP as a supplement for brain health suggest it may assist with other conditions.
“While consumer use of concentrated cGP is still in its relative infancy, there are indications that it may offer hope to those living with a wide range of metabolic disorders.
“Among the feedback we have received from those taking the supplement include type 2 diabetics who suggest they have regained sensation in their feet after taking cGP as well as those with high blood pressure recording improvements in their systolic & diastolic measurements.
“Should the trial be successful, it is expected to create more export opportunities for the New Zealand made cGPMax supplement in Asian markets like China - where the populations of those with metabolic disorders has risen steadily over the past ten years,” she says.
