Gynostemma pentaphyllum is a plant distantly related to the cucumber.
In traditional Asian medicine, it’s used to promote longevity.82 Today’s scientists have discovered why Asian doctors prescribed G. pentaphyllum to address age-related health issues: It promotes AMPK activation.79,83
G. pentaphyllum not only activates AMPK, but it also shuttles excess fats into the mitochondria to be utilized for energy and safe disposal.83 The result is efficient energy production and a sharp reduction in unnecessary fat storage.
Results of G. pentaphyllum-induced AMPK activation include increased fat burning, as well as an increase in cellular glucose uptake.79,83Extracts of G. pentaphyllum have other beneficial properties as well, including the ability to prolong cellular life in the face of stresses induced by oxidation, fat accumulation, and diabetes.84,85
When scientists began exploring the benefits of G. pentaphyllum for AMPK activation, they turned to animal studies. What they found was that leaf extracts of G. pentaphyllum activateAMPK, resulting in reduced body weight gain and fat accumulation.79 In a preclinical study, obese mice supplemented with G. pentaphyllum showed impressive declines in markers associated with obesity and its related diseases. In just eight weeks, the following results were seen in response to G. pentaphyllum:79
·An 8.1%decrease in bodyweight gain,
·A 10.3%reduction of deep fat,
·A 15.5%reduction inabdominal lining fat,
·An 18.8% reduction in liver weight,
·A 14.2% reduction in blood cholesterol.
Similarly, obese rats supplemented for just four days with a G. pentaphyllum extracts showed, compared with controls:86
·33% reduced triglycerides,
·13% reduced total cholesterol,
·33% reduced LDL (“bad”) cholesterol,
·20% lower after-meal blood glucose.
Cell culture experiments with G. pentaphyllum extracts also demonstrated:79
·A more than 2-fold increase in fat burning,
·A 1.7-fold increase in cellular glucose uptake.
In another study, this time using diabetic rats, three weeks of G. pentaphyllum supplementation resulted in improved glucose tolerance by 35% and reduced new glucose production in the liver by 29%, with a reduction in liver glycogen, the storage form of sugar.87
These results show the enormous beneficial impact of reducing circulating sugar and fats in response to AMPK activation by G. pentaphyllum.
Human studies have confirmed what many of the researchers had found in the lab: G. pentaphyllum boosts AMPK activity and provides important longevity benefits.
