- Delaying digestion and absorption of sucrose.
- Enhancing resting energy expenditure at the cellular level.
- Slowing the absorption of dietary fat from the intestines.
- Moderating alpha-amylase enzyme activity to reduce the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream.
- Reducing alpha-glucosidase enzyme activity to further slow the absorption of starches and sugars into the bloodstream.
- Supporting leptin sensitivity to stimulate lipolysis.
- Supporting youthful levels of adiponectin to help maintain healthy insulin sensitivity.
- Moderating glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme activity to reduce the amount of ingested starches that are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat.
Phase 3™ Sucrase Modulator
While Life Extension customers understand the benefits of calorie restriction, that doesn’t make it any easier to cut back on refined sugar, one of the major calorie culprits in the American diet.
Sucrase is the name given to a number of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of sucrose to fructose and glucose in the small intestine for absorption into the bloodstream. Phase 3™ is a patented compound that functions as a beneficial sucrase modulator. It contains L-Arabinose, a natural substance found in plants that reduces the number of absorbed calories from sugar.1 Phase 3™ can help support healthy insulin metabolism and blood sugar levels in those already within normal range. Phase 3™ is just one ingredient in Optimized Irvingia.
Green Tea Phytosome Cellular Energy Enhancer
The ability of green tea extracts to inhibit the breakdown and absorption of dietary fat has been the subject of research studies across the globe. Mounting scientific research has documented the metabolic effects of green tea polyphenols. A proprietary phytosome complex has shown an ability to increase the absorption of green tea polyphenols into the bloodstream better than conventional tea extracts, resulting in peak plasma levels of the critical green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate.2,3
The Alpha-Amylase Enzyme
Aging reduces our ability to utilize the carbohydrates (and fats) that constitute what most would consider part of a healthy diet. The result is that as we grow older, our bloodstreams become bloated with glucose and triglycerides in direct contrast to the metabolic profile we have in our younger years. Emerging scientific research suggests that the alpha-amylase enzyme plays an undesirable role in the digestion of dietary carbohydrates and subsequent absorption of calories from starch and sugar.
A natural bean extract (Phaseolus vulgaris) moderates alpha-amylase activity.
The Alpha-Glucosidase Enzyme
Another intestinal enzyme that enables carbohydrate absorption is alpha-glucosidase. A patented seaweed extract (InSea2®) has demonstrated the ability to help maintain healthy levels of both alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase.
Remember, young healthy individuals rapidly convert ingested fats and sugars into energy. Age-related changes decrease our metabolic capacity to efficiently utilize dietary fats and sugars. It is thus paramount for aging people to reduce their absorption of excess calories. By taking nutrients before each meal that reduce the activity of carbohydrate and fat digesting enzymes, the calorie burden is significantly reduced. Optimized Irvingia provides the same InSea2® extract used in laboratory studies.
Leptin Sensitivity
Fat cells (adipocytes) secrete a hormone called leptin that tells our brain we have eaten enough.4 Leptin can also facilitate the breakdown of stored triglycerides in our adipocytes via the process of lipolysis. Heavy individuals have startlingly high blood levels of leptin, indicating that their cells have become resistant to the leptin that is supposed to inhibit them from putting on so many fat pounds.
An extract from an African mango called Irvingia gabonensis has been shown to help support leptin sensitivity in overweight people. In a recently published study, irvingia demonstrated beneficial effects upon leptin blood levels, followed by weight loss and inches off the waistline.5,6 In addition to supporting healthy leptin sensitivity, irvingia has demonstrated the following beneficial effects on key aspects of metabolism:
- Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is an enzyme involved in the complex biochemical process that converts ingested starch and sugar calories to stored body fat. Irvingia has been shown in studies involving fat cells to reduce the activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase,5,7 which may help reduce the impact of starch and sugar calories on body fat.
- Scientific research on fat cells suggests that irvingia has alpha-amylase-inhibiting properties8 (like InSea2® and Phaseolus vulgaris) which can help support a slowing of the rate of carbohydrate absorption from the intestines and a reduction of the caloric impact of starchy and sugary foods.7
- Adiponectin is a hormone involved in helping to maintain insulin sensitivity on the membranes of energy-producing cells. Big fat cells produce less adiponectin, and overweight people need to be especially concerned about maintaining healthy levels of adiponectin to support insulin sensitivity and metabolic fitness. Scientific data suggests that irvingia helps support healthy adiponectin levels.6
Optimized Irvingia with Phase 3™ Calorie Control Complex is indeed an innovative multi-modal approach to weight loss with an additional benefit. By helping to slow the absorption of starchy food or sugars, it reduces their caloric impact. And according to a recent mammalian study, those following a calorie-restricted diet were shown to significantly reduce the risk of mortality from age-related causes.9 This suggests that regular supplementation with this or any irvingia formulation may help provide anti-aging benefits similar to those found in this recent study.
