Blood Sugar

Retatrutide

Retatrutide (development code LY3437943) is an investigational once-weekly injectable peptide that activates three gut and pancreatic hormone receptors at once: the GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors. Developed by Eli Lilly, it is being studied for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease. In a Phase 2 obesity trial it produced substantial weight loss, and it has advanced into Phase 3 testing.

5 outlets

AMPK

ATX-304

ATX-304 is a direct, pan-AMPK activator, a small molecule that switches on AMP-activated protein kinase, the cell's master energy sensor and central regulator of metabolism. In preclinical studies it reprograms cellular metabolism toward fat oxidation and away from lipid synthesis, reducing body fat, cholesterol, and fatty liver, and it protects the kidney from injury by shifting energy metabolism [1][2]. As a next-generation metabolic activator it is an investigational compound of strong interest for obesity, fatty liver disease, and tissue protection, though it remains preclinical [2].

Mitochondrial

ALA

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), also called lipoic acid or thioctic acid, is a naturally occurring organosulfur compound that serves as an essential cofactor for several mitochondrial enzymes involved in energy metabolism. It is soluble in both water and fat and is widely marketed as a dietary antioxidant supplement, while in some countries a pharmaceutical form is used to treat the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.

Nootropic

American Ginseng

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a slow-growing perennial herb of the ivy family, native to the hardwood forests of eastern North America and prized for its aromatic root. It has been harvested and traded for centuries, especially for export to East Asia, where it is used in traditional medicine and valued as a tonic distinct in character from Asian ginseng. Its roots contain ginsenosides, and modern research has examined it for effects on blood sugar, cognition, cancer-related fatigue, and the common cold [1][2].

Vitamin

Benfotiamine

Benfotiamine is a synthetic, fat-soluble derivative of thiamine (vitamin B1), created to be absorbed more efficiently than ordinary water-soluble thiamine. Once in the body it is converted to thiamine and raises tissue levels of the active cofactor, which boosts the enzyme transketolase and helps steer excess glucose away from the biochemical pathways that damage tissues in diabetes. It is used, chiefly in Europe, for diabetic nerve pain and is sold elsewhere as a dietary supplement.

AMPK

Berberine

Berberine is a bright-yellow isoquinoline alkaloid found in several plants, including barberry, goldenseal, and Chinese goldthread, and used for centuries in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Modern research has focused on its ability to lower blood sugar and improve cholesterol and other lipids, effects that work largely by activating the cellular energy sensor AMPK. It is widely sold as a dietary supplement, though its absorption is poor and it is not an approved drug in Western countries.

Adaptogen

Chaga Mushroom

Chaga is the common name for Inonotus obliquus, a fungus that grows as a hard, blackened mass on birch and other trees in the cold forests of the Northern Hemisphere [1]. Although its charred-looking growth resembles burnt wood, it is actually a sterile mass of fungal tissue rich in melanin, and it has a long history in folk medicine across Russia and northern Europe, where it is often brewed as a tea [1][2]. Modern laboratory research has examined chaga extracts and their polysaccharides for antioxidant, immune, and anticancer activity, but strong clinical evidence in people is lacking, and its very high oxalate content raises safety concerns with heavy or prolonged use [1][2][3].

Chromium Picolinate

Chromium picolinate is a coordination compound of trivalent chromium and picolinic acid that is sold as a dietary supplement. It is promoted mainly for blood sugar control, body composition, and weight management, on the premise that chromium supports the action of insulin. Systematic reviews of clinical trials have generally found the supporting evidence weak and inconsistent, and no chromium deficiency state is recognized in otherwise healthy people.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the dried inner bark of several evergreen trees in the genus Cinnamomum. It has been used since antiquity as a fragrant flavoring and in traditional medicine, and it owes its characteristic aroma largely to the compound cinnamaldehyde. Commercial cinnamon falls into two broad groups, the milder Ceylon or true cinnamon and the more common, stronger cassia, which differ markedly in their content of the compound coumarin.

Citrus Bergamot

Citrus bergamot refers to the bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia), a Mediterranean citrus fruit best known for flavoring Earl Grey tea and for the essential oil used in perfume. As a supplement it is standardized to the bergamot polyphenolic fraction, a mixture of flavonoids studied mainly for lowering cholesterol and improving cardiometabolic markers. The clinical evidence is encouraging but comes largely from small trials.

Cyanidin

Cyanidin is a naturally occurring flavonoid pigment belonging to the anthocyanidin class, responsible for many of the red, purple, and magenta colors seen in fruits, flowers, and leaves. It is widespread in plants and especially abundant in berries, red cabbage, red grapes, and other deeply colored produce, usually present as sugar-bound forms called anthocyanins such as cyanidin-3-glucoside. Like other anthocyanidins its color shifts with acidity, and it is studied for antioxidant and other biological activities. In food it is recognized as the natural colorant designated E163a.

GLP-1

Dulaglutide

Dulaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, a type of injectable medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes and to lower cardiovascular risk. Marketed by Eli Lilly under the brand name Trulicity and approved in 2014, it is a long-acting drug given as a once-weekly injection under the skin. It mimics a natural gut hormone that prompts the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar is high, while also curbing appetite. In addition to improving blood sugar control, it has been shown to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

Flavonoid

EGCG

EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is the most abundant and most studied catechin in green tea, a flavonoid polyphenol that accounts for much of the leaf's reputation for health. It is a strong antioxidant and metabolic modulator that shows up in the research on fat oxidation, cardiovascular and metabolic health, inflammation, and longevity. Most of its effects are hormetic (a mild stress the body adapts to), and the honest catch is that isolated high-dose EGCG on an empty stomach carries a rare liver-injury signal, so it is best taken with food.

Empagliflozin

Empagliflozin is an oral medication of the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor class, used to treat type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. It acts in the kidneys, causing the body to pass excess glucose out in the urine, and in large trials it has reduced cardiovascular death and hospitalizations for heart failure. It is taken once daily and is sold under the brand name Jardiance.

Adaptogen

Fenugreek

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual legume whose aromatic seeds and leaves are used worldwide as a spice and in traditional medicine. Its seeds, which carry a maple-like aroma, are taken as a dietary supplement marketed for blood sugar, cholesterol, testosterone and milk production in nursing mothers. High-quality clinical evidence for most of these uses is still limited.

Leucine

Leucine is an essential branched-chain amino acid that the body uses to build proteins but cannot make on its own. Along with valine and isoleucine it belongs to the branched-chain group, and it is best known for switching on the cellular machinery that drives muscle protein synthesis. It is obtained from protein-rich foods and is a common ingredient in sports and clinical nutrition supplements.

GLP-1

Liraglutide

Liraglutide is an acylated glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist given by once-daily subcutaneous injection, marketed as Victoza for type 2 diabetes and as Saxenda at higher dose for weight management. By activating GLP-1 receptors it augments glucose-dependent insulin secretion with low hypoglycemia risk, and its weight-lowering effect is attributed mainly to central appetite suppression rather than the more transient slowing of gastric emptying, which is subject to desensitization. Beyond glycemic control, the LEADER cardiovascular outcomes trial showed that liraglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes, and further study demonstrated histological resolution of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. These extra-pancreatic actions across the cardiovascular, hepatic, and central nervous systems have positioned it as a foundational agent in the incretin therapeutic class.

Mazdutide

Mazdutide (IBI362, LY3305677) is an investigational once-weekly peptide that simultaneously activates the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon receptors, a dual-agonist design intended to combine appetite suppression and improved glycemic control from the GLP-1 arm with increased energy expenditure and hepatic lipid handling from the glucagon arm. In Chinese phase 3 obesity trials it produced substantial, dose-dependent weight loss, with the GLORY-2 study reporting roughly 16 percent mean body-weight reduction at the 9 mg dose, alongside favorable changes in blood pressure and lipids. In type 2 diabetes it lowered glycated hemoglobin and body weight more than the GLP-1 monotherapy dulaglutide, and it improved fatty liver and cardiometabolic markers. Gastrointestinal effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common adverse events, consistent with its incretin mechanism.

Adaptogen

Nigella Sativa

Nigella sativa is an annual flowering plant of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), native to parts of western Asia and southeastern Europe and best known for its small black seeds, sold under names such as black seed, black cumin, and kalonji. The seeds have served for millennia as a culinary spice and as a fixture of traditional medicine across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Their most studied constituent is thymoquinone, a compound concentrated in the seed's volatile oil. Laboratory work has documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, though high-quality clinical evidence that the seed or its oil treats human disease remains limited.

Nootropic

Nobiletin

Nobiletin is a polymethoxylated flavone, a type of plant flavonoid distinguished by several methoxy groups attached to its ring structure. It occurs naturally in the peels of citrus fruits, being especially abundant in tangerines and related species. Laboratory and animal research has examined it for anti-inflammatory, metabolic, and neuroprotective activity, and more recently for its ability to influence the body's circadian clock. It is a dietary constituent and research compound rather than an approved medicine.

R-Alpha Lipoic Acid

R-alpha-lipoic acid is the naturally occurring form of alpha-lipoic acid, a sulfur-containing compound that the body uses as an essential cofactor in energy metabolism and that also acts as an antioxidant. Alpha-lipoic acid exists as two mirror-image forms, and only the R version is made and used by living cells, whereas most synthetic supplements contain an equal mixture of the R and S forms. Sold as a dietary supplement and, in some countries, as a medicine for diabetic nerve pain, the R form is often promoted as the more biologically active and better absorbed of the two.

Semaglutide

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, a class of drug that mimics a natural gut hormone to lower blood sugar and reduce appetite. Developed by Novo Nordisk, it is used to treat type 2 diabetes and, at higher doses, obesity and overweight, and it has been shown to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events. It is marketed as Ozempic and Rybelsus for diabetes and as Wegovy for weight management, given as a weekly injection or, in one form, an oral tablet.

Turmeric (Curcumin)

Curcumin is a bright yellow polyphenol, the principal curcuminoid of turmeric, the spice ground from the rhizome of Curcuma longa in the ginger family. It has long been used as a food colouring and flavouring and is widely sold as a herbal supplement, but it is chemically unstable and very poorly absorbed by mouth. In medicinal chemistry it is regarded as a difficult, likely misleading lead compound, and despite extensive study no rigorous clinical trial has established it as an effective medical treatment [1][2].

Vitamin B8 (Inositol)

Inositol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol, most abundant as the isomer myo-inositol, that serves as a building block for cell membrane phospholipids and for intracellular signaling molecules. It was once grouped with the B vitamins as vitamin B8, but because the human body synthesizes it, inositol is not considered a true vitamin or an essential nutrient. It occurs in foods such as fruits, beans, grains, and nuts, and myo-inositol together with its isomer D-chiro-inositol has been studied for use in polycystic ovary syndrome and related metabolic conditions.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is a fat-soluble secosteroid synthesized in the skin under ultraviolet B light and obtained from a few foods, becoming biologically active only after sequential hydroxylation in the liver and kidney to calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D). Beyond its classical control of calcium absorption and bone mineralization, calcitriol acts through the nuclear vitamin D receptor to regulate hundreds of target genes and to epigenetically program monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells; immune cells can generate the active hormone locally to induce antimicrobial peptides such as cathelicidin and to trigger autophagy against intracellular pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the large VITAL randomized trial, several years of supplementation modestly reduced the incidence of autoimmune disease and of advanced or fatal cancer, while showing largely neutral effects on major cardiovascular events. Prolonged deficiency causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, and the vitamin appears on the World Health Organization list of essential medicines.

4 outlets

Canagliflozin

Canagliflozin is an orally active sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, marketed chiefly as Invokana, and in 2013 it became the first agent of its class approved in the United States for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood glucose by promoting urinary glucose excretion in the kidney, and the landmark CANVAS and CREDENCE trials established that it also reduces major cardiovascular events, hospitalization for heart failure, and progression of diabetic kidney disease. Beyond its renal target, canagliflozin uniquely activates the cellular energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase by mildly inhibiting mitochondrial complex I and raising intracellular AMP, a mechanism that other gliflozins show only weakly. This off-target activity has drawn attention in aging research, where the compound extended lifespan in genetically heterogeneous male mice and was later found to enhance immune clearance of senescent cells. Its recognized risks include the lower-limb amputation and fracture signals observed in the CANVAS Program.

Dapagliflozin

Dapagliflozin is a prescription medication of the SGLT2 inhibitor, or gliflozin, class, sold under brand names such as Farxiga and Forxiga. One of the first drugs in its class, it is used to treat type 2 diabetes, chronic heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. It works in the kidney by blocking a transporter that reabsorbs glucose, so that more sugar is passed out in the urine, and it also produces benefits for the heart and kidneys that reach beyond blood sugar control. It is taken once daily by mouth.

Blend

Glimepiride + Metformin

Glimepiride and metformin is a fixed-dose combination medication used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, pairing two oral glucose-lowering drugs with complementary actions. Metformin is a biguanide that lowers blood sugar chiefly by reducing glucose production in the liver and improving insulin sensitivity, while glimepiride is a sulfonylurea that stimulates the pancreas to release more insulin. Combining them in a single tablet is intended to improve blood-sugar control and simplify treatment for people whose diabetes is not adequately managed by one agent alone.

Insulin Aspart

Insulin aspart is a rapid-acting insulin analog used to control blood sugar in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is a laboratory-modified form of human insulin in which the amino acid proline at position B28 is replaced by aspartic acid, a change that makes the insulin absorb and act more quickly than regular human insulin. Developed by Novo Nordisk and sold under names such as NovoLog and NovoRapid, it is taken at mealtimes and is listed by the World Health Organization as an essential medicine.

Insulin Glargine

Insulin glargine is a long-acting, or basal, insulin analog used to provide a steady background level of insulin in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is a modified human insulin engineered to dissolve slowly after injection, releasing insulin at a relatively flat rate over roughly a day so that a single daily dose can cover the body's baseline needs. First approved in 2000 and originally sold as Lantus, it is now available in several brands and biosimilars and appears on the World Health Organization list of essential medicines.

Insulin Human (30/70 Biphasic)

Biphasic human insulin 30/70 is a premixed insulin that combines a short-acting and an intermediate-acting insulin in a single fixed formulation, containing 30 percent soluble regular human insulin and 70 percent protamine-bound isophane (NPH) insulin. This blend delivers both a mealtime and a background insulin effect from one injection, which is why it is often used in type 2 diabetes to simplify treatment. It is a cloudy suspension given once or twice daily and is a long-established, widely used insulin preparation.

Insulin Human (Regular)

Regular insulin, also called soluble or short-acting insulin, is human insulin with its natural, unmodified amino acid sequence, used to lower blood sugar in diabetes. Given by injection before meals or into a vein in the hospital, it begins working in about half an hour and lasts several hours, and it is a standard treatment for diabetic emergencies such as ketoacidosis and for dangerously high blood potassium. Modern regular insulin is produced by recombinant DNA technology, and it appears on the World Health Organization list of essential medicines.

Insulin Isophane (NPH)

Isophane insulin, better known as NPH (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn) insulin, is an intermediate-acting insulin used to provide background blood-sugar control in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is regular human insulin combined with the protein protamine and zinc, which slows its absorption so that a single injection acts over much of a day. Developed in the 1930s and 1940s, it is a cloudy suspension that must be gently mixed before use and is listed by the World Health Organization as an essential medicine.

Insulin Lispro

Insulin lispro is a rapid-acting insulin analog used at mealtimes to control blood sugar in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It was the first insulin analog to be developed, created by swapping the order of two amino acids, lysine and proline, near the end of the insulin B chain so that the hormone is absorbed and acts faster than regular human insulin. Introduced by Eli Lilly in 1996 under the brand name Humalog, it is listed by the World Health Organization as an essential medicine.

Pioglitazone

Pioglitazone is an oral antidiabetic medicine of the thiazolidinedione class, used to improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes. Marketed as Actos, it works as an insulin sensitizer, activating a nuclear receptor called PPAR-gamma to make the body's tissues respond better to insulin. Effective at lowering blood glucose and with additional effects on fat and the liver, it is nonetheless used carefully because of side effects that include fluid retention, weight gain, and a debated association with bladder cancer.

Blend

Pioglitazone + Metformin

Pioglitazone plus metformin is a fixed-dose combination tablet that unites two oral diabetes medicines with complementary actions: pioglitazone, a thiazolidinedione that makes tissues more sensitive to insulin, and metformin, a biguanide that mainly reduces the amount of glucose released by the liver. It is used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes whose condition is not adequately managed on metformin alone. Combining the two drugs in a single pill is intended to lower blood sugar more fully while simplifying treatment, and it is marketed under names such as ACTOplus Met and Competact.

Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin is an oral antidiabetic drug of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor class, often called a gliptin, used to improve blood-sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It works by prolonging the action of the body's own incretin hormones, boosting insulin release and curbing glucagon after meals. Developed by Merck and approved in 2006 under the brand name Januvia, it is frequently combined with metformin.

Voglibose

Voglibose is an oral antidiabetic medication of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor class, used to control the rise in blood glucose that follows meals in people with type 2 diabetes. It works within the small intestine by slowing the digestion of complex carbohydrates, which blunts the post-meal glucose peak rather than stimulating insulin. Developed in Japan and introduced there in the 1990s, it is used mainly in parts of Asia and belongs to the same class as acarbose and miglitol.

Survodutide

Survodutide is an investigational once-weekly glucagon receptor and GLP-1 receptor dual agonist positioned at the frontier of next-generation metabolic therapeutics. By engaging two complementary pathways, it pairs powerful appetite suppression with increased energy expenditure to drive substantial weight reduction and striking improvements in liver health. In phase 2 and phase 3 trials it delivered double-digit body weight loss and reversed steatohepatitis in a majority of treated participants, marking it as one of the most closely watched dual agonists in development.

AMPK

Metformin

Metformin is an oral antidiabetic medication of the biguanide class and the first-line drug for type 2 diabetes. Derived originally from a compound in the French lilac plant, it lowers blood sugar chiefly by reducing the amount of glucose the liver releases, without causing the weight gain or low blood sugar seen with some other agents. Beyond diabetes it is used in polycystic ovary syndrome and prediabetes, and its apparent effects on metabolism and aging have made it a subject of ongoing longevity research.

MOTS-c

MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide that acts as one of the body's own regulators of metabolism, energy, and healthy aging. Encoded inside the mitochondrial genome and released during exercise, it switches on the master energy sensor AMPK to improve insulin sensitivity, glucose handling, and physical performance. Backed by a fast-growing body of research from its discovery at USC, it sits at the leading edge of longevity and metabolic science.

7 outlets

ARB

Telmisartan

Telmisartan is an orally active angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) of the benzimidazole class, used mainly to treat high blood pressure and to lower cardiovascular risk by blocking the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor. Unusually for its class it also behaves as a partial agonist of the nuclear receptor PPAR-gamma, the same target as the diabetes glitazones, which underlies its interest in metabolic disease; it also has the longest plasma half-life and highest lipophilicity of the marketed ARBs, giving persistent blood-pressure control and central nervous system penetration that has prompted study of cognitive and neuroprotective effects. It is given once daily.