What's Inside Curvelle

Cinnulin PF® (Cinnamon Bark extract): Cinnulin PF is an extract of the popular spice cinnamon, which has been shown in recent studies to have positive effects on blood sugar, fats, and cholesterol. Cinnulin PF has also been shown to promote glucose metabolism in individuals with pre-diabetes and to improve body composition. In fact, patented Cinnulin PF is the only cinnamon extract standardized for the recognized active component in cinnamon: double-linked Type-A Polymers. And though researchers, including the USDA, studying the insulin-potentiating role of cinnamon have noted that when consumed consistently or in high doses, whole cinnamon and fat-soluble extracts may be toxic, Cinnulin PF, a 20:1 extract, retains the active components found in cinnamon without the potentially harmful compounds—making it safe for daily use.

***Cinnamon extracts come in many different forms; however, Curvelle supplies the only clinically tested and validated cinnamon extract on the market. ***

*Green Tea has notably become the "supplement of choice" for many seeking greater health and control over their weight. For good reason: not only does it have an interesting, appealing flavor when prepared as tea, science defends some astounding benefits when it's used as a supplement for immune enhancement and fat mobilization. A recent study in Geneva showed that green tea is naturally packed with caffeine and compounds called "catechin polyphenols." This is of significant interest to those of us trying to reduce our weight because both of these substances have been documented to speed resting metabolic rate or, more simply stated, rev up our bodies' calorie-burning potential. You see, the caffeine found in green tea allows our bodies to use bodyfat for energy (that is, it's "lipolytic"). When stored calories are used for short-term energy, our bodies burn more fat. Recent research has shown it may offer several benefits, including increased resting metabolic rate (or the rate the body burns fat) to support weight loss.

*Razberi K™: Raspberry (European red raspberry, Rabus idaeus) is a common fruit that has been widely consumed in numerous countries for centuries. Scientists have recently discovered that, like many other fruits, raspberry contains a number of biologically active constituents beneficial to health.

Raspberry ketone (4-(4-hydroxyphenyl) butan-2-one) is one such constituent, which is unique to raspberries. It appears to have the potential to help decrease bodyfat. In a recent study by Morimoto et al (2005), raspberry ketone was fed at various dosages to growing mice for 10 weeks. Mice fed a high-fat diet (to induce obesity) plus one or two percent raspberry ketone (~ 10,000 mg per kg bodyweight) gained less bodyfat than control animals. Raspberry ketone also decreased the weights of the liver and visceral adipose tissues (epididymal, retroperitoneal, mesenteric)—i.e., fat around the organs.

Raspberry ketone anti-obesity effects appear to be due to at least two mechanisms: 1) decreased absorption of dietary fat and 2) increased norepinephine-induced lipolysis (fat burning). Regarding decreased fat absorption, raspberry ketone given at concentrations of 1 to 20 mg/mL after oral administration of corn oil reduced the elevation of plasma triacylglycerol in mice and inhibited pancreatic lipase in rats. This suggests raspberry ketone suppresses dietary fat absorption by inhibiting trioleoylglycerol hydrolysis.

Regarding enhanced lipolysis, raspberry ketone did not bind to beta- 1, 2, or 3-adrenergic receptors but instead enhanced glycerol release in a concentration-dependent manner. This is particularly evident at a concentration of 10-3 M, where raspberry ketone also increased the translocation of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL, the rate limiting enzyme for lipolysis) from the cytosol to the lipid droplets in fat cells.

Finally, as reported by Morimoto et al (2005), raspberry ketone may also increase brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and lower the respiratory quotient, the end result of which is increased thermogenesis (burning calories through heat) and oxidation of bodyfat (fat burning).

*Natural Caffeine, in its purest form, has been used for centuries because of its natural stimulating effects, for a jolt of energy, to fight fatigue, and to delay muscle exhaustion. Caffeine also mobilizes fat for energy, which is ideal for those exercising and seeking to reduce bodyfat. The caffeine in Curvelle is natural and controlled released to ensure a slow yet consistent supply of caffeine to the body, eliminating the surge and crash associated with traditional caffeinated products.

*Elderberry extract: Elderberry is the berry of the black elder tree (Sambucus nigra), which originated in Europe. It's been honored for centuries in folk tradition because of its numerous health benefits. Renowned for its overall influence on wellbeing, it has been used in teas, gargles, ointments, lotions, and homeopathic remedies. Elderberry contains an anthocyanin known as cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) and thus a promise of reduced bodyfat and improved carbohydrate metabolism. (Anthocyanins are low molecular-weight plant pigments in the flavonoid family.)

In recent studies, young male mice were fed diets normal (NF) or high in fat (HF; beef lard), with or without the C3G. The C3G-containing diet provided 0.2 percent C3G by weight. The 12-week study showed the high-fat group that did not receive C3G gained a significantly greater amount of bodyweight, despite the food intakes of both groups on the HF diet being the same.

The average bodyweight of the normal fat plus C3G group did not differ from the control diet group (no PCE; normal fat), but regional tissue fat weights showed strong trends of being less. The average fat weight of regional tissue compartments in the high fat plus PCE group was significantly less than that in the high-fat group. Scientists explained the difference as, "The expression of proteins involved in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis and adipose mass expansion were influenced in a manner that would reduce tissue fat accumulation and the attendant increase in circulating pro-inflammatory mediators released by fat cells."

Elderberry also is an excellent sudorific (sweat inducer) and diuretic and a significant source of vitamins A, B, and C.