What is Glucuronolactone?
Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring metabolite of glucose. It is ‘ergogenic’ in that it is designed to enhance physical performance.
Where to find Glucuronolactone:
Glucuronolactone is found in relatively small amounts naturally. Red wine is perhaps the strongest natural source, with approximately 20mg of glucuronolactone per litre. Outside of this, glucuronolactone is one of the central ingredients used in the production of energy drinks, with around 2g-2.5g included per litre.
Glucuronolactone can also be referred to as:
D-Glucuronolactone, DGL, D-Glucurono-3,6-Lactone, D-Glucoronic Acid
Why use Glucuronolactone?
As mentioned above, glucuronolactone is a key ingredient in energy drinks, usually in conjunction with taurine and caffeine. Clinical studies on energy drinks, such as Red Bull®, have shown that they:
• Improve physical (aerobic and anaerobic) performance.
• Increase alertness, memory recall and focus.
• Improve reaction times.
Why use Glucuronolactone?
Liver Protection — A Chinese study found that a herbal supplement containing glucuronolactone, resulted in a marked improvement in patients with hepatic fibrosis resulting from Hepatitis B. Note: Glucuronolactone was just one of the ingredients in the herbal supplement, but this study still emphasises the potential benefits that it has on liver function and protection.
Improve Joint Function — Glucuronolactone is a building block of chondroitin sulphate (a popular and widely used joint supplement). To this extent, and along with anecdotal evidence, it is believed that glucuronolactone may elicit positive effects on joint and tendon health.
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