Today started as a chilly winter’s morning but I quickly warmed when I arrived at La Porte Studio 1, a luxurious studio space in Roseberry, Sydney, for the launch of Kravegone. Kravegone is a product that renders the tastebuds incapable of tasting sweetness, so helps to break the addiction to sugar.
Developed by Alan Bloom, who himself struggled with his love of sweets, Kravegone contains the ingredient gymnema, which has been historically used in Ayurveda medicine to suppress sweet cravings.
The Australian ambassador is Katherine Gong, the worlds most glamorous pharmacist, who, at the launch discussed the how sugar is in fact a trigger for inflammatory conditions. Having psoriatic arthritis myself, this is of great interest. I try to replace sugar with Stevia, but that doesn’t help with my addition to sweetness, in fact it is like a nicotine patch to a smoker trying to quit smoking. Yes, it’s a healthier option, but the goal would be to curb that addiction. Gong emphasised that sugar is more addictive that cocaine.
Katherine Gone also discussed the impact that sugar has on gut bacteria, because it feeds on the no-so-nice bacteria in the gut. There are also theories around sugar and it’s contribution the “leaky gut syndrome”. What we eat changes our gut’s microbe composition and your microbiome influences decisions on which foods we are wanting to eat.
Why is sugar so bad for us?
According to Scientific American:
“Neuroscientists have found that specific types of gut flora help a host animal detect which nutrients are missing in food and then finely titrate how much of those nutrients the host really needs to eat. “What the bacteria do for appetite is kind of like optimizing how long a car can run without needing to add more petrol to the tank,” says senior author Carlos Ribeiro”
What this means is that if we are used to eating a lot of sugar, our gut bacteria will change and the tribe of microbes living in our tummies change to the types that thrive on sugar and thus will cause sugar cravings.
Sugar is also responsible for premature ageing
Glycation and skin ageing
when sugar enters the blood stream it binds to proteins, such as collagen and elastin, both proteins and building blocks of the skin. In the process of glycation, toxic compounds, Advanced Glycation End Products or AGEs are produced with a said to cause wrinkles, skin sagging and dark circles under eyes.
Human Growth Hormone
HGH helps to maintain body composition of muscle and bone growth, fat metabolism and heart function. Glucose suppresses the human growth hormone, which can have a serious negative impact on the ageing process.
Inflammation
“Inflammation has been associated with a diet high in high GI foods,” explains Kara Landau, a spokeswoman with the Dietitians Association of Australia.
Alzheimer’s disease
In early studies, researchers at The Fisher Centre in New York have found a causal factor between high blood sugar and alzheimer’s.
Insulin
Each time you eat high sugar foods, the pancreas produces insulin to deal with it. When the pancreas is overloaded, it leads to insulin resistance, considered to be the pre-cursor to diabetes.
Other effects
Sugary drinks are is also responsible for osteoporosis, and mood swings. The list of harm that high sugar foods cause is long. Excess sugar is also responsible for weight gain, headaches and poor sleep.
How can Kravegone help?
Kravegone helps to curb sweet cravings, through blocking the receptors for sweetness, meaning that something that you eat that is sweet will not taste sweet, so the reward for eating that food isn’t there. The food stops being appealing.
Gymnema
Gymnema, traditionally used in herbal and Ayurvedic medicine to help reduce cravings for sweet foods.
Chromium
Also in Kravegone, chromium was included due to the role it may play in sugar regulation. Chromium forms a compound in the body that seems to enhance the effects of insulin and lower glucose levels. You can also find chromium in:
- Vegetables such as broccoli, potatoes, and green beans
- Whole-grain products
- Beef and poultry
- Fruits, including apples and bananas; grape juice
- Milk and dairy products
There is a school of thought that since our soil is older and contains less nutrients than in the past, we may not be getting enough of chromium in our daily diet.
Peppermint Oil
Kravegone also has peppermint oil which is both beneficial for your gastrointestinal tract, but also flavours the product so you have fresh minty breath.
The Kravegone Launch Event
I always love attending Sweaty Better PR events, due to the always spectacular flowers and the elegant spaces, as well as the exquisite food and drink. At this function I wasn’t disappointed. The gathering was intimate, so it was great to be able to meet and gree the creator Alan Bloom and pharmacist Katherine Gong, the Australian ambassador.
The venue, as the uber stylist La Porte was gorgeous and it was all very inspiring, literally leaving a great taste in my mouth.
The attendees were taken through a short mindful exercise after Alan and Katherine spoke about Kravegone, and it was a reminded to check in with myself to that stress in the day doesn’t get the better of me. Without being mindful and knowing what were are feeling we can turn to food to fill in for other essential life affirming elements and activities. For instance, I use food as a punctuation mark in my day at 3.30pm, as comfort when I feel lonely or stressed and I also use it as a substitute for intimacy at times. Recently I went through the separation of my 17 year marriage, and prior to the split I was stuffing my face every night as I felt lonely. There is nothing lonelier that feeling alone in a relationship. Fortunately we separated and I have found a new “friend” and I stopped pigging out in the evenings, and now enjoy all the non-food activities a healthy relationship has to offer.
The mindfulness exercise is a way to check-in with your inner self, and make sure you are aware of where you are emotionally and physically.
The afterwards I really tastes the savory treats on offer, as well as the delicious peppermint tea.
The Verdict on Kravegone?
Well, it’s a distinctive taste, the peppermint is very strong. The instructions save to use a few pumps and then drink a cup of water. It actually works to block the sweet taste, which will hopefully help rid me of my sweet tooth. I will get back to you on the long term effects, whether or not weightloss was also a result, how my skin looks and feels in a month or so. Stay tuned.
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