By Jenn Resendiz
Steady energy after meals depends on how well the body handles glucose, and several minerals and traditional botanicals have been studied for exactly that. This article walks through the featured ingredients in CHF #23 Pancreas+, Country Health’s chromium, cinnamon, and gymnema capsule with bitter melon and banaba, and what NCCIH, NIH ODS, and peer-reviewed reviews report about them.
Full ingredient list (per capsule): Calcium (as chelate) 9 mg; vitamin A (as palmitate) 640 mcg; vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate) 11.9 mg; thiamine (vitamin B1, as HCL) 3 mg; riboflavin (vitamin B2 as R-5-P) 3 mg; niacin 2.8 mg; pantothenic acid (vitamin B5, as d-calcium pantothenate) 2.8 mg; iodine (from kelp) 14 mcg; magnesium (as chelate) 4 mg; zinc (as chelate) 1 mg; selenium (as glycinate) 2.5 mcg; manganese (as chelate) 500 mcg; chromium (GTF) 21 mcg; proprietary blend 441 mg: cinnamon bark, pancreas substance, lecithin (from sunflower), gymnema aerial parts, cade juniper berry, dandelion root, licorice root, gentian root, wild yam root, uva ursi leaf, trace mineral blend, bitter melon fruit extract, borage aerial parts, banaba leaf extract. Other ingredients: magnesium stearate, silica, gelatin (capsule). Suggested use: one capsule daily, or as directed. Supplied: 180 capsules.
Chromium is a trace mineral naturally present in many foods. NIH ODS explains that chromium might play a role in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism by potentiating insulin action; scientists have proposed that it binds a small peptide called chromodulin, which helps activate the insulin receptor. Meats, grain products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, and brewer’s yeast all provide chromium, although amounts vary with soil and processing.
Research is encouraging. NCCIH summarizes a 2022 review of 16 studies with 868 participants suggesting that chromium supplementation may help improve HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, and insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. CHF #23 provides 21 mcg of chromium (GTF), 60% of the Daily Value, in a single daily capsule.
Cinnamon is the dried bark of Cinnamomum trees. NCCIH notes that the bark, leaves, flowers, and roots have a long history in traditional medicine and cuisine in China, India, and Persia. Ceylon cinnamon, known as “true” cinnamon, grows mainly in Sri Lanka, while cassia cinnamon is the type most common in North America.
According to NCCIH, a 2019 review of 16 studies with 1,098 participants found that cinnamon supplementation helped reduce fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, and a 2020 review of 16 studies found that cinnamon decreased triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon bark leads the CHF #23 herbal blend.
Gymnema sylvestre is a plant long valued in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is called “gurmar,” or sugar destroyer. A 2014 review in BioMed Research International explains that its gymnemic acids and a polypeptide called gurmarin are responsible for its sweet-suppressing activity, and that the herb is associated with controlling sugar cravings.
Clinical findings are promising. A 2021 meta-analysis in Phytotherapy Research, pooling 10 studies with 419 participants with type 2 diabetes, found that gymnema supplementation was associated with significant reductions in fasting blood glucose, post-meal glucose, and HbA1c compared with baseline, along with lower triglycerides and total cholesterol. CHF #23 includes gymnema aerial parts in its 441 mg blend.
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a vegetable used traditionally as both food and herbal medicine in Asia, Brazil, and East Africa. A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 studies with 1,045 people with type 2 diabetes found that, compared with placebo, single-herb bitter melon preparations significantly lowered fasting glucose, post-meal glucose, and HbA1c. NCCIH lists bitter melon among the herbs studied for diabetes. Banaba leaf extract joins bitter melon to round out the blend’s traditional glucose-support botanicals.
CHF #23 pairs chromium, the trace mineral linked to insulin action, with cinnamon, gymnema, and bitter melon, three botanicals with clinical research on glucose markers. Thiamine, which NIH ODS notes plays a critical role in energy metabolism as a cofactor for enzymes in glucose, amino acid, and fat metabolism, joins riboflavin, other B vitamins, and trace minerals in a broad once-daily formula.
Who might enjoy it: adults who want chromium and traditional glucose-support herbs in one daily capsule, people focused on balanced meals and steady energy, and anyone whose provider agrees this Country Health formula fits their wellness plan.
Please check with your clinician first if you:
No. Supplements are not FDA-approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Blood sugar concerns should be managed with a clinician.
Each capsule provides 21 mcg chromium (GTF), 60% of the Daily Value, plus a 441 mg herbal blend.
The label suggests one capsule daily, or as directed by a qualified health professional.
Add CHF #23 Pancreas+ to your cart or view the full product page and label.
This article is for general education only. It is not medical advice, and neither this article nor the product it discusses is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or another qualified health professional before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take prescription or over-the-counter medicines, or have a medical condition.
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