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Israel-based food-tech start-up SolvEat has unveiled a new bioactive solution designed to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels when used as part of a regular diet. SolvEat collaborated with a chocolate company to develop a chocolate bar prototype as a first proof of concept. The research-supported botanical compositions are patent-pending and are made from a composition of eight herbs, including golden thread, Chinese foxglove and Hawthorn Berries, which work together to support balanced blood sugar levels. The chocolate serves as the first delivery system produced by the start-up showcasing its capacity to incorporate the benefits of traditional herbal remedies into everyday foods. The start-up says its microencapsulated formula can be easily integrated into a variety of food applications without impacting the flavour. Tal Naveh, SolvEat co-founder and director of herbal medicine, said: “Our botanical formula takes inspiration from the wisdom of various schools of traditional herbal medicines emanating from the East and West. We merge them into one all-encompassing bioactive composition that is supported by modern science. The botanical extracts in our solution work synergistically to balance blood sugar levels through supporting various organs in the body and that’s why each is essential to the efficacy of the formula.” Zacki Nudelman, co-founder, CBO and scientific affairs officer of SolvEat, commented: “With the support of leading academics in the fields of natural ingredients we used the most refined scientific methods and instrumentation to identify the dominant bioactive compounds in each botanical extract, as well as their synergism of action as one formula.” In vitro analysis confirmed the composition’s sugar-balancing effect on muscle cells, demonstrating a significant uptake of excess glucose, comparable to the action of insulin. In a preliminary clinical observation, the herb-infused chocolate demonstrated significant abilities to reduce blood sugar by 10 to 24 percent in 10 out of 12 prediabetic participants. A full clinical trial is in progress. Nudelman continued: “Our herbal composition uses moderate doses of a broad spectrum of botanicals that work in harmony to evoke a gentle, yet powerful effect, and is suitable for daily consumption. This also prevents the occurrence of any potential risks that might be associated with consuming high doses of botanicals.” The company says that using herbal compositions rather than one single ingredient offers a more effective, holistic and safe approach. SolvEat’s CEO Udi Peretz said that other botanical formulations targeting additional health categories are in the pipeline, with the company exploring multiple food applications that could act as innovative carriers for custom formulations.