What is Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF)?

Glucose Tolerence Factor (GTF) is found in our body tissues and cells. Its main function is to maintain normal glucose metabolism. It combines with insulin to transport blood glucose into our body cells.

GTF is a compound consists of trivalent chromium, vitamin and amino acid. Healthy people obtain trivalent chromium through diet, and chromium is then being converted to GTF to assist in glucose metabolism. However, streneous physical work, pregnancy, obesity, aging, alcoholism, surgery and diseases can cause excessive loss of GTF in the body through secretion of urine and hence causing GTF deficiency.

If the intake of trivalent chromium is insufficient, GTF synthesis in our body will be reduced, and glucose will not be transported into the cells efficiently. High concentration of blood glucose cannot be reabsorbed by the kidney. This results in the presence of excess glucose in urine and clinical symptoms of diabetes.

When GTF was discovered in 1957, its functions were not conclusive. Functions of GTF were later identified by Dr. John B.Vincent from Alabama University, USA in 1999. GTF is in fact a coenzyme of insulin. The nutrients we obtained from food is obsorbed into the blood through small intestines. Insulin plays a part to notify our tissues and cells to absorb glucose; while GTF in the cells will receive the signals from insulin. Once there is a lack of this essential GTF coenzyme in the cells, glucose metabolism will become abnormal and blood glucose level will increase. We will then fall sick and our health will deteriorate gradually.

In a "Health and Disease Seminar" held at Boston in April 2003, results of researches carried out by a number of scholars reveales that GTF can improve condition of patients with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and atypical depression. there is also research showing that GTF affects gene expressions indirectly. If a person is lack of GTF, the aging process increase rapidly. According to a research done by England Medicine Professor, Dr Stephen Davies, the level of GTF in our body reduces with age. At the age of 70, the level of GTF in our body is halved of that during childhood. Therefore, with the increase in age, we face more and more health problems, such as aging, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, more susceptible to infections, change in body shape, decline in the physical strength etc.