As consumers look to natural products to help counter the aging process, ingredients supporting that goal continue to evolve.

Society believes in being one’s best self, and this idea can apply from our outwardly appearance to the core of our cellular information.

Ingredients That Age Well

California-based GCI Nutrients’ Richard Kozlenko, DPM, MPH, PhD, science advisory with the company, noted the many aspects natural ingredients might affect the aging process:

• Protection of our DNA
• Protection and restoration of a more youthful metabolism
• Restoring and protecting our biological cellular and intracellular membranes to maximize nutrient flow and oxygenation
• Supporting and optimizing a balanced and healthy microbiome
• Prevention and management of subclinical inflammation and auto-immunity
• Endocrine balance and blood sugar
• Protection of our brain, eyes and neuroendocrine physiology
• Muscle maintenance and enhancement of our lean tissue mass—bone, connective tissue, skeletal muscle.

Consumers seek products that can tackle multiple issues in one. Ingredients, such as curcumin and black seed oil, cover that description.

“Consumers concerned about healthy aging are interested in products which can support their cardiovascular health, joint health, skin care, weight management and brain health,” suggested Morris Zelkha, CEO of Israel-based TriNutra, whose ingredients are distributed to the U.S. through Barrington Nutritionals (New York). “They want to look and feel younger than their years. Antioxidants, such as astaxanthin and a myriad of flavonoids, have become a common solution to support this demand. In addition to antioxidants, botanicals and herbs that provide positive inflammation responses, such as curcumin and black seed oil, are ingredients that are increasing in popularity because of their ability to contribute to multiple symptoms, providing more comprehensive care. Black seed oil or Nigella sativa, for example, is an ingredient that has been around for over 2,000 years and has recently gained attention due to its key phytonutrient, thymoquinone. Thymoquinone has significant clinical support for glucose levels, cardiovascular health and healthy inflammatory responses.”

Anne Trias, MS, product director with American River Nutrition (Massachusetts), also commented on the benefits of antioxidants. “Traditionally, based on the oxidative damage theory of aging,” she said, “antioxidants are popular longevity supplements, and include old staples such as vitamins C and E, CoQ10, resveratrol, and the popular curcumin. Among the antioxidants, vitamin E is uniquely shaped to reside within the lipid cell membrane to protect its integrity, and also happens to be the most prominent antioxidant within lipid bilayers. Few, however, are aware that vitamin E is a family of molecules that include tocopherols and tocotrienols. Of the two, tocotrienol is an emerging antioxidant ingredient with many added benefits not shared by tocopherol.

“A change from the old standby alpha-tocopherol to the vitamin E of the 21st century—tocotrienol—is in order, not just for the fact that tocotrienol is ~50-fold more potent as an antioxidant than alpha-tocopherol,1 but also because it addresses various ailments associated with aging in an antioxidant-independent manner.”

Elyse Lovett, MS, MBA, senior marketing manager with Kyowa Hakko USA in New York, was in agreement with Trias in regard to the effectiveness of antioxidants such as resveratrol and praised items such as collagen.

“There are so many ingredients that are ‘hot’ or popular at the moment, like collagen peptides or essential oils, others that are popular but have been on the market longer and antioxidants like resveratrol and glutathione,” she explained. “I think the consumer wants to feel safe when they are taking ingredients, so having great science and knowing where and how your ingredients are manufactured are key.”

In addition to supplements, Shoji Matsakawa, general manager, organic chemicals sales & marketing for New York-based Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America, manufacturers of BioPQQ, noted that regular exercise coupled with a balanced diet is effective with increasing one’s lifespan and staying healthy as one ages. However, she noted that the definition of a “balanced diet” can change, taking presence in diets such as ketogenic, low-carb and paleo.

This has resulted in several food options (along with their ingredients) gaining popularity as of late.

“ … In recent years,” Matsakawa said, “‘superfoods’ like kale, avocado and quinoa and their active ingredients have also been in the spotlight. Consumers seek nutrient-dense foods rich in vitamins, protein, anti-inflammatory ingredients and antioxidants, and they look for nutraceutical supplements with these same qualities. BioPQQ is a powerful antioxidant, meaning it protects cells from damaging agents like free radicals. Its antioxidative effect has been demonstrated to be significantly higher than both vitamin C and vitamin E. BioPQQ is also a unique ingredient in that it can increase and activate mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, which can energize cells in the brain and other vital organs.”

Innovation & Creativity

Compared to prior centuries, life expectancy has in fact increased. Although this signifies more years to spend with loved ones, this can also mean dealing with more disease.

“As lifespan or longevity continues to lengthen, average healthspan (the period of life before age-related diseases begin to show up) has not kept pace,” explained Kieron Edwards, PhD, scientific director at Sibelius Natural Products (England). “Fortunately, proper education and innovation has led consumers to become more aware of the benefits of healthy eating habits. They continuously seek better solutions to help them improve their daily performance and health. Innovative dietary supplements and functional foods and beverages, rather than conventional medicines, offer an easy and promising solution to these problems. As such, a growing trend is to seek non-Western functional solutions. Traditional Eastern medicinal solutions and botanicals, like sage, which can be used in both supplementation and functional food and beverage applications, are increasing in popularity. Specifically, functional food and beverages are seeing an upsurge in demand due to their convenience.”

The company utilizes Chronoscreen, which helps evaluate biological activity of ingredients.

“Sibelius Natural Products has used the Chronoscreen platform as a unique method for verifying botanical actives,” Edwards added. “Examining botanicals in C. elegans, the Chronoscreen is able to track the resulting extension of lifespan and the improvement of healthspan. If the tested ingredient has had a beneficial effect on cellular aging in the worm, then there is a strong possibility that it will also have beneficial effects in humans due to the genetic, biochemical and physiological similarities to humans. Chronoscreen has been successfully used for biological testing of a broad range of natural products and ingredients. One Chronoscreen analysis conducted for L’Oréal on a polysaccharide from Chlorophytum borivilianum, suggested both a lifespan extension and possible beneficial effects on skin aging parameters.”

Clean labels have also continued to be popular.

“The more recent trend is the shift away from synthetic ingredients used in foods and beverages, and more toward ‘clean label,’ where the ingredients are recognizable (eg, oats, blueberries, corn),” said Annie Eng, CEO, Florida-based HP Ingredients (HPI). “We are not aware of any research showing or suggesting long-term benefits of consuming mostly natural and clean-label products over conventionally processed foods. This will likely take years to track and quantify.”

Along with knowing exactly what goes into finished products, ingredient ease of access is also a major selling point.

“More products are being designed as ‘lifestyle products’ that can be consumed as part of one’s already established regime,” observed Samantha Ford, business development director, AIDP (California), whose company offers Magtein for cognition, and Kollagen II-xs and KoAct for the bones and joints. “For example, if someone is a smoothie drinker, or likes the ease and convenience of energy bars, ingredients that formulate well into packets, mixes and other on-the-go options are extremely desirable. Personalization is also an up-and-coming trend.”

Gentler extraction methods also enhances ingredient desirability. TriNutra utilizes cold-press extraction to create ThymoQuin (3 percent thymoquinone), which can contribute to a plethora of benefits that support longevity, the company stated.

“Many ingredients have been used in traditional systems of medicine for thousands of years. TriNutra’s goal was to take these recognized ingredients and bring consumers new and improved ways to use them,” Zelkha explained. “Via slow, cold-press extraction, our black seed oil, ThymoQuin is the first cold-press oil standardized to three percent thymoquinone, enhancing healthy inflammatory responses and demonstrating superior benefits compared to other black seed oil products on the market.

“Through current and ongoing research, we have discovered that synergistic activity of different actives can give broader and wider performance for heart, joint, skin, and brain health. ThymoQuin 3 percent has demonstrated synergistic effects when combined with omega-3, oils to potentiate their effects on inflammatory response and oxygen consumption.”

Market Status

Looking at the market, healthy aging is experiencing an upward climb, partly due to the range of ages purchasing products. An overall interest in the use of dietary supplements has helped as well.

“The healthy aging market continues to rise as both young and old demographics drive sales,” explained Chris Holland, vice president of sales, New York-based Barrington Nutritionals. Holland pointed to a study conducted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition. It stated that the use of dietary supplements among U.S. adults increased 10 percent from 2009, reporting that 75 percent of Americans take dietary supplements in various healthy aging categories, such as immune health, heart health, bone health and overall healthy aging. The study also reported that the 18-34 demographic showed a high interest in supplements for increased energy, while the age group 35-54 reported immune health as a top reason for taking supplementation. This age group also increased its use of herbal and botanical supplements by 5 percent in one year. “This leaves a large opportunity for growth,” Holland said. “Clinical studies are showing the positive effects of ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine remedies and consumers are paying attention. We predict this market will grow continuously as consumers are ready to spend more money on longevity and healthspan products.”

A look back at the percentage of adults in the United States who are age 65 and above throughout several decades are surprising.

Trias referred to a United Nations report that noted that the percentage of U.S. adults matching that description was 8 percent in 1950, compared to 12 percent in 2000; in 2050, this amount is expected to rise to 20 percent. For the younger generation of babies born in 2012, life expectancy is 78.8 years.

So what’s changed? Trias suggested that Americans are not only getting older and living longer—they are successfully living with multiple ailments that come with aging.

“ … Many older adults are turning to dietary supplements to counter the aging process, with one study reporting that as many as 70 percent took at least one supplement between 2011-2014, an increase from 63 percent between 1999–2000.2 Surprisingly, 29 percent [of] older adults took at least four or more supplements, with some of the main reasons for supplementation included the goals of promoting bone health, heart health and healthy cholesterol levels. Due to the growing population of older adults and increasing cost of medical care, these dietary supplement categories—addressing a proactive rather than reactive approach—are certain to rise in the coming years.”

Even toward the younger side of the spectrum, consumers are being more conscientious in how they plan for the aging process. Social media has helped play a role in this.

“With the aging population growing exponentially, and the burgeoning interest in healthy aging, the outlook for products that serve this demographic is very promising,” Ford said. “In addition, there is a movement to encourage younger demographics to ‘think ahead’ and be mindful of aging well into later years. Developing healthy habits earlier in life, including quality supplements with science-proven ingredients, is further opening the market to expansion in the future. Social media and digital marketing is on board to push out this news. AIDP is committed to stay on track with innovation and working with our finished product partners on easy-to-take/adapt-to-lifestyle finished products.”

Research

According to Kozlenko, “The focus of healthy aging in our industry is increasingly committed to help convert areas of chronic distress and dysfunction into areas of not only better health, but ideally elevating those areas into more optimal health,” he said. “If the goals and classifications of the various ingredients and products were to be succinctly classified under key research objectives, most could fall under these headings: Protection and Prevention, Restoration and Balance, Functional Enhancement and Optimization. With this classification system in mind, one can fill in lists of suitable ingredients and formulas.”

In terms of specific research, HPI has reported numerous results, including on its Bergamonte (BPE-C) product, its branded form of bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso).

“Our new and improved Bergamonte helps in weight loss and in improving factors that comprise metabolic syndrome, such as blood sugar and cholesterol profiles, as well as enhancing nitric oxide production and supporting liver function,” said Eng. “This new version has been recently tested and shown to not only retain the powerful regulation of cholesterol and blood glucose levels that the original extract was shown to do (as it still has the same flavonoid profile of naringin, neohesperidin, neoeriocitrin, melitidin and brutelidin), it has a significant favorable impact on body weight and metabolic syndrome. The study, which is being prepared for journal publication, has shown potent impact on hormones that influence metabolic syndrome, specifically, a strong increase in leptin (12.30 percent with 650 mg BPE-C and 21.36 percent with 1,300 mg); decrease in ghrelin (6.89 percent, 650 mg and 14.90 percent with 1,300 mg), and an increase in adiponectin (18.65 percent with 650 mg), and 21.76 percent with 1,300 mg).”

At Kyowa Hakko, Lovett said they focus on ingredients that the company has on the market and continues research in order to fit various demographic and consumer needs. It published a study on its Setria Glutathione that demonstrated the benefits of skin brightening with oral supplementation. Glutathione, she said, decreases after the age of 40.

Research on aging also takes a holistic approach, which has led to successful results.

“We’re seeing a shift where research and development is increasingly targeting the aging process, as opposed to individual age-related diseases or symptoms,” Matsakawa explained. “This is leading to research that has the ultimate goal of making discoveries directed at slowing aging itself.

“Some of these include big-data approaches, blood-based therapies and research stemming from aging results in model organisms. Research on BioPQQ is in line with the last trend, with clinical studies, like the study on nematodes, which are model organisms for longevity research. Rather than promoting symptomatic countermeasures, BioPQQ may contribute to health and wellness in aging by supporting and activating fundamental biological functions. It also has the advantage of being backed by numerous published human clinical trials.”

Edwards also noted the evolution of studies on aging. “Many studies have linked vitamins and minerals to improved health, but examples of supplementation with individual vitamins have often provided results on the basis of correlation more than causation,” he noted. “Therefore, a holistic approach researching TCM botanicals and complex ingredients beyond common antioxidants is needed for more conclusive results. Additionally, research has evolved in order to provide ingredients that don’t just address symptoms but the underlying causes of conditions to better prevent them.”

Each person has his or her own health-specific wants and needs—therefore, strides toward making sure everyone’s concerns are met are essential.

“Advancements have also needed to be made to meet consumer demands for personalized nutrition,” Edwards concluded. “People are shying away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ medicine model. They want the ability to choose the optimal methods of taking care of their own health needs.” NIE

References:

1 Serbinova E, Kagan V, Han D, Packer L. Free radical recycling and intramembrane mobility in the antioxidant properties of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocotrienol. Free Radic Biol Med. 1991;10(5):263-75.

2 Gahche JJ, Bailey RL, Potischman N, Dwyer JT. Dietary Supplement Use Was Very High among Older Adults in the United States in 2011-2014. J Nutr. 2017;147(10):1968-76. Epub 2017/09/01.

For More Information:

AIDP, www.aidp.com
American River Nutrition, www.americanrivernutrition.com
Barrington Nutritionals, www.barringtonnutritionals.com
GCI Nutrients, www.gcinutrients.com
HP Ingredients, www.hpingredients.com
Kyowa Hakko USA, www.kyowa-usa.com
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America, www.biopqq.com
Sibelius Natural Products, www.sibeliusnaturalproducts.com
TriNutra, www.trinutra.com

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