Easing Seasonal Allergies with PEA

Gencor announced the publication of a human clinical trial demonstrating its palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) ingredient, Levagen+, to be a safe and effective supplement to ease seasonal allergies. As the company explained, PEA may be an alternative to downregulate mast cell activation and increase the synthesis of endocannabinoid 2-rachidonoylglycerol to reduce histamine. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial included 101 participants with seasonal allergies and were supplemented with 350 mg of PEA (Levagen+) or a placebo daily for two weeks. The finding: The Levagen+ group saw a significant reduction in plasma histamine levels compared to the placebo (p < 0.05), with a decrease in allergy symptoms such as a blocked nose. “The outcome of this study further backs PEA’s published mechanisms of action showing its ability to impact histamine and inflammatory markers,” said R.V. Venkatesh, Co-founder and Managing Director at Gencor. “Seasonal allergies impact nearly 40% of the global population, and this study shows Levagen+ to be a strong supplement to help ease common indicators of allergies.” 

Supporting Testosterone with GG

American River Nutrition shared pivotal findings from a clinical study on Geranylgeraniol (GG), a naturally extracted compound from annatto. In this 4-week and 8-week study, healthy male participants experienced marked benefits with a daily dose of 150mg and 300mg of GG. The extract demonstrated a significant positive impact on Total, Free, and Bioavailable Testosterone. American River Nutrition said this marks the first-ever trial on GG’s safety and function, with more to come. GG addressesSkeletal Muscle, Testosterone, CoQ10 and MK4 (K2) production. For more on GG, see The Natural View: Discovering the Vital Role of Geranylgeraniol (GG) and A New Supplement Brings Many Health Benefits: GG.

Boosting Cognitive Function with Lion's Mane Blend

Sempera Organics reported that Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) mushroom has been shown to provide brain function support among older individuals, and now a pilot study of the company's proprietary Lion’s Mane blend (SO-DSX1) shows that it can boost cognitive performance and reduce stress response in younger people. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-groups design study was published in Nutrients. Researchers investigated the effects of immediate (60 minutes post-dose) and sustained (28-day intervention) of daily supplementation with 1.8 g of Lion’s mane blend SO-DSX1 in 41 healthy adults aged 18–45 years. The finding: Following a single dose of SO-DSX1, participants performed quicker on the Stroop test (which measures cognitive function, notably the ability to reduce and/or prevent easy distractions) at 60 minutes post-dose. Also, following 28 days of supplementation, participants in the SO-DSX1 lion’s mane group reported significantly lower scores in subjective stress in comparison to placebo. “The findings suggest that SO-DSX1 may improve speed of performance and reduce subjective stress in healthy, young adults,” stated Nirmal Nair, CEO and Founder of Sempera Organics. “Therefore, we believe that our proprietary SO-DSX1 blend would be a perfect ingredient for cognitive performance supplements and beverages aimed at younger adults who are seeking a mental edge in work/career and in gaming.”

Advancing Longevity with Astaxanthin 

AX3 shared the news that AX3 Bio-Pure Astaxanthin was evaluated in a longevity study conducted by the Interventions Testing Program (ITP), a peer-reviewed program supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The finding: AX3 Bio-Pure Astaxanthin extended the median lifespan of male mice by 12% with strong statistical significance (p=0.003). As explained in a press release, dosing started when the mice were middle aged and showed a consistent survival benefit versus control animals throughout their lifespans. “This study provides a new pathway in the quest to advance human longevity, because astaxanthin is the first agent in the ITP’s 20-year history to demonstrate a greater than 10% increase in lifespan that is also exceptionally safe for chronic use and broadly accessible as a dietary supplement,” said Dave Watumull, AX3 Life Co-Founder and CEO and co-author of the GeroScience paper reporting these findings. “This study underscores why astaxanthin, and in particular AX3 Bio-Pure Astaxanthin, should be a key part of everyone’s longevity regimen.”

Managing Occasional Constipation Issues with Ginger Extract

OmniActive Health Technologies announced the publication of a study on its standardized ginger extract, Gingever, in the Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed Gingever improved symptoms and quality of life, with participants who received the standardized ginger extract demonstrating significant improvements in symptoms associated with constipation and scores related to quality of life because of constipation on days 28 and 56. The ginger extract group also exhibited significant improvements in stool frequency on days 14, 28, and 56 compared to the placebo group. And throughout the 8-week supplementation period, the extract was well-tolerated with no adverse events reported. "Ginger is well-known to alleviate nausea, and more recently, its rich gingerol and shogoal content has also been linked to supporting other aspects of digestive health, including gastric emptying and flatulence,” said Deshanie Rai, Ph.D., FACN, VP, Global Scientific, and Regulatory Affairs at OmniActive. “Our recent study highlights the potential of our Gingever ingredient in helping individuals with occasional constipation and digestive health discomfort. Gingever is uniquely positioned for those looking to manage occasional constipation issues through natural plant-based extracts.”

Supporting Sleep with Valerian Extract

OmniActive Health Technologies also reported that its proprietary ingredient Sleeproot, a standardized and differentiated valerian extract, has been shown to improve sleep quality and manage occasional anxiety. A study published in Advances in Therapy determined that Sleeproot significantly improved sleep quality scores based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire, as well as reduced sleep latency, allowing participants to fall asleep more quickly; significantly increased sleep duration and sleep efficiency; lowered daytime sleepiness scores; helped participants wake up feeling refreshed; and led to a reduction in anxiety scores throughout the study. "These findings represent an innovative plant-based approach to managing occasional sleep and anxiety issues,” said Deshanie Rai, PhD, FACN, VP, Global Scientific, and Regulatory Affairs at OmniActive. “This study shows that Sleeproot, a low dose valerian extract, at a 2% valerenic acid potency, can significantly improve aspects of sleep quality, as measured by validated quantitative and qualitative sleep methodologies.” 

Supporting Energy with D-Ribose

What harms ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and what helps it? Bioenergy (BLS) is spreading awareness about the science of ATP, a nucleic acid that plays a central role in the function and health of every living cell that can become depleted. “As we age, or if we suffer from various diseases or metabolic deficiencies, the cellular mechanics of ATP turnover can be disrupted,” explains Michael Crabtree, N.D., Director of Scientific Affairs at BLS, which is best known for Bioenergy Ribose, a building block of ATP. 

In addition to age, exercise and illness, diet may trigger a reduction in ATP production. BLS explains that fructose, a commonly used sugar in many food products, slows ATP production. BLS points to a scientific review published by the Royal Society of London’s Philosophical Transactions that confirmed, “Unlike other nutrients, fructose reduces the active energy (adenosine triphosphate) in the cell, while blocking its regeneration from fat stores.”

Crabtree explains, “Fructose flips a survival switch in our bodies. It turns off a key enzyme, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which is crucial for energy balance and metabolism...AMPK is what’s called a precursor to the ATP production process. If AMPK is not functioning properly, cells won’t know they’re under stress and need more energy. The body won’t make more mitochondria, ATP levels may drop, and so will energy.” 

 “By incorporating Bioenergy Ribose into our diets," Crabtree adds, "especially in foods that contain fructose, we can take a simple yet effective step towards better health.” D-Ribose is made naturally when the body converts the simple sugar, glucose, into Ribose, BLS explains, and once formed, ribose can be used to drive energy metabolism pathways.

 “In addition to being clinically proven to increase ATP levels, preliminary research shows that Bioenergy Ribose effectively activates AMPK,” says Crabtree. “By formulating with Bioenergy Ribose in foods, beverages and dietary supplements that contain fructose, we can potentially neutralize the harmful effects of fructose. This would support metabolic health by helping maintain a healthy weight, manage blood sugar levels and improve overall energy levels.”  

Optimizing Cellular Ubiquinone Uptake in Muscle with CoQ10 Phytosome

Indena shared the news of an ex-vivo study demonstrating that CoQ10 Phytosome (Indena’s UBIQSOME) optimizes cellular ubiquinone uptake in muscle cells in comparison to unformulated CoQ10. This, the company says, confirms the uniqueness of muscle uptake with UBIQSOME supplementation, already shown by a previous study. UBIQSOME also resulted in scientific evidence of amelioration of CoQ10 muscle absorption after oral administration, and Indian says it is the only product on the market succeeding in enhancing both plasmatic and muscle CoQ10 levels. 

The most recent human study on CoQ10 Phytosome used a crossover design, with eight volunteers randomized to supplement 100 mg/daily CoQ10 for two weeks, delivered both in Phytosome form and in CoQ10 crystalline form. After supplementation, plasma was collected, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were extracted, normalized for CoQ10 content, and incubated with two different cell lines for 24 h. The in-vitro results: UBQ-enriched lipoproteins showed a higher bioavailability compared with crystalline CoQ10-enriched ones in both dermal fibroblasts and myoblasts. Those data suggest that Phytosome carriers might provide a specific advantage in delivering CoQ10 to skin and muscle tissues.

Serena Tongiani, Chief Product Officer at Indena, said the results "confirm that our UBIQSOME is a great formulation of coenzyme Q10. They are added to the scientific data build for our product, starting from the multiple evidences which show enhanced plasmatic levels of coenzyme Q10 thanks to UBIQSOME. Moreover, this study demonstrated for the first time in humans that UBIQSOME optimize muscles levels of CoQ10 after oral supplementation compared to baseline. Last but not least, UBIQSOME has been recently demonstrated to enhance endothelial function already after the first dose in young healthy subjects, showing itself as an effective support to cardiovascular health and healthy aging even in absence of any specific disease."