Las Vegas, NV—Drawing more than 1,300 exhibitors and 18,500 attendees from 75 countries, the 23rd annual SupplySide West co-located for the first time this year with Food ingredients North America (FiNA), was a record-breaking event, according to a press release. The show was held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas from October 15-19.

“The people and companies at SupplySide and FiNA are driving the future of healthy, sustainable products,” said Jon Benninger, Informa VP & Market Leader for SupplySide. “We are committed to supporting this important work to bring more health to more people.”

The power of branded ingredients was evident at the show, with branded ingredient suppliers discussing investments in nutrition science and technology innovation. Some highlights:
  • Ixoreal Biomed was sharing news of a new double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study published in Cureus. The researchers found KSM-66 Ashwagandha to be a safe, effective solution to insomnia and the anxiety that accompanies it. Medicine Hunter Christopher Kilham has discussed the research, noting that "Ashwagandha offers a simple, safe and natural way to achieve deep sleep for badly needed rest and repair, without drowsiness or negative effects. You simply do not need to resort to potentially harmful or addictive drugs to achieve healthy sleep.” More details on the latest study can be found hereand watch for more research on KSM-66 in the coming months.
  • OmniActive Health Technologies was discussing Lutemax 2020, a branded ingredient that has been shown to positively affect cognitive performance, according to research in Physiology and Behavior. The study found that, over the course of the six months, composite memory, verbal memory, sustained attention, psychomotor speed, and processing speed all improved significantly in treatment groups, while remaining unchanged in the placebo group. More details on the research can be found here. OmniActive also announced the launch of Xtenergy, a branded ingredient that offers a natural source of sustained energy without jitters or crash. Get details here.
  • BioPQQ was also discussing cognitive function and energy—the ingredient has been shown to activate mitochondria and enhance nerve growth factor. In addition, the company says, it has an energizing effect and supports mood.
  • Diana Food was showcasing science on Cerebelle, a blend of extracts from polyphenol-rich grape and wild blueberry, clinically proven to prevent age-related cognitive decline in healthy older adults. In one human clinical trial, it was shown to help improve episodic memory and learning skills. Diana Food was also discussing new ingredients to fuel sports performance, including VegExtreme Beet, a 100% beet powder rich in natural nitric oxide precursors, potassium, amino acids and polyphenols; and Urophenol, a whole cranberry fruit extract that the company says is a clinically supported solution to recurrent UTI that does not lead to microbial resistance.
  • Horphag Research was sharing news of of 19 clinical studies on Robuvit French Oak Extract—including findings that the branded ingredient reduces fatigue, increases energy and supports liver function. For more, read Dr. Richard Passwater's interview with Frank Schönlau, Ph.D., here. Also stay tuned for additional coverage on Immune Health and Liver Detox in our December issue.
  • AIDP, building on the company's digestive health offerings, was featuring its new sales and marketing partnership in the U.S. with BIOHM Healthy LLC, which offers a probiotic formulation proven to inhibit biofilm formation to help maintain the balance of bacteria and fungi in the gut while breaking down digestive biofilms. WholeFoods will have extended coverage in our January issue.
  • Aker BioMarine, which offers Superba Krill Oil, was raising awareness about the science of krill. In 2019, the company spent around $10 million and had 15 PhDs working to explore the benefits of krill, with studies showing that krill reduces lifestyle diseases. There are also ongoing studies looking at the use of krill on symptoms of lupus. Find details here.
  • Taiyo International and Fruit d'Or presented research from Rutgers University on SunCran Naturelle, which combines Taiyo's Sunfiber soluble guar fiber with Fruit d'Or's Cran Naturelle organic cranberry juice. The branded formula contains standardized, soluble cranberry PACs, shown to have an anti-adhesion effect against bacteria that lead to urinary tract issue.
  • Naturex was spotlighting science and functionality with a new supplement concept: a liquid shot supplement for an on-trend delivery format featuring TurmiPure Gold, which is soluble and has high bioavailability. Also on the research side, the company's Aronox, an extract rich in aronia polyphenols, was shown in human clinical trials to impact host microbiome, plasma metabolites and offer improvements in cardiovascular health.
  • HP Ingredients was on hand to discuss a study in Phytotherapy Research on ParActin, a patented extract of Andrographis paniculate. The study examined the efficacy of doses of 300 and 600 mg of ParActin or placebo daily for 84 days in 103 adults with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee. The result: There was a significant and progressive reduction in pain score in both ParActin groups starting at day 28 compared to placebo. ParActin subjects showed “highly significant” improvements in physical function score, bodily pain score, and social function score. Markers of fatigue also improved. More details here.
  • NattoPharma reported that the VitaK-CAC study showed "exciting" preliminary results, and speaks to the power of the MenaQ7 ingredient, since the study was driven by the medical community and the researchers requested MenaQ7 for the research. WholeFoods will report on the findings once published.
  • Natural Remedies was sharing news of Turmacin, which is standardized to contain bioactive polysaccharides "Turmerosaccharides" and does not contain curcuminoids. A trial will be published in Q1 of 2020, and the ingredient is already backed up with multiple clinical trials to support joint and cartilage health. WholeFoods will share news of the research upon publication.
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WholeFoods will have more coverage from SupplySide West, including new products and partnerships, highlights from companies marking milestones, and updates from the education sessions, so check back in on www.WholeFoodsMagazine.com for SSW updates. Plus—stay tuned for coverage from AHPA's Botanical Congress.