Industry experts highlight latest tech and innovation in the menopause management space

30 Jul 2024 --- The menopause management category is garnering traction among dietary supplementation consumers, developers and providers. Nutrition Insight continues its conversation with representatives of Kaneka Probiotics, ADM, Stratum Nutrition, Lycored and Gnosis by Lesaffre on the latest in technology and innovation, including bioavailability optimization, SAMe formulations, biotics and fibers and plant-based solutions.

“There is a growing demand for women-centric biotics, particularly in North America, so we’re expecting to see even more growth in this space when it comes to menopause specifically,” comments Jordi Riera, chief Business Officer at Kaneka Probiotics.

“Alongside this expected growth, over half of peri-, post- and menopausal women are looking more specifically toward natural health products, vitamins and supplements to boost their overall health.” 

Paula Limena, VP of global marketing, health and wellness at ADM, adds: “With an estimated one billion women entering menopause by 2025, there is a growing need for personalized solutions to help manage symptoms during the stages of menopause — from perimenopause to menopause and postmenopause.”

Alexis Collins, director of product and brand strategy at Stratum Nutrition, tells us: “Technology can play a crucial role in addressing some menopause-related challenges — it can support education, symptom management and research.  For example, educational websites and apps can provide consumers with information about menopause symptoms, coping strategies and lifestyle adjustments.”

Technology plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenges and optimizing the benefits of menopause management products.Addressing bioavailability
Elizabeth Tarshish, clinicals and claims substantiation lead at Lycored, asserts that technology plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenges and optimizing the benefits of menopause management products, “particularly those containing lycopene, phytosterols, and other phytonutrients.”

“Lycored’s unique technology ensures these ingredients are extracted and standardized to achieve the highest levels of purity and potency, which is crucial for maintaining consistent efficacy and safety across all product batches.”

She points out that bioavailability is a common challenge with many supplements, adding that Lycored’s proprietary technology optimizes the delivery mechanisms. “Enhancing bioavailability and ensuring the body can effectively absorb and utilize nutrients.”

 “The integration of technology in Lycored’s product development process guarantees consumers receive a high-quality, standardized product and ensures health benefits are maximized. This includes reducing oxidative stress, supporting bone health and promoting overall cellular wellness.”

Tarshish asserts that by leveraging technological advancements, Lycored provides a reliable and scientifically proven solution for managing menopause.

SAMe technology 
Silvia Pisoni, global market manager with Gnosis by Lesaffre, shares details about the technology utilized by the company in the formulation of its S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) products for managing menopause symptoms. 

“Gnosis has developed technologies that allow Adonat, Quatrefolic and MenaQ7 to be successfully incorporated into diverse products. Because SAMe tends to be moisture-sensitive, it is mainly produced in tablets and capsules. Gnosis’ patented stabilized forms of Adonat SAMe allow for combination with other ingredients, providing an authentic competitive advantage,” she explains. 

“Our synergistic supplements — Gnosis Brain-Quantum Tablets, which combine Adonat Premium SAMe and Quatrefolic folate along with B12 — can effectively address the mood-mind (cognitive) connection for women in their menopausal years and post-menopause.” 

 She outlines that Quatrefolic Fine Powder can also be used for oral sprays, liquid suspensions and complex softgels.  

There is a growing demand for women-centric biotics, particularly in North America. Meanwhile, MenaQ7 Matrix protects the MK-7 particles with no coating, additives or additional ingredients to make more efficient and less cumbersome complex K2 formulations. 

“Women who enter menopause at an early age face higher long-term risks for chronic conditions, such as compromised bone and heart health. Our MenaQ7 K2 offers an alternative for supporting both, while our Adonat SAMe and Quatrefolic aid in managing homocysteine levels, which support heart health,” Pisoni elaborates. 

Targeting gut health
Kaneka Probiotics’s Riera tells us about the latest research into the significance of the gut microbiome for the quality of life of women experiencing menopause and the potential use of biotics to ameliorate symptoms. 

“We focused our scientific efforts on understanding the estrobolome, a collection of bacteria in the gut that metabolizes and modulates the body’s estrogen levels. From this understanding, we identified a selection of probiotic strains able to leverage the mechanism of beta-glucuronidase, a microbial enzyme naturally found in the gut that is responsible for deconjugating estrogen and allowing it to be reabsorbed into the body,” he details.

“Our recent study has, for the first time, indicated the potential for the probiotic to slow down estrogen decline in healthy peri- and postmenopausal women.”

In addition to this initial exploratory study, Kaneka Probiotics has four more under development that aims to explore the mechanism of action behind Gyntima Menopause, as well as what relief this can bring to women around the world. 

“The current state of the menopause market serves to highlight the range of commercial opportunities to explore in the probiotics space, but more importantly indicates the real need for these alternative therapies for women going through menopause,” he argues.

“At Kaneka Probiotics, we’re working toward making probiotics for menopause one of our strategic lines of business and conducting much-needed research to cement ourselves at the forefront of women’s health probiotics.”

ADM’s Limena also spotlights microbiome-supporting solutions, including prebiotic fiber, probiotics and postbiotics, that support metabolic health and weight management. 

“Weight management is of high concern for many women experiencing the journey through menopause. ADM/Matsutani LLC’s Fibersol, a prebiotic dietary fiber, may delay hunger and stimulate appetite-regulating hormones and may increase satiety perception,” she states.

“A study’s results demonstrated that Fibersol may increase appetite-regulating hormone GLP-1 when consumed at 10 g with a meal in healthy individuals. Plus, our BPL1 (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CECT8145) probiotic and postbiotic target factors relevant to metabolic health.”

Plant estrogen solutions
Limena further highlights the use of plant-based ingredients to improve symptoms associated with menopause, including plant-derived estrogens and proteins.

Soy isoflavones are considered selective estrogen receptor modulators with demonstrated benefits for managing menopause symptoms. “Women may experience hot flashes, mood changes, sleep issues, joint and muscle discomfort, impact on bone health and weight gain, along with irregular periods, all of which commonly begin during perimenopause. The proliferation of needs during perimenopause along with the average duration (about four years) represents an opportunity for innovation to narrowly target and support women during this stage,” she explains.

She points to protein, calcium, magnesium and vitamins B, D and E as popular dietary supplementation. “Plant estrogens are also popular in targeted offerings for menopause. Soy isoflavones are considered selective estrogen receptor modulators with demonstrated benefits for managing menopause symptoms.”

“Plant proteins with high protein content are also beneficial in supporting women throughout various life stages, including menopause. Soy protein is an outstanding option for women’s health products since it is one of the few non-animal proteins that are ‘complete proteins’ with a protein digestibility corrected amino acid score of one. Our soy and pea proteins also blend well together for added functionality, including helping increase levels of amino acids like BCAAs and EAAs.”

Limena concludes: “While managing menopause is a large growth opportunity, there is an overall lack of knowledge from brands and consumers for the support needed by women experiencing menopause. Looking ahead, we expect this market to encompass more offerings that can help address different symptoms, from physical to mental and emotional well-being support, while also conveniently fitting into women’s everyday lives.”

By Milana Nikolova