144× more bioavailable curcumin? OmniActive responds to convenience demands with Curcuwin Ultra+

30 Sep 2021 --- OmniActive Health Technologies is addressing “multiple gaps” in the curcumin market with the launch of Curcuwin Ultra+, which has been shown to be 144 times more bioavailable than standard curcumin.

“The key challenge was to address all the issues of curcumin absorption together in a single solution,” Sayantan Bhattacharya, senior director and category manager at OmniActive, tells NutritionInsight.

“The team broke down each issue separately and addressed them through the use of multi-level technology. This provided the solution that we were aiming for, driven by consumer need,” he continues.

Curcuwin Ultra+ will be commercially available in the first half of 2022. It is launching in the US first and then across the other key regions. Curcuwin Ultra+ will be on show at SupplySide West next month. 

Evolving consumer demand
Bhattacharya observes that curcumin is still “wildly” popular with consumers. 

“Curcumin has been growing steadily over the past few years across health categories. This has been fueled by food-based solutions that consumers are able to consume on the go. Future growth will come from innovation in product, delivery and science.” 

He continues that as consumers’ demands evolved, OmniActive saw that there were multiple gaps arising in the market.

Specifically, consumers are looking at more convenience in how they consume supplements. They also want to reduce the serving size while covering a wide number of benefits. This is primarily to accommodate their ever-demanding and busy lifestyles.

“This product aims at disrupting how brands formulate with curcumin in an era where consumers are constantly looking at convenient solutions that can deliver more for less,” says Isabel Lucas, director of product launch and marketing excellence, OmniActive.

Curcuwin Ultra+ provides formulation flexibility and an excellent organoleptic profile allowing for incorporation into challenging applications such as gummies and beverages. Crucially, it is also price effective. 

Honing bioavailability
A specialized process for producing Curcuwin Ultra+ incorporates bioenhancers to better protect and deliver more curcuminoids than standard curcumin. 

According to OmniActive, one capsule containing 250/500 mg of Curcuwin Ultra+ is equal to 30 capsules of standard curcumin/turmeric powder. It is also absorbed 40% faster than standard curcumin. 

Because it is made using Ultrasol, the same foundational technology as its predecessor, it also comes with the clinically supported heart health and sports nutrition benefits as the original Curcuwin. It can also be positioned to support joint and general health benefits. 

Bioavailability has been a major topic in the curcumin industry in recent months. In July, DolCas Biotech’s data revealed its curcumin extract has a 39-fold enhanced bioavailability capability compared to conventional curcuminoids.

Meanwhile, Robertet and Naturex offer ingredients that boast 93 times greater absorption and 24 times more bioavailability, respectively. 

In August, a study found that metal-curcumin complexes can enhance curcumin’s bioavailability while providing additional antioxidant properties.

By Katherine Durrell