“A period of consumer acceptance”: Experts highlight immunity opportunities this winter

21 Nov 2019 --- As the days draw shorter and shorter, winter is no doubt just around the corner. Coming with the season is a barrage of consumers seeking to fight off seasonal sniffles, as immune systems everywhere are threatened by increased time spent in crowded spaces indoors. Nutrition can have a major impact on immunity, with companies eager to promote their health-boosting products. NutritionInsight speaks to some key players in this space and learns how the face of immunity is changing this season, especially when consumers with increased access to information grow more wary.

“Come winter and you will see that the need for a robust immune system to fight viral respiratory and gastrointestinal infections is on the rise, in particular for elderly people. Joint mobility also takes a toll during winter due to inflammation, even for younger generations. The key to managing the various sicknesses is by working on enhancing the immune system and developing a stronger defense mechanism from within,” says Dr. Benny Antony, Joint Managing Director at Arjuna Natural.

The role of nutrition in immunity is clear, with a recent study finding that a ketogenic diet helps to enhance production from airway cells that can effectively trap the influenza virus. Meanwhile, the beta-glucan space is beginning to be better understood as new research bolsters various health claims related to a range of topics including immunity. Earlier this month, researchers found that due to its glucans, a synergistic formula with a specific ratio of Maitake, Reishi and Shiitake mushroom extracts provides an increase in immune stimulation compared to the additive effect of the three individual extracts. 

Accordingly, Arjuna is promoting its BCM-95 formulation, which is touted as delivering turmeric in its most bio-active form to ensure enhanced absorption to support the body’s defense mechanism. “Winter also brings in gastro-intestinal infections, and we see a host of customers seeking care for keeping a balanced gut microbiota,” Antony adds. As a result, the company has developed Herbagut, a clinically proven polyherbal extract for overall gut health and digestive wellness. 

Dr. Benny Antony, Joint Managing Director at Arjuna Natural.Meanwhile, Maja Orešnik, Science & Research Director at PharmaLinea, draws attention to the company’s ongoing clinical trial on its liquid immunity product for children. “Winter and the accompanying cold and flu season must be considered in the trial protocol, so as not to affect results as a variable. However, within the B2B space, product development and launch activities will have been done much before winter arrives.”

Additionally, PharmaLinea expanded its portfolio of immunity supplements over the year and has launched an acute immunity line of products to complement its preventive line. “This was driven by a rising interest in products with immediate action and fast relief of symptoms. Today’s consumers demand quick effects from supplements and consider clinical support as well as user experience with their purchase decision. All of these points had to be covered with our new product line. We are very satisfied with the result as well as with the feedback on our products, both for children and adults,” Orešnik notes.

Challenges in R&D
In order to ensure that products can deliver on their purported benefits, the R&D process must be watertight. “At Arjuna, we see every challenge as a potential opportunity to deliver innovation. We put a lot of our research time into identifying the active molecule in the phytochemical. We can easily get reference standards for synthetic molecules, but the same is not the case with plant-based extracts,” says Antony.

He continues that the lack of reference standards for phytochemicals makes the task  challenging. It can also be tricky to identify and define their mechanism of action. As a result, researchers rely on bioactivity guided fractionation to understand the active part of plants to extract and standardize for product development. However, it is an ongoing process, with Arjuna focusing on developing the science of the action mechanism to ensure efficacy, as well as safety.

Orešnik also notes that a key challenge is developing a stable, complex, user-friendly product. Consumers expect products to be synergistic, support a multitude of immunity mechanisms and provide more than just a single vitamin. This drives the development of products with many components, including vitamins, minerals and complex natural extracts.

“The popularity of complex natural extracts is growing, but they are especially challenging for development as they encompass many substances that can influence product stability. User-friendly delivery formats additionally increase the probability of ingredient cross-interactions. We overcome these by utilizing years of experience – the sheer number of tests and iterations has left us with an expertise that expedites the process,” she adds. 

Scientific backing is key
Judging from her experience and feedback from partners in global markets, Orešnik notes that immunity supplements are now part of daily life worldwide. It is now a great period of acceptance among consumers and opportunity for brand owners. However, since immunity supplements venture outside the category of “lifestyle products” and into addressing serious issues, companies need to be especially careful with what they launch, she cautions. This means strong research behind products is crucial. PharmaLinea expanded its portfolio of immunity supplements over the year.

“Awareness regarding health and healthy food options is on the rise among consumers globally. An increasing level of inquisitiveness toward being healthy is driving consumers before every purchase. Learning about ingredients from the packaging, seeking for clean label food alternatives and verifying information online are all becoming a regular practice before any product consumption,” highlights Antony.

Previously, consumers had only sought assistance when they were already sick, but there is now a shift toward viewing health from a proactive perspective. Antony predicts that this shift will continue as consumers actively looking out for ways to keep their immunity and general health at an optimum level. This will be by adopting natural, safe and scientifically-backed health and nutritional products.

This emphasis on scientific backing is also key for Orešnik. She highlights that in the last five years, there has been a notable shift in the immunity segment from simple herbal extracts without standardization or direct clinical substantiation into branded, clinically-supported ingredients. 

“We expect that access to information, level of education of consumers and influx of pharmaceutical companies will all push food supplements into clinical trials on finished supplements. Without proof of efficacy readily available to consumers, products will likely be forced into price competition and having to battle global giants with immense marketing power. With increased transparency and traceability, supplements without proper quality and stability standards will struggle,” Orešnik adds. 

Therefore, she concludes that the ultimate challenge for both PharmaLinea and the industry as a whole is clinically proving the efficacy of finished products. “For this, our R&D cooperates with independent research organizations at the highest level. Only then can results be reliable and credible in front of doctors, pharmacists and consumers.”

As in many sectors, the rise of fake news has been a key concern in the nutrition space. Last month, an expert highlighted that overcoming self-professed nutrition gurus on social media platforms is crucial. Meanwhile, Kerry also noted that consumers are vulnerable to incorrect information online.  

By Katherine Durrell