Beyond The Headlines: BPC issues guidance for SNAP program, Propel Fitness Water partners with Michel B. Jordan

03 Feb 2023 --- This week in nutrition news, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) issued guidance for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to be considered by the US Congress when drafting the 2023 Farm Bill. Propel Fitness Water revealed that it has partnered with Creed III star Michael B. Jordan in a bid to increase access and equity in fitness. Meanwhile, two nutrition experts launched a supplement to help consumers meet the polyphenol requirements of the Sirtfood Diet.

In brief: Nutrition news
The BPC has released a report which provides recommendations for Congress to consider in drafting the 2023 Farm Bill. The report suggests increasing SNAP benefit levels and encouraging participants to consume nutritious foods through cash benefits and education. It also calls for making diet quality a core SNAP objective and promoting healthier food choices through restrictions on unhealthy food and sugary drinks. The report follows the 2018 BPC SNAP Task Force report, which provides a bipartisan blueprint for an effective program. Both reports aim to address the public health crisis of obesity and diet-related diseases.

Propel Fitness Water has partnered with actor Michael B. Jordan to increase fitness access (Image credit: Propel Fitness Water).Propel Fitness Water has partnered with actor and director Michael B. Jordan to increase access to fitness. Jordan’s partnership will involve creative collaboration and storytelling to help further the brand’s efforts to drive access and equity in fitness. As part of the multi-year partnership, Jordan will provide resources, access and opportunities for fitness across the country and Propel will also play a role in Jordan’s projects. Additionally, Propel has unveiled a new brand identity meant to establish it as a modern fitness authority and highlight the efficacy of its electrolyte water. The refreshed look includes a new logo and design across the entire product portfolio, with the rollout expected to be completed by summer 2023.

Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten, experts in nutritional medicine and pharmacology, launched SirtLife Nutrition, a supplement brand based on the principles of the Sirtfood Diet. This popular diet trend holds that consuming foods rich in polyphenols can activate the body’s “skinny genes” or sirtuins. Sirtuins have been shown to signal the proteins involved in metabolic regulation and support healthy aging. SirtLife Nutritions formulas contain a blend of sirtuin-activating polyphenols and other ingredients meant to boost metabolism, support users’ wellness goals and help achieve the positive effects of the diet. The brand launches with two premium dietary supplements, Sirt Complete and Ultimate Sirt Juice, which the brand says contain sirtuin-activating ingredients to support weight management, energy boost, digestion and overall health.

In brief: Industry news
Royal DSM announced a transaction relating to its ordinary shares in accordance with Dutch public offer rules. The company delivered 210 ordinary shares to employees to settle the exercise of stock options granted under the DSM Incentive Plan. The average exercise price was €92.71 (US$101.32). The company stated that the transaction was in line with commitments made prior to the publication of its offering circular on November 22, 2022.Probi aims to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.

Probiotic innovator, Probi, received validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its recently published 2030 climate goals. These goals are in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to limit global warming and to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Probi stated that it aims to significantly reduce its emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050 and further added that the SBTi certification demonstrates its commitment to sustainability.

EIT Food, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, launched its 2023 Entrepreneurship Programmes. These programs aim to establish, accelerate and scale-up agrifood tech start-ups to solve global food system challenges and deliver new food innovations and businesses worldwide. The programs also offer support, training, networking, mentoring and access to the world’s largest food innovation network to entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey. Entrepreneurs can receive funding up to €500,000 (US$546,430) and leverage external funding from EIT Food’s investor community. Applications close on 26th of March 2023.

In brief: Research and studies
Levhoss Nutrition revealed the results of a recent clinical study, which evaluated the skin health and beauty benefits of Pomella, a proprietary Punica granatum extract. The double-blind and placebo-controlled study, published in the Journal of Clinical Science, involved healthy men and women aged 22-55 who took 250 mg of Pomella every day for four weeks. The results showed a statistically significant (6.2%) reduction in wrinkle severity in the Pomella group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.01) and a sub-analysis found a correlation between higher levels of Eggerthellaceae in the gut microbiome and decreased transepidermal water loss and wrinkle severity in the Pomella group. Moreover, the company stated that the results of this clinical trial are promising and suggest that Pomella supplementation could improve multiple markers associated with visible wrinkles and skin moisture.

Rat models were used to understand the potential brain differences between animals prone to overeating and obesity and those who are not.Another study, published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, explored the role of sugars and their effect on a small region of the brain that, according to the researchers, drives reward-seeking behaviors, including food, sex and the use of recreational drugs like nicotine and alcohol. The researchers used rat models to understand the potential brain differences between animals prone to overeating and obesity and those who are not. The results showed that glucose takes longer to reach the nucleus accumbens in obesity-prone animals and also revealed excess levels of glutamate – an excitatory neurotransmitter – in the brain. This suggested a defect in the neurotransmitter recycling process maintained by astrocytes and that the balance between glutamate and GABA (the main inhibitory transmitter) is crucial for brain function and is different in obesity-prone versus obesity-resistant rats. The team stated that they now want to study the role of inflammation in the development of obesity.

By William Bradford Nichols