Beyond The Headlines: Regulation uncertainty in sports nutrition, Evaluating efficacy of psilocybin

22 Mar 2024 --- This week in nutrition news, the EU trade body for sports and active nutrition, the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA), highlighted the need to add new members in an uncertain regulatory environment for sports nutrition products. Meanwhile, US-based Usona Institute launched a new phase of its clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and long-term safety of psilocybin to treat depression. At the same time, the AI health assistant Together by Renee launched a new personal chatbot to improve healthcare. 

Industry news 
ESSNA added performance nutrition brand Science in Sport as a new member while it continues to grow its memberships in an uncertain regulatory environment due to upcoming elections in the European Parliament and the UK this year. The organization expects a shift in the political landscape to impact the food industry, such as introducing mandatory nutrition labeling in the EU and the UK’s recent focus on the impact of ultra-processed foods and foods high in fat, sugar and salt on health outcomes. ESSNA will engage in an outreach program to outline its priority issues, such as the role of sports nutrition in supporting active lifestyles and ensuring consumer safety while promoting innovation and monitoring developments in AI. Science in Sport develops knowledge and scientific formulations for optimal energy, hydration and recovery performance solutions. It is the official sports nutrition partner of several professional cycling organizations and soccer clubs. 

US-based medical research organization the Usona Institute launched its Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of psilocybin in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). According to the institute, the launch of the trial represents the beginning of an essential next step in developing psilocybin as a potential therapeutic option for people diagnosed with MDD. Phase 2 of the trial confirmed the safety and efficacy findings, which the new phase aims to explore further, determining the durability and long-term safety of psilocybin treatment. The trial will use 25 mg of psilocybin as a treatment for MDD, which will be administered with psychosocial support to adults when they experience a major depressive episode. Researchers will monitor participants for one year after a six-week randomized, double-blind treatment period. 

Psilocybin is the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms.Together by Renee, an all-in-one AI health assistant, launched its new Together Companion personal chatbot to improve care for aging US citizens. Together Companion provides accurate, timely, contextual and personalized answers and guidance to users based on their health history, medications, current vitals, care plans and provider instructions, allowing users to ask questions based on that comprehensive information. It aims to help users stay on track toward following their care plans and achieve better health. The new chatbot allows users to upload car plans and record verbal instructions, summarizing those in bullet points to guide user action. 

Sweet protein manufacturer Oobli received a “No questions” letter from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), accepting the company’s conclusion that its fruit sweet protein (brazzein) is generally recognized as safe for use as a sweetener in food and beverages. The sweetener, produced with precision fermentation, offers manufacturers a healthier alternative to sugar, delivering a sugar-like sweetness without affecting blood sugar, insulin or the gut microbiome. The fruit sweet protein is one of several sweet proteins derived from fruits primarily found in West Africa.

Product Launches 
Amazing Grass, a brand of Glanbia Performance Nutrition, added a new product to its Greens Blend portfolio — Greens Blend Mood in a passionfruit citrus flavor. The product is sweetened with monk fruit and contains L-theanine to promote “a calmer state of mind.” Each scoop includes one billion CFU (colony forming units) of probiotics to help foster a healthy gut. It combines greens, such as fruit and vegetables, for digestive and mood support. The company notes it aimed to provide a solution to help consumers manage daily life stresses. Consumers can mix the blend with water or other beverages. 

The new Greens Blend Mood provides digestive and mood support (Image credit: Amazing Grass).NutriLeads announced its BeniCaros prebiotic is available in five product options to accommodate diverse customer and formulation needs. The expanded line of the precision prebiotic and immune-training fiber for foods, beverages and dietary fibers includes varying concentrations of the active ingredient (Rhamnogalacturonan-I) to allow for larger daily serving sizes. Purity variations for BeniCaros — upcycled from carrot pomace — are also designed to meet European regulatory requirements. Research indicates that the ingredient trains the immune system to respond faster and more robustly, promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut and increases production of short-chain fatty acids. 

Baby and toddler food manufacturer Beech-Nut Nutrition Company launched seven new food and snack innovations, including prebiotics, whole milk yogurt, fruits and vegetables. According to the company, the latest product launches include organic fruit and yogurt jars with prebiotics, the first baby food in a jar or tub with prebiotics, which will be available in banana berry and banana orange flavors. The company also launched smoothies with prebiotics for babies 12 months and up, made with whole milk yogurt. The latest snack additions include Jammin’ Waffles, toasted mini waffles with a fruit filling for toddlers, and Fruti Bites with Hidden Veggies, soft fruit chews with fruit and vegetables. 

Scientific Studies 
Research from the University of California in Davis, the US, shows that a ketogenic diet significantly delays the early stages of Alzheimer’s-related memory loss in mice. This early memory loss is similar to mild cognitive impairment in humans in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Ketogenic diets consist of low-carbohydrate, high fat and moderate protein intake, shifting the body’s metabolism from using glucose as the primary fuel source to burning fat. The research, published in Communications Biology, found that the molecule beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) increases almost seven-fold in a ketogenic diet. This molecule improves the function of synapses — structures connecting the nerve cells in the brain. The diet benefited females more than males, resulting in higher BHB levels in females. The team aims to conduct future studies on the subject and is optimistic about its findings’ potential impact on healthy aging. 

Ketogenic diets consist of low-carbohydrate, high fat and moderate protein consumption.A new case series published in Frontiers in Nutrition presents Food as Medicine as a potential treatment for chronic autoimmune diseases. The researchers followed three patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren’s syndrome who showed improvement after following a nutrition protocol called the Rapid Recovery Protocol. This diet eliminates all processed foods and is mainly based on raw foods. It emphasizes leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, flax or chia seeds for omega-3 fatty acids and water. After four weeks of dietary changes, all three patients reported that nearly all their symptoms resolved. Moreover, the patients have remained symptom-free, with two reporting no symptoms for over six years without recent medication use. The researchers hope that the cases generate greater recognition, making patients and healthcare professionals aware of Food as Medicine as a treatment option for these diseases. Moreover, they assert the need for more research into dietary changes as a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases. 

By Jolanda van Hal