Frutarom Launches Three-Way Slimming Concept

Pharmaceuticals have traditionally been the first choice for overweight consumers. However, more and more consumers are becoming wary about the possible side effects of drug-based treatments and increasing numbers are seeking effective natural alternatives.

9 Dec 2009 --- Apart from increasing energy expenditure, weight can be managed via three approaches: Reducing food intake, reducing food absorption and improving fat metabolism. Global flavour and fine ingredients company Frutarom now offers tailored concepts which enable manufacturers to create slimming products that suit each of these three approaches. Within the “Frutarom goes slimming” campaign, the company provides selected health ingredients and a combination matrix, which allows for highly effective but natural and clean label slimming products.

With 50 per cent of Europeans and 62 per cent of Americans classed as overweight, the industry is waking up to the potential of products for weight loss and weight management. The global obesity crisis is expected to continue: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global figure for the number of overweight people will exceed 1.5 billion by 2015. Thus, market demand for weight loss formulations is high. Pharmaceuticals have traditionally been the first choice for overweight consumers. However, more and more consumers are becoming wary about the possible side effects of drug-based treatments and increasing numbers are seeking effective natural alternatives.

From its portfolio of natural health ingredients, Frutarom has selected those which are scientifically proven to support weight management and promote weight loss. Ingredients such as green mate extract Finomate and fenugreek fibre FenuLife, as well as extracts of green coffee bean, algae and apple, can be incorporated in products individually or in combination.

The new slimming concept enables the creation of highly profiled products with a triple activity approach: Firstly, to reduce food intake by reducing the glycaemic response of products, suppressing appetite and achieving a prolonged feeling of satiety. Secondly, to reduce food absorption, and thirdly, to promote fat burning, inhibit body fat formation and enhance physical endurance.

With Frutarom’s range of natural slimming ingredients, all three approaches can be combined resulting in a wide range of formulation possibilities. Frutarom’s experts support clients with advice concerning optimal dosage, applications and regulatory affairs throughout the product development phase as part of the comprehensive service package that is offered within the new concept.

The patented green mate leaf extract Finomate (EFLA920) has a multifunctional activity profile: It suppresses the appetite, reduces fat absorption, increases fat-burning and enhances physical endurance. Its efficacy and safety have been clinically tested in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with 60 overweight female volunteers. The results of the clinical trial led to the conclusion that Finomate mediates weight loss by specifically reducing body fat mass and body fat percentage. To ensure the quality of the extract, Frutarom maintains unique standardization on the four key components of green mate: saponins, theobromine, caffeine and caffeolylquinic acids.

FenuLife is a deodorized galactomannan fiber from fenugreek. Due to its singular 1:1 ratio of galactose to mannose, it has a higher water binding capacity than other fibres, which means that FenuLife is able to slow down gastric emptying and prolong the internal passage of food. In addition, it decreases the absorption of glucose, resulting in a reduced glycaemic response. Hence, FenuLife offers a simple means of achieving weight loss through a positive influence on feelings of satiety. This has been confirmed by the results of a randomized crossover study with obese volunteers.

ASCOP is a brown seaweed extract with a high polyphenol (phlorotanins) content. It is 100 per cent natural, free from additives and preservatives and water soluble. ASCOP induces a feeling of satiety, reduces fat and glucose absorption and increases fat burning. The extract’s efficiency is based on its three-fold inhibition of enzymatic activity (Alpha-amylase, Alpha-glucosidase and lipase) and its ability to act as a pepsin booster. These properties lead to a direct reduction of caloric uptake and to indirect effects on fat storage and satiety (via blood sugar regulation). This activity profile has been confirmed by in vivo and in vitro studies.

Due to its high concentration of the active ingredient chlorogenic acid, unroasted green coffee bean extract from Coffea Arabica may also be a useful weight management tool. The chlorogenic acid and its related compounds are the keys to promoting conversion of stored fat into energy which burns off, delaying glucose absorption and increasing the thermogenic potentiality of adipose tissues. Thus, when combined with a healthy lifestyle, green coffee bean extract may provide an effective way of helping dieters manage their weight and may help to reduce problems resulting from obesity.

The ingredients POMACTIV and POMELITE are bioactive extracts from apple which contain active apple polyphenolic components and apple fibers respectively. The active polyphenolic components consist of chlorogenic acids, which reduce glucose hepatic synthesis; procyanidins, which slow down digestive enzyme activity; quercetin, which has an antioxidant effect and allows for optimal glucose utilization, and phloridzin, which reduces the amount of glucose absorbed from the diet. The soluble fibers decrease sugar absorption and form a colloidal suspension, effectively filling the stomach.