Golden Mind: Remedy Organics expands functional beverages inspired by ayurvedic tradition

24 Jun 2019 --- Remedy Organics, a US producer of functional wellness drinks, has announced the launch of Golden Mind. The ready-to-drink beverage is a blend of almond milk, DHA omega 3 (sustainably sourced from microalgae), MCT oil, turmeric, ginger, maca and prebiotics. Marketed as made with certified organic ingredients, the product offers an innovative take on the ancient ayurvedic Turmeric Golden Milk.

The brand has rolled out its line of plant-based, protein-rich and superfood-charged beverages to several natural and mainstream retail channels across the US, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, The Fresh Market, Wegmans, HEB, Gelson's, Erewhon and CVS. The launch of the line addresses a growing concern in mental health, and a growing interest and demand for on-the-go products and ingredients that pack a nutritional punch.

“Good health starts with mindful nutrition, and when creating Golden Mind, I carefully selected the highest quality certified organic ingredients that work together synergistically with a focus on cognitive health,” remarks Remedy Organics Founder and Holistic Nutritionist, Cindy Kasindorf. 

Golden Mind delivers a 90 percent-concentration of curcumin, touted by the brand as delivering a “powerhouse of benefits.” Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of this turmeric-derivative in promoting skin, bone and heart health. The product’s quantity of DHA omega 3 adds extra value as a nutrient that may support brain, heart and eye health.

Beverages in Remedy Organic’s product range are handcrafted locally in small batches. The Organic Protein Blends are certified USDA organic, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free. Each bottle contains probiotics, which studies have shown can provide strong functional health benefits in the overall areas of immune health, digestive health, cognitive function and protein utilization. The products also contain adaptogens such as maca and ashwagandha, which are botanicals that may impart strength, energy, stamina, endurance and mental clarity.

Remedy Organics is the recipient of the 2019 Mindful Award in the protein beverage category.

Opportunities and limitations in “food as medicine”
At Vitafoods Europe 2019, Albert McQuaid, Global Chief Technology Officer at Kerry Taste & Nutrition, was speaking to NutritionInsight on the topic of “Food as medicine – consumer fantasy, industry pixie dust, or a science success story?” He pondered the concept of delivering on-trend foods with a health halo, while ensuring consumers get the health benefit they expect from a product, as well as also aligning with the regulatory framework that exists.

The notion of “food as medicine” is a highly topical one to consider, as Vitafoods Europe has in itself evolved to feature more traditional food ingredients suppliers (including Kerry) than in the past, when it served purely as a nutraceutical event. “The whole advent of functional foods is growing very strongly and people have a bit of pill fatigue. We see that trend growing very strongly, particularly in the North American market, but also in Europe,” he says.

McQuaid notes that expansion is occurring in the use of natural extracts and the perceived role that foods and food ingredients have as nutritional sources. This, in turn, begs the question: Can food serve as a medicine or a drug? While the food industry does see “food as food,” it has physiological benefits and this is shifting the dynamic.

He points to a US consumer study that Kerry conducted on 1,000 people which illustrated that the concept of “food as medicine” and as a clear influencer of their well-being is very real. “The food they consume, the quantity and type are going to have a major influence on that. They are really conscious of that and making a conscientious decision as they buy products. They are not only thinking about taste and likeability but also about what will it do for me? Will it create a need-state?” he adds.

“The journey that we are on is that certain consumers are consuming products because they believe in their benefits,” says McQuaid. “Traditional habits have been that traditional medicines can address some need-states that they have. The industry has over the years been trying to bridge that gap between that belief and the clinical evidence to prove that there is a real benefit here,” he notes.

This presents its challenges as it can be tough to prove efficacy in complex food systems, as opposed to when used in a drug format. “Food is a complex system and is not an individual compound and never will be. The clinical benefits of food products are never going to be as dramatic as they would be with a clinical drug, but you will see benefits,” he stresses.

By Benjamin Ferrer