Inflammation innovation: Nutraceuticals challenge OTC medication with long-term pain relief solutions

01 Dec 2022 --- Inflammation and pain often go hand in hand. Reducing inflammation – whether caused by aging, injury or degenerative disease – allows consumers and patients to quickly get back to the things they enjoy and, in some cases, can greatly improve quality of life. 

However for years, the go-to anti-inflammatory products have been over-the-counter (OTC) medications, which may have detrimental effects over the long term.

NutritionInsight speaks with experts from Akay, Aker BioMarine and Arjuna Natural about the nature-based nutraceuticals and the science driving new innovation to help alleviate inflammation.

According to these companies, consumers are looking for science- and clinical trial-backed products with fast-acting effects that have been proven to address their particular needs and can be easily introduced to their daily routines.

Krill oil has been shown to relieve joint pain as well as the pain associated with osteoarthritis.“There is a big market for pain medications, with paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ruling the space,” states Dr. Benny Antony, joint managing director at Arjuna Natural. “Even though there is a big demand, people shy away from botanicals for acute pain relief due to its long onset of analgesia.”

“The nutraceutical industry is struggling today to develop ‘safe’ and ‘natural’ fast-acting formulations that can solve health issues faster and quicker,” says Febin George, a senior marketing manager at Akay Natural Ingredients.

“Aker BioMarine has a large science program that seeks to explore the benefits of krill oil for human health, with a strong focus on healthy aging,” explains Thomas Repstad, global technical marketing manager at Aker BioMarine Antarctic. “To that end, reducing osteoarthritis discomfort and pain can positively impact a person’s physical and mental health.”

Aging and inflammation
Inflammation is a critical part of the body’s natural healing process. It occurs when immune cells travel to a place of injury or infection within the body. During this time, the area may become red, painful or swollen. Omega 3 fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have been shown to reduce inflammation.

Though a natural process, if the inflammation lasts too long, it could lead to chronic problems like arthritis and can significantly impact the ability to conduct day-to-day tasks.

Aker BioMarine’s krill oil product Superba Boost has been shown in two separate studies – one from the University of Glasgow in Scotland and one by Australia’s national science agency the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) – to reduce inflammation, pain and physical function in people with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis as well as improving musculoskeletal functions for aging populations.

“As we age, we experience a slow deterioration of our muscle mass and function. Krill oil contains high concentrations of the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which previous scientific studies have shown are important nutrients for the body as it ages,” underscores Line Johnsen, VP of science and regulatory affairs at Aker BioMarine.

“More than 500 million people globally live with arthritis, experiencing fatigue, poor sleep, depression and a general deterioration in the quality of life. For the most common type of osteoarthritis, there is no cure, only the use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) to relieve joint pain,” adds Repstad.

Speaking on the results of the CSIRO-led study’s “across-the-board” results, he touts the findings as a major development for the industry, revealing the “powerful role” that supplements have in overall health, healthy aging and well-being.Increasing the bioavailability of anti-inflammatories like quercetin could show benefits in short time.

“This study proves that supplementation with krill oil is a natural way to help relieve the symptoms and reduce the burden of osteoarthritis versus taking NSAIDs,” he states.

Curcuminoids for pain relief
In the same vein, Arjuna Natural’s botanical blend, Rhuleave-K, has been shown to relieve musculoskeletal pain. The company holds that the product’s mix of curcuminoids and acetyl ketoboswellic acid ingredients are the result of five years of study and has been shown through clinical trials to reduce the pain associated with inflammation.

“Rhuleave-K, due to its specific composition and proprietary speed technology process, helps the actives to reach areas of injury much faster, thus providing fast pain relief,” says Antony.

“We are extrapolating the benefits of Rhuleave-K into other areas of pain involving acute inflammation and pain and clinically evaluating such acute pain conditions requiring fast natural pain relief support,” he continues. “This will open up and widen the application of Rhuleave-K into areas involving pain and inflammation.”

“Until now, there has been little competition in the botanical segment as there are no clinically proven fast-acting analgesic agents – Rhuleave-K is set to change this.”

Enhancing availability
Meanwhile, Akay Natural Ingredients holds that its new Fenumat technology will open the doors for the increased bioavailability of anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals and supplements. The company notes that the proof of concept has already shown that it can increase the bioavailability of molecules like quercetin and boswellic acids.

“Akay’s hybrid-hydrogel technology Fenumat is a 100% natural, food-grade and clean label patented technology that enhances solubility, stability and the bioavailability of the bioactive ‘free’ (unconjugated) forms of bioactive phytonutrients and micronutrients to make them efficient at the cellular level for rapid action,” George elaborates.

Combining ingredients can address the pain of inflammation and the inflammation itself.“We achieved the co-delivery of curcumin and boswellic acids as a single water-soluble powder with better bioavailability of both curcumin and boswellic acids for quick action as pain relief at a low dosage of 250 mg.”

According to George, a quick-acting anti-inflammatory agent like quercetin may have significant benefits for infections and inflammation in a short period of time. 

“Thus, good bioavailability of the anti-inflammatory agent and its longer duration of the existence of the ‘free’ form is mandatory for such effects, since it is mainly the ‘active’ form for cellular uptake.”

“We are looking forward to this technology’s possibilities in the nutraceutical and cosmetic fields,” he adds.

Pain-free future
Both Aker BioMarine and Arjuna Natural agree with George and are looking toward the future in regard to inflammation relief.

“All the initial reviews point toward Rhuleave-K being a superseller in the pain and inflammation category,” says Antony. “The various human clinical studies done with Rhuleave-K make it a forerunner in the natural pain relief segment.”

“We are extrapolating the benefits of Rhuleave-K into other areas of pain involving acute inflammation and pain and clinically evaluating such acute pain conditions requiring fast natural pain relief support,” he continues. “This will open up and widen the application of Rhuleave-K into areas involving pain and inflammation.”

Aker BioMarine further elaborated on its future plans for science-based R&D of its krill oil products within the anti-inflammatory space.

“We are always looking at new opportunities and working with our customers, and industry as a whole, to bring insights and new market opportunities for growth and product expansion in the krill oil market,” adds Johnsen.

“Our science team is continually venturing into new territories, working with leading partners and investing in scientific research to explore all the health benefits that krill has to offer.”

By William Bradford Nichols