Ingredia Nutritional Develops Solution to Preserve Bone Health

23 Apr 2013 --- INGREDIA NUTRIONAL experts have developed Osteum, promoted as the only complete solution and 100% natural that helps reinforcing and preserving bone health in its totality by acting on the bone’s entire life cycle. Its efficacy has been clinically proven and considered remarkable by Doctor Anne Blais (INRA Paris), who participated in the preclinical study.

Bone health is a sector with great potential. Present at every stage of life, bone health is indeed critical. Firstly for children, by guaranteeing the highest peak bone mass that they will keep their whole life. Then for everyone else, by preventing and treating the risk of bone diseases such as osteoporosis that affects 80%of women and 20% of men and which has become a real public health concern. This disease characterized by an excessive brittleness of the skeleton, due to bone deterioration has seen an increase of its prevalence over the last few years. The aging population, increasing obesity and changing lifestyles are the main reasons for this trend.

Hence, the bone health market has seen a multiplication of products, notably in Asia, in Europe and in the US. Offered as functional foods or drinks or dietary supplements, they all claim to have a positive effect on the cycle of bone reconstitution using ingredients with proven efficacy, such as calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K. It is common to find on the store shelves products displaying on their packaging the following claims: “Intake of enough calcium with an appropriate exercise and healthy dietary habits prior to adolescence may reduce the risk of osteoroposis” or “Necessary for the normal structure of bones and teeth”. However, there is no ingredient today on the market that proposes a complete solution, adapted to each and everyone. This is why INGREDIA NUTRITIONAL has developed Osteum, a new active dairy ingredient, innovative and unique, capable of improving overall bone health.

INGREDIA NUTRIONAL experts have developed Osteum, promoted as the only complete solution and 100% natural that helps reinforcing and preserving bone health in its totality by acting on the bone’s entire life cycle. Its efficacy has been clinically proven and considered remarkable by Doctor Anne Blais (INRA Paris), who participated in the preclinical study. It is indeed a unique solution “able to decrease bone degradation by enabling mineralization, through the stimulation of osteoblast activity, the cells responsible of bone formation and mineralization”, states Dr Blais. By taking into account the different stages of bone life, from its formation to its resorption, Osteum reinforces bone tissue, while preventing the risks of osteoporosis.

Thanks to its know-how, INGREDIA has developed a process whereby the constituents of the ingredient are kept in their most natural form, which preserves their efficacy. Notably, Osteum contains native micellar calcium derived from fresh milk. “Clinical studies show that micellar calcium is the most bioavailable form of calcium, which means concretely that Osteum enables a better absorption of minerals into bone than any other ingredient available on the market.” (Dr Marc Dellière, Medical Adviser for INGREDIA NUTRIONAL).

In order to preserve bone health only a comprehensive approach, taking into account the different stages of life is efficient. Seniors, whose bone degradation accelerates with age, are not the only group concerned; so are women and children.

1- Children and bone growth. Bone construction between the ages of 0 and 20 is a key step to guarantee bone health for life. The strengthening of the bones needs to take place during childhood. During bone construction, crystals of phosphate and calcium carbonate will form a layer to ensure the solidity of the whole structure. This is called mineralization, a process that enables mineral salts to be fixed onto the bones. This process depends on multiple factors, among which is a nutritional supply of vitamin D that facilitates the fixation of calcium onto the bones. This bone construction starts in the mother’s womb and ends around the age of 20. A daily intake of vitamins and mineral salts during childhood and adolescence is therefore necessary to build an important bone mass. According to Dr Marc Dellière, Medical Adviser for INGREDIA NUTRIONAL, “Osteum contributes from childhood to the optimization of the bone resource by acting as a bone mineralization booster.”

2- Women and menopause. Menopause is known to accelerate bone deterioration. Remembering to strengthen one’s bone mass will reduce the risk of osteopenia. A degenerative disease, osteopenia is due to a loss in mineral salts that will weaken the bone tissue and may lead to spinal compression and fractures. When the bone density becomes too low, the skeleton is deformed: This is what we call osteoporosis. While demineralization is a natural phenomenon linked to aging, it may be accelerated by a number of factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, as well as menopause for women. “By increasing bone mineral density correlated with an increase of the osteoformation, Osteum has a positive effect on the bone health of menopausal women”, confirms Dr Marc Dellière.

3- Senior men and women. Senior bone heath is a global problem due to osteoporosis and resulting fractures that lead to pain, infirmity, and autonomy loss. The frequency of this pathology being proportional to age, its impact on the health system will undoubtedly increase in the upcoming years due to the aging of the population globally. “Several prevention actions can, however, be put in place to limit its development: hygiene and diet-related measures, treatment of inducing pathologies and medical treatments contributing to the prevention of the risk of fractures. Osteum can be an interesting supplement, since Osteum contributes to restoring the balance between bone formation and resorption, a balance that becomes fragile with age, leading to osteoporosis and to an increasing risk of fractures”, specifies Dr. Dellière.

Through Osteum and its numerous product derivatives, INGREDIA NUTRITIONAL offers new natural solutions in the bone heath sector adapted to everyone’s physiological needs.

Obtained from INGREDIA’s know-how, Osteum has the necessary qualities to adapt to different processes. Since the ingredient is easily and homogeneously incorporated in different food matrices or in dietary supplements, a large number of product derivatives and applications can be envisaged. Dairy drinks and other drinkable solutions, dilutable sticks, powdered drinks, mixed fruits, drinkable yogurts, tablets and chocolate can be developed with Osteum.

Not withstanding the technological expertise in the product, INGREDIA NUTRITIONAL has also developed a series of services to provide support, if necessary, to its customers in the food, nutraceutical and specialized nutrition industries, for the development and market introduction of their finished products. Through scientific, technological, regulatory (e.g. EU requirements) and communication support, INGREDIA NUTRITIONAL’s customers benefit from advice adapted to their needs. For product developers, the objective is to support them in the development of the product. Thanks to its expertise in R&D and marketing, INGREDIA NUTRITIONAL is able to develop and produce ad-hoc solutions depending on the needs, expectations and specificity of customers’ markets. For non-developers, INGREDIA NUTRTIONAL offers a turnkey solution of innovative products in the form of food supplements and drinks.

The qualities of Osteum combined with the services proposed by INGREDIA NUTRITIONAL enable the production of a large number of innovative applications for bone health throughout the world, products that claim a proven efficacy and a real uniqueness on the market.