Prevention better than cure: Evolva exec pegs resveratrol synergies as “the next big-thing”

25 Feb 2020 --- Baby boomers are becoming more proactive and are seeking out ingredients that can improve health before any issues arise. That is according to David Tetzlaf, Director of Marketing at Evolva, who cites that “consumers of all generations and life stages are interested in ‘food as medicine.’” Speaking to NutritionInsight, Tetzlaf details that synergies between calcium, vitamin D and resveratrol could potentially become the next big-thing, particularly substantiated by the results of clinical studies. Moreover, women’s health, bone health and beauty-from-within categories are continuing to explode in many parts of Asia, the US and Europe. 

Ingredient combination for synergistic health benefits
While it is widely known that calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone health, Marcia da Silva Pinto, Technical Sales & Customer Support Manager at Evolva, points to resveratrol positively impacting bone health. This reduces the risk of fracture and positively impacts bone formation. “These outcomes are currently being peer-reviewed, but preliminary results are very positive,” she comments.

There is also a growing interest in the combination of ingredients for synergistic health benefits. Single ingredient-products are being steadily outnumbered by multi-ingredient products that provide a combination of health benefits. 

“Many functional beverages contain ingredients such as collagen, but resveratrol is becoming the additional component that should not be overlooked for this category,” da Silva Pinto affirms. 

Initial studies on topical applications have shown that resveratrol can help protect skin cells from UV light-induced oxidative stress. A further approach was to extend resveratrol’s use to oral applications as it has been reported that it can also improve the overall appearance of skin. “We are excited to announce that the beauty-from-within category is an area that Evolva is further investing in. There will be the initiation of a clinical study in 2020 to provide customers with science-based evidence on skin health and resveratrol,” she adds. 

This ingredient solution is the first water-soluble resveratrol on the market, opening up new possibilities for applications that consumers are interested in.In addition to more clinical studies, Evolva is looking to provide the customer with ingredient solutions for a variety of product formulations. As resveratrol has low water solubility and reported low bioavailability, there is a need for solutions to improve the formulation of products such as functional beverages. “We strongly believe that Veri-Sperse resveratrol and our new-for-2020 product Veri-te Aqua, will gain impressive traction in the functional beverage industry since these two solutions can help formulators to incorporate resveratrol in several applications including beverages,” da Silva Pinto explains.

In Asian markets, in particular, there has always been a strong interest in functional beverages and with it has come further innovation. The constant search for beverages that provide health benefits makes Asia a “mecca” for product development in the area, according to da Silva Pinto. She states that Evolva is “witnessing increased interest from its customers in functional beverages that address weight loss, beauty-from-within, mobility as we age, gut health, and sleep and relaxation, and this is confirmed by Suntory’s report from June, 2019.” 

“Many of our customers from Asia are particularly interested in the use of Veri-te resveratrol in beauty-from-within products and related functional beverages,” da Silva Pinto outlines. 

Evolva is also looking at new delivery forms to allow Veri-te resveratrol to be formulated into functional beverages and ready-mix powders, adds Tetzlaf. “We understand that consumers are looking for new and easier ways to consume supplements besides always taking traditional pills and capsules, that is the reason for introducing Veri-Sperse CWD 90 last year and Veri-te Aqua this upcoming summer,” he states. 

“Formulators will be able to create clear functional beverages, liquid shots and liquid capsules, all of which are on the rise with consumers that want to reduce pill-intake and demand products on-the-go to fit their busy lifestyles,” says Tetzlaf. 

“We continue to see that consumers are looking for new and easier ways to consume supplements besides always taking traditional pills and capsules, which is why we continue to witness an increase in functional beverages,” he further comments. “We do expect a significant growth of functional beverages containing resveratrol, as these ingredient solutions can be easily incorporated into virtually any functional beverage. 

Clinical studies backing resveratrol
Some interesting areas of growth in functional beverages that Tetzlaf sees at Evolva include the areas of improved heart and brain health, mood, healthy gut microbiome and beauty-from-within. “All these areas can be positively impacted by resveratrol, and clinical studies back up these claims,” he adds. 

“Another key area that is witnessing growing demand is related to the gut-brain axis,” according to da Silva Pinto. “We are bringing scientific-based evidence by sponsoring the CERBLOODFLOW study,” she notes. 

CERBLOODLFOW includes two clinical trials led by Dr. Emma Wightman and Professor David Kennedy from The Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre at Northumbria University, UK. “CERBLOODFLOW investigates the interrelationships between Veri-te resveratrol supplementation and diet, gastrointestinal microbiota, systemic inflammation, and brain function in adults. Both clinical studies have been completed and the outcomes will be submitted to peer review journals in spring of 2020,” she comments. 

Meanwhile, RESHAW (Resveratrol Supporting Healthy Aging in Women) is the largest and longest-running clinical study on the beneficial effects of resveratrol, led by Dr. Peter Howe and Dr. Rachel Wong at Australia’s University of Newcastle, Clinical Nutrition Research Centre. The study was endorsed by Evolva and additionally supported by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council. In the two-year study, 125 postmenopausal women took part and the researchers investigated the impact of Veri-te resveratrol supplementation on several outcomes, including cognitive performance. 

“The RESHAW study was concluded in June 2019 and is currently under peer review, but the interim results indicate that Veri-te resveratrol supplementation can positively impact sleep quality and perception of pain,” da Silva Pinto concludes. 

By Elizabeth Green