SolvEat to debut botanical blend for blood sugar balance at Fi Europe

07 Nov 2023 --- Food-tech start-up SolvEat will showcase its latest bioactive composition featuring eight botanicals created to maintain healthy blood sugar levels while enjoying a regular diet. The blend prototype has been formulated into a chocolate bar and will be introduced at the Fi Europe trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, from 28–30 November.

The dark chocolate bar prototype, produced by the Israel-based boutique chocolatier Ornat, is sweetened with natural sugar alternatives, including monk fruit. Additional botanical formulations targeting other health categories are in the pipeline. 

“The significant distinction lies in our ability to regulate blood sugar using our unique ingredient, as opposed to managing sugar content within the food itself. Our botanicals have beneficial effects on the metabolic health of the consumer,” Zacki Nudelman, co-founder, CBO and scientific affairs officer of SolvEat, tells Nutrition Insight.

“SolvEat’s herbal composition can be used as an ingredient in various healthy foods such as beverages, protein bars and crackers.”

Sugar-balancing effect
The patent-pending herbal solution is made of golden thread (Coptis chinensis), Chinese foxglove (Rehmannia glutinosa) and Hawthorn Berries (Crataegus pinnatifida), which work together to support balanced blood sugar levels.

“Our challenge was to develop a platform that bridges traditional herbal medicine, modern nutrition and lifestyle. This initiative demanded a multidisciplinary effort. To achieve the exact benefits, our herbal composition needed to be scientifically validated, precisely standardized and technologically sophisticated,” Nudelman explains.

The company’s new composition is flavorless, microencapsulated and can be incorporated into snack bars, yogurts, crackers, cookies and other products.The botanical blend will be incorporated into more functional foods once the prototype is perfected.

“Chocolate is just one particularly interesting application for our first bioactive ingredient. The idea is to provide a proof of concept of SolvEat capabilities and technologies at the top of health benefits,” notes Nudelman.

“We are on a mission to innovate the functional food space with real benefits for the consumers and keep the great taste. This can also be demonstrated for additional foods, especially for consumers who have diet restrictions due to their health condition.”

Getting to the cellular level
In vitro analysis confirmed the composition’s sugar-balancing effect on muscle cells, one of the body’s biggest consumers of sugar. The results demonstrated a significant uptake of excess glucose, comparable to the action of insulin. 

The effect was observed when using a low dose of the formula, demonstrating a significant potency level and holistic action. However, higher doses did not yield additional enhancement results. Partial compositions did not elicit the same level of positive effect.

“Several herbal sets were screened using a pharmacological model to obtain the optimal composition. We used the most refined scientific methods and instrumentation to identify the dominant bioactive compounds in each botanical extract, as well as their synergism of action as one formula,” says Nudelman.

Moderate doses of the botanicals are used, making it suitable for daily consumption. This dosage prevents potential dosage safety risks. 

“This novel concept allows consumers to enjoy traditional herbal solutions without the bad taste. You can consume it as a part of your daily food experience and modern lifestyle. Taste and test validation are typically a big challenge in incorporating herbal compositions into food. We have overcome both,” he explains.

Chocolate cravings
The chocolate reduced blood sugar by 10–24% in 10 of 12 prediabetic study participants. A full clinical trial is in progress.SolvEat will showcase its blood-sugar balancing botanical blend at Fi Europe this month.   

The chocolate formulation makes supplementation easier. This is the first delivery system produced by the start-up that claims its microencapsulated formula can be seamlessly integrated into various food applications without impacting the flavor.

“Our botanical formula takes inspiration from the wisdom of various schools of traditional herbal medicines emanating from the East and West,” explains Tal Naveh, co-founder of SolvEat and director of Herbal Medicine.

SolvEat’s proprietary food-tech platform for fortifying its sugar-free chocolate and various other foods uses technology that masks the bitter taste of the botanicals while maintaining the integrity and bioactivity of the active ingredients after ingestion.

 “We merge them into one all-encompassing bioactive composition supported by modern science. The botanical extracts in our solution work synergistically to balance blood sugar levels through supporting various organs in the body and that’s why each is essential to the formula’s efficacy,” says Naveh.

The company was established in 2020 with the objective of sweetening the approach to botanicals consumption by incorporating them into everyday functional foods. 

“We are also exploring multiple food applications that could act as innovative palate-pleasing carriers for our custom formulations. We expect more creations will be unveiled in the very near future,” concludes Udi Peretz, CEO of SolvEat.

Meanwhile, daily kombucha consumption for four weeks demonstrated lower fasting blood glucose levels compared to the control group who drank a placebo beverage, making it a potential nutritional intervention for people with diabetes. 

In addition, researchers found that kombucha reduced the glycemic index and insulin index when consumed with a high-GI meal, while sugar-free soda water and diet lemonade did not. Lowering blood glucose levels could reduce the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes, among others.

By Inga de Jong