SpiceFruit superfood addresses metabolic health in African Americans

16 Nov 2020 --- The One, Nutrition Just for You is targeting some of the health concerns held by many African Americans with its “new-to-market” superfood. Dubbed SpiceFruit, Dichostachys glomerata is a West African plant that can address a range of metabolism issues.

The One, Nutrition Just for You was created to address health issues that disproportionately affect African Americans, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes – all of which are linked to metabolic health.

“When COVID-19 struck, we all became acutely aware of our immune health,” says actor Whoopi Goldberg, who is partnering with the brand. 

“The Black community has been hit especially hard because of all of our preexisting conditions. Now is the time for us to take our health into our own hands. While everyone can use it and benefit from it, The One, Nutrition Just for You was created with Black folks in mind for the issues that seem to be hindering us most,” she continues.

“I want people to not just survive but to thrive. Everyone deserves to have easy access to high-quality, trusted and transparent products at prices within reach – which should be a right, not a privilege,” adds Naomi Whittel, The One, Nutrition Just for You founder and CEO. 

Discrepancies between the health outcomes of people of different ethnicities have become even more evident with the rise of COVID-19. A UK paper published in June revealed that Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are more at risk of COVID-19 than white counterparts, which was hypothesized by some to be linked to higher rates of vitamin D deficiency in these groups. Naomi Whittel is the founder and CEO of The One, Nutrition Just for You.

From food seasoning to superfood
SpiceFruit hails from Cameroon, where it is traditionally used as a food seasoning. Its purported benefits include supporting balanced blood sugar, normalized blood pressure and good cholesterol levels. 

“In Cameroon, fewer suffer from metabolic conditions, and we have narrowed this down to the spices used in everyday life in Cameroon – these spices likely being the reason for better metabolic health among Cameroonians,” says Dr. Julius Oben, the dean of Doctoral School of Science at the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon. 

Reflecting the mostly uncommercialized state of D. glomerata, there are few products featuring the fruit recorded in Innova Market Insights’ database. However, some of US-based Cellulor’s C4 Ultimate Shred pre-workout powders contain the ingredient. 

In this form, it is used under the Dyglofit brand name. Cellulor’s packaging describes Dyglofit as a “comprehensive, efficacious and multi-dimensional weight loss ingredient that has been exclusively licensed, patented and clinically studied.”

With The One, Nutrition Just for You now set to popularize D. glomerata, it’s possible it could take off more broadly as a superfruit. “Superfood” is a popular marketing term to convey a health halo around certain foods and has been proliferating in NPD. SpiceFruit is grown in Cameroon and is traditionally used as a spice. 

However, experts last year warned that superfoods are not food replacements. 

Transparency is crucial
The One, Nutrition Just for You emphasizes a focus on “conscious consumerism.” Its ingredients are grown and manufactured sustainably according to strict quality standards. It states that total transparency is a promise, as is fair pay for those who grow, harvest and manufacture materials. 

This taps into growing consumer demands, with Innova Market Insight crowning “Transparency Triumphs” as its Top Trend for 2021. Notably, six in ten global consumers are interested in learning more about where foods come from. 

“The measure of the success of this brand will not be in our bottom line but rather measured by the number of people we empower,” Whittel says. 

“It’s my objective to create an impact that becomes a movement to help build healthy, flourishing communities – from the people who grow our ingredients to the people who use our products,” she concludes. 

By Katherine Durrell