SupplySide West 2024 live: Rousselot’s Nextida GC lowers post-meal glucose spikes, new research shows

At the ongoing SupplySide West trade show in Las Vegas, US (October 30–31), Rousselot has unveiled the results of the first clinical study confirming the health benefits of the company’s newly released Nextida GC product targeting post-meal glucose spikes. 

“The most surprising — and exciting — aspect of the entire Nextida platform for us is how it furthers our mission to decode the collagen molecule and its benefits, ” Catarina Ferreira da Silva, science integration manager at Rousselot, tells Nutrition Insight at the trade show.

“Scientists have suspected a link between collagen and glycemic status since the 1990s. But, our recent identification of the Nextida GC collagen peptide composition and the results of the clinical trial demonstrating its potential to lower blood sugar spikes in healthy individuals is a first-of-its-kind breakthrough.”

“The power behind this collagen-derived solution lies in its ability to enhance the natural secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone that plays a crucial role in the body’s natural mechanism for maintaining balanced blood sugar levels. Together with gastric inhibitory polypeptide, these hormones are released when nutrients bind to specific receptors within the digestive system, signaling to the body to increase insulin secretion, encourage glucose uptake into the cells and slow down gastric emptying — helping us feel full,” she continues. 

Ferreira da Silva highlights that Rousselot’s recently published pre-clinical tests have shown that supplementation with the Nextida GC specific collagen peptide composition significantly increased GLP-1 secretion, triggering an “incretin effect” and effectively guiding the lean and prediabetic mice back down from a glucose spike in a natural way. 

“That’s what makes these study results so seismic — they show us that there’s a whole new world of potential to explore with an ingredient many consumers already know and love.”

The new clinical test 

The proof-of-concept clinical study, published this month in the Food Science & Nutrition journal, compared the Nextida GC (referred to as H80 in the paper) to a placebo in terms of the blood glucose response in healthy individuals following a meal.

Catarina Ferreira da Silva, science integration manager at Rousselot.“We can consider this as a novel approach, as most research on glucose metabolism to date has focused primarily on individuals with diabetes. Conducted in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover design, the study featured a 14±7 days wash-out period between doses to avoid residual effects impacting subsequent test sessions,” explains Ferreira da Silva.

“A crucial aspect of this study design was that all participants took the placebo and both dosing levels of Nextida GC throughout the course of the trial, meaning they effectively served as their own control. This also helped researchers minimize the risk of confounding since all interventions are measured on the same participants.”

In total, 16 eligible participants (seven normoglycemic and nine prediabetic) completed the study, all of whom fasted for at least ten hours before receiving identically presented doses of either a placebo or 5 g or 10 g of Nextida GC. 

“At this juncture, the first of several blood glucose measurements were taken to provide a baseline. After a waiting period of 30 minutes, participants then consumed a standardized breakfast containing 75 g of carbohydrates, after which their blood glucose levels were measured at regular intervals for up to 180 minutes,” she continues.

“The primary outcome measure was the incremental area under the curve for glucose levels from zero to 180 minutes, assessing the post-meal glucose response. By quantifying the glucose curves, this study demonstrated that supplementation of Nextida GC significantly reduced the post-meal glucose spike in the total population by an average of 42%.”

In addition, other key metrics included the peak glucose increase from baseline, calculated from an individual’s glucose concentration over time, which showed a significant decrease in glucose peak height of 31% (5 g) and 39% (10 g).

“Though relatively small in scale, the three-way crossover design of this initial clinical trial maximized the significance of the results, effectively supporting the findings of pre-clinical studies. This provides further evidence of Nextida GC’s potential to reduce postprandial glucose response in healthy, normoglycemic and prediabetic people,” argues Ferreira da Silva. 

Pre-clinical trial results

The study presented at SupplySide West follows up on “promising” in vivo test results in which Rousselot’s collagen peptide composition H80 demonstrated “significant GLP-1-mediated effects on oral glucose tolerance in lean and prediabetic mice.”

“With the adverse effects of modern lifestyles leading to more frequent and higher glucose spikes in otherwise healthy individuals, it was important to us that the study focuses on Nextida GC’s effects on normoglycemic and prediabetic people, as opposed to participants already suffering from diabetes,” explains Ferreira da Silva. 

At the pre-clinical trial stage, researchers aimed to investigate whether increased GLP-1 secretion could have a physiological effect in mice. 

“They did this by testing the effect of Nextida GC on glucose spikes following an oral glucose load, finding that an intake of 4 g per kg 45 minutes prior to the glucose load significantly lowered glucose levels in lean, normoglycemic and obese, prediabetic mice.” 

Rousselot showcased Nextida GC at the ongoing SupplySide West trade show.Metabolic health interest

According to Ferreira da Silva, Nextida GC and its benefits speak to “the heart” of the recent metabolic health trend, as well as the overall demand for effective, science-backed supplements Rousselot has seen dominating the industry since the pandemic.

“Indeed, blood glucose management is a surprisingly hot topic right now, even among healthy consumers, with a band of ‘glucose influencers’ amassing a combined following of more than six million users on Instagram, while the term ‘glucose spikes’ was searched over five and a half million times in the past year,” she comments.

However, she also asserts that Nextida GC’s collagen origins seal its status not just as a “trend-following” but a “trend-setting” solution. 

“Winning consumer confidence is often the most rewarding (and difficult) task nutraceutical producers face. But with decades of science, solutions and ‘word of mouth’ to back them, collagen ingredients are already trusted, reliable and in demand.”

“With all these advantages on its side, Nextida GC goes further than the structural benefits expected from collagen to propel brands into a new era for glucose control supplements, contributing to an overall healthy lifestyle for consumers. “

Looking ahead

Rousselot highlights that it is still in the early stages of exploring Nextida GC and its long-term impact while describing the view ahead as only positive.

“From the over-consumption of processed foods to chaotic schedules and lack of sleep, the (bad) influence of modern Western lifestyles can play havoc on the body’s natural regulatory mechanisms, making it less able to maintain optimal glucose levels,” shares Ferreira da Silva.

“Drastically fluctuating blood glucose levels are bad news for our immediate and future well-being, contributing to chronic cravings and overeating, weight gain, brain fog and low mood. A solution like Nextida GC, with its demonstrated ability to lower glucose spikes, can only be a positive force in our quest for lasting health.”

She says that future clinical studies are “certainly on the horizon” as Rousselot dives deeper into “the hidden messages contained within the collagen molecule.”

“Building on the success of Nextida GC, we will further our investigation into its exciting effects on blood glucose management and continue our research into new collagen peptide compositions with targeted health benefits to build out our Nextida solutions range,” concludes Ferreira da Silva. 

With live reporting by William Bradford Nichols at SupplySide West Las Vegas, US