Taiyo: Tapping into tea's health benefits

22 May 2018 --- Manufacturer of functional ingredients Taiyo presented its Sunphenon teas and Xia Oil as convenient, safe and suitable for a range of applications at Vitafoods last week. Taiyo also exhibited plans to further increase knowledge around tea as a health drink and their innovative beverage combinations with lasting Taiyo ingredients such as Sunfiber. The products in question can be used in an array of drinks applications, packing health punches that range from omega 3 boosts to fiber enrichment. They also target a number of factors including cardiovascular and glycemic health.

Taiyo’s drinking concepts that were exhibited included Suntheanine, SunMatcha, Sunphenon and various green tea extracts. Suntheanine is a branded form of l-theanine, a constituent of tea that is clinically proven to reduce stress and enhance wellbeing. Sunphenon instant teas are “refreshing everyday products” based on raw tea extracts. The products are available in natural and flavored options and Taiyo state that they are highly soluble, even in cold water.

“The tea market lacks a tea that is convenient. Many people don’t know how to properly make tea, e.g., they don’t know how long to infuse the tea in the water. With Sunphenon, the tea extract creates an instant tea. All the consumer has to do is open the stick delivery system and wait for the powder to fully dissolve in the water,” Stefan Siebrecht, Managing Director of Taiyo GmbH and micronutrient expert tells NutritionInsight.

Regarding health, their high content of secondary plant compounds means the teas are credited with many positive properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, odor-suppressing and thermogenic effects, according to Taiyo.

“Tea has many uses for health. If everyone drank tea there would be less diabetes, less cancer, less arthritis. It's amazing if you read about the health benefits of tea,” adds Siebrecht.

Taiyo also advocated their ingredient Sunfiber at Vitafoods, claiming that when Sunfiber and Sunphenon are combined the resulting tea can pack quite the fiber punch. This combination may be a future product for Taiyo, Siebrecht tells NutritionInsight.

The combination of Sunfiber, Taiyo’s soluble fiber from the guar bean, and Sunphenon teas lead to a fiber-enriched tea drink that could make adding fiber to the diet easier for consumers. Furthermore, all Sunfiber variants are clinically proven to lower the glycemic index and to contribute to stabilized blood glucose levels.

Interestingly, AMPK, which is an enzyme in the body that builds energy, is also activated by tea and dietary fiber such as Sunfiber. This enzyme gives us energy, Siebrecht explains. 

In a previous interview, NutritionInsight spoke to Derek Timm, Taiyo’s Technical Sales Director on the topic of Sunfiber and the space for future fiber innovations. 

Xia Oil: Vegetarian Omega 3
Also exhibited was Taiyo's Xia Oil, a “premium chia oil, with a range of health benefits and a high alpha-linolenic acid content (60 percent), making it an ideal source of vegetarian omega 3 fatty acids.” Taiyo asserts that a regular intake of the oil has a positive effect on heart health, blood circulation and cortisol levels. It can be kept for up to two years at normal ambient temperatures, with its antioxidant ORAC value remaining constant. The company says that Xia Oil is almost colorless and tasteless, with a slightly nutty note. As such, it can be used in powder form, added to beverages, chilled coffee or iced tea beverages or utilized as a rapeseed or olive oil substitute in dressings. 

NutritionInsight has previously reported on Taiyo’s Xia Oil and spoke to Stefan Siebrecht, Managing Director of Taiyo GmbH and micronutrient expert on its health benefits and application potential: 

“Chia oil meets the requirement of the market as a sustainable and vegan source for omega 3. As it is extremely high in the omega 3 ALA it can help to achieve the target consumption of O6:O3 of 4:1. Actually, humans in the civilized countries consume O6:O3 in a ratio of 20:1 to 50:1 which causes chronic inflammation which is the cause of many diseases in the civilized countries such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, rheumatism, allergies, asthma and many more.”

Siebrecht claims that since chia oils taste much better than other omega 3 rich oils, it can be included in many new food applications such as oils, mayonnaise but also drinks, dairy products, protein shakes, beverages such as Latte, cold coffee or cold tea beverages, weight management products. “The biggest potential of chia oil is the incorporation of chia oil into new applications such as vegan latte beverages, cold coffee and cold tea beverages,” he adds.

By Laxmi Haigh