Taller children? Nutritional Growth Solutions expands its Healthy Height protein offerings to APAC

25 Nov 2020 --- Nutritional Growth Solutions (NGS) is introducing its Healthy Height protein shake to the Asia-Pacific (APAC) market. Healthy Height has been clinically shown to increase healthy children’s height. The launch includes South Korea, Japan and Australia.

“Other nutritional products on the market focus on growth in general – so being able to offer a shake clinically shown to address height growth is filling an important gap in the market,” Kaitlin Cushman, nutritionist and product development manager of NGS, tells NutritionInsight.

She notes that being tall is not necessarily inherently better, but most parents aim for their child’s diet to be adequate for them reaching their full height potential.

“Furthermore, being tall is one marker of nutritional sufficiency. We did not set out to make everyone tall, but rather aim to help children grow to their full potential.”

A global span
This expansion follows its initial rollout over the last three years in the US. NGS also recently had a Chinese launch, which was in collaboration with a local state-owned entity, distributing primarily in “mother and baby” stores.

“While deficiencies vary by region and country, we have a patented formula that we know is both safe and effective and believe it can work in many markets,” says Cushman.

Nonetheless, NGS made some adjustments to the vitamins and minerals to meet the needs of the Chinese market. “We can adapt for new markets as we expand when the science and population of a region support those changes.” Healthy Height’s specific combination of macronutrients and micronutrients make the formula effective for growth.

Not a meal replacement
Healthy Height contains 12 g whey protein and 350 mg arginine per 4 oz serving. It is free from fillers, corn syrup, additives, gluten and soy. It is also low in sodium and sugar. 

“Healthy Height’s specific combination of macronutrients and micronutrients is what makes the formula effective for growth – both height and weight,” explains Cushman.

In addition to its use as a shake or a smoothie, Healthy Height can also be mixed into ice cream and pancake batters to appeal to picky eaters. 

“There are other similar children’s beverages out there, but Healthy Height does have some unique features. Unlike other brands on the market, Healthy Height was designed to complement a child’s diet, rather than serve as a meal replacement,” she continues.

This, she notes, leaves room for a focus on developing healthier eating habits.

A holistic solution
Healthy Height was developed as a holistic way to nourish growing children, mostly in the three to nine-year-old age group. 

The R&D process was led by Professor Moshe Phillip and Professor Raanan Shamir, who are specialists in pediatric endocrinology, gastroenterology and nutrition. 

Creating a formula that tastes good with high protein and many vitamins and minerals was a challenge.

“Flavor was incredibly important because of our ‘picky’ audience and the need for children to consume the formula daily for six to 12 months. By listening to customer feedback, we have been able to create a tasty product that kids love,” explains Cushman. 

“We also created a plain flavor option to be used in recipes so parents can offer Healthy Height in creative and sometimes ‘sneaky’ ways.”There is a window of opportunity to influence the potential height of an individual.

Scientific backing
Liron Fendell, CEO of NGS, details that approximately 80 percent of people’s final height is determined by genetics. However, the remaining percentage is likely caused by a variety of environmental factors, with nutrition being a major component. 

“There is a window of opportunity where we can influence the potential height of an individual,” she explains.

A clinical trial for Healthy Height showed that children who included it in their diet for a one-year period added 14 to 34 percent to their annual growth in height. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was published in the Journal of Pediatrics.  

“The children in the study were considered otherwise healthy, but short and lean – they did not necessarily have nutritional deficiencies and were not at risk for malnutrition. This is important to note because the growth they experienced would not be considered ‘catch-up’ growth,” details Cushman.

This catch-up growth is often the subject of study for NGS’s competitors, notes Cushman. “This differentiates Healthy Height from other similar shakes.”

Last October, NGS completed a successful initial public offering on the Australian Stock Exchange, securing AU$7 million (US$5 million). The company has seen its share price rise as high as 75 percent since its initial listing.

By Katherine Durrell