Verdure Sciences gains sports-safe certification for cognition-boosting Bacognize

17 Mar 2020 --- Bacognize, a proprietary Bacopa monnieri extract produced by Verdure Sciences, has passed rigorous testing for sports-banned substances. This batch-specific sports certification, granted by Korva Labs, strengthens the ingredient’s positioning as enhancing cognitive function and relieves it of sports stimulant connotations. Sports-focused certifications by third-party organizations continue to provide consumer-demanded evidence for safe, effective products to the ever-expanding sports nutrition category.

“Testing and certifications add a level of trust and transparency that we feel is very important, specifically for sports nutrition. Growing attention around anti-doping and testing has increased interest in solutions with an added layer of confidence. Athletes, especially elite athletes, carefully monitor what goes into their bodies and cannot risk testing positive to a sports-banned substance, so testing like this is vital to many in sports and competitive events,” Leisha Jenkins, Marking Associate at Verdure Sciences, tells NutritionInsight.

Industry has witnessed a peaked interest in nootropics and cognitive health products as demand for healthy, clean label products grows. Moreover, consumers strive to be productive, efficient and stay sharp, which is especially true in sports. 

Cognitive strength is positioned as instrumental for top physical performance.“In particular, we have seen interest in natural ingredient solutions with full traceability and sustainability with clinical support. Traditional Ayurvedic solutions have been able to easily fill this need. Additionally, nootropics may offer well-rounded solutions to support working memory with long-term benefits. Several ingredients have the potential to meet these needs like Bacognize, which helps support working memory and mood,” Jenkins explains.

Bacopa monnieri is a perennial herb commonly used in Ayurveda for its cognitive effects. “Ayurvedic ingredients have been used for centuries and have an ever-growing body of research to support them, so this has been a clear path for many. Verdure Sciences has been offering ingredient extracts to the global market for more than 20 years,” she details. 

The company also highlights that six weeks of supplementing with the ingredient helped medical students in a 2016 study “significantly improve” neuropsychological measures for attention efficiency, freedom from distractibility and working memory.” Additional cognitive benefits demonstrated with Bacognize include mood and emotional well-being through antioxidant support, acetylcholine mediation and serotonin modulation. 

Nootropics on the rise
Consumer awareness for mental health being as important as physical health is steadily growing. As consumers hunt for performance-based products that help them reach their mental peak, nootropics open doors for improved mental capacity and overall brain performance. Product launches with nootropics are growing fast, reflected by an average annual growth of 70 percent in nootropic product launches (Global, CAGR 2015-2019).

Bacopa monnieri has also seen prominence in a variety of nootropics NPD, which are likely to boom in the “Information Age.” Cognitive-enhancing supplement Sophrosyne, for example, contains said herb, alongside ashwagandha, curcumin and hericium erinaceus, fellow friends of Ayurveda. Bacopa monnieri has also shown that it can enhance cognition and memory, as well as decrease the rate of forgetting newly-acquired information and preventing the breakdown of neurotransmitters essential for cognition and memory.

Earlier this month, NutritionInsight reported live from Nutraceuticals Europe, held in Madrid, Spain, on athlete’s further demands for mental health and how enhanced mental performance is necessary for peak physical outcomes. 

Bacognize has previously received non-GMO project verification and Glyphosate Residue Free certification, as well as gluten-free and kosher/halal verifications. “We are always looking for certifications that add confidence and quality assurance to help set our ingredients apart for our customers,” Jenkins concludes.  

By Anni Schleicher