Vitamin consumers turn to Seneque’s NMN supplements to boost cellular health

17 Jun 2021 --- Growing popularity for cellular health is not just coming from seniors intent on staying well as they age, but also from younger demographic groups who are looking to fortify their health in the years ahead. 

This is according to Guillaume Bermond, founder of Seneque, an international biotechnology company, discussing the latest trends surrounding nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and cellular health with NutritionInsight.

“We hear from people who usually take vitamin supplements telling us they are turning to [Seneque’s NMN supplements] looking for something that works at a cellular level to support health and well-being,” he says.

Due to its role in supporting energy creation, NMN appeals to younger audiences managing hectic lifestyles as it aids repair and recovery after exercise, Bermond says. 

“Other aspects, such as NMN’s ability to support a healthy aging process, are obviously more relevant to mature consumers. We strive to communicate the benefits and science in a way that resonates with anyone looking to support their cellular health.”

Cellular health furthermore taps into the growing trend for preventative health, as well as a shift in older demographics’ self-perception as they experience the aging process. Seeking to bank on this market potential, Seneque has created a health and wellness brand called Elevant that has launched a NMN supplement called Prime for e-commerce.

NMN’s place in cellular health
Seneque describes cellular health as the overall functioning of human cells. “The cell is the basic building block of all living things. In humans, cells perform complex functions in an interlinked network of systems, tissues and organs throughout our bodies,” says Bermond.

NMN helps cells to power immunity, deliver daily energy and fight aging. “They control how we move, how we think, how we feel and how we age. This makes our cells the very foundation of every aspect of our well-being. The more we can do to ensure that our cells are in good working order, the more we can support the essential elements of our health.”

Crucial for cellular health, oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a coenzyme naturally produced by the body and essential for the metabolic processing of nutrients. 

“However, by the time a person is middle-aged, NAD+ levels have fallen to half of their youthful levels,” says Bermond. He notes the decline can even start around age 20.

Here, NMN plays a role in producing NAD+. “Through its role as a critical precursor to NAD+, NMN can play a significant role in ameliorating the progressive functional decline and increased vulnerability to diseases that come with the aging process,” Bermond explains.

Moreover, clinical and preclinical studies show NMN has beneficial pharmacological activity on multiple critical elements of health, ranging from energy metabolism to glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. It also targets inflammation, cardiovascular and cognitive functions.

Steady category growth 
NMN and cellular health may not be as large household names as vitamins and immunity, for example, however Seneque notices how consumer interest in sustaining cellular health is growing.

Innova Market Insights data reveals 68 percent of senior consumers say that they are concerned regarding their personal health in light of COVID-19.

Notably, global F&B launches tracked with an aging well claim have grown 32 percent between 2017-2020. These figures are highest regionally in Asia (47 percent), followed by Europe (18 percent) and North America (15 percent).

Moreover, cellular health is gaining particular industry attention from nutrition players Robertet, Nestlé Health Science and Amazantis.

Convincing the consumer 
To sustain the category’s growth, “products that can demonstrate quality, safety, testing and that are underpinned by expert guidance and scientific rigor should be at the top of the list,” says Bermond. 

Elevant is Seneque’s first brand focused on cellular metabolism science, delivering a clinically tested NMN supplement to the US market.Besides quality indicators, such as CGMP manufacturing, Self-GRAS status, independent testing and European manufacturing – all of which Elevant Prime provides – Bermond maintains a reliable supplement is defined by clinical research.

“At Elevant, we are undertaking one of the largest clinical research programs assessing the effects of NMN in humans to date,” he highlights. This “first-of-its-kind” research will propel further development of NMN-C, Elevant’s proprietary high-purity form of NMN, to support cardiovascular, cognitive, muscular, skin and immune health. 

Moreover, Seneque’s portfolio of science-based consumer brands will roll out an extensive pipeline of NMN-based products throughout 2021, supporting a broad spectrum of health, energy, skin care and anti-aging needs. 

Accelerating the trend
As the cellular health sector is still in its early stages, most players are “keeping their cards close to the chest,” Bermond muses, also counting in Elevant.

“We are interested in the use of synergetic molecules to support health. The seeds for this are currently being planted in the cellular optimization industry. We believe these interventions have the potential to spark a new era of therapeutic approach to health.” 

Seneque is “most of all excited” about its continued clinical trial program. These clinical trials are assessing the effect of NMN on different conditions including immune health, cognitive performance, lipid and glucose metabolism, fatigue management and more. 

“We anticipate these trials will help pave the way for widespread use of NMN as a tool to address the increasing personal, social and economic burdens of age-related diseases in rapidly aging societies across the world,” Bermond concludes.

By Anni Schleicher