Weekly Digest: Valensa's Saw Palmetto gains sustainable logo

18 May 2018 --- The past week saw Valensa International gain sustainable recognition with the Fresh from Florida logo for their Saw Palmetto product, as well as USP’s (United States Pharmacopeia) Dietary Supplement Verification Program nabbing the top spot for reliability as determined by pharmacists in a survey conducted by the Pharmacy Times. Furthermore, in clinical news, omega 3 and omega 6 were found to aid the regulation of blood glucose levels in rats. The findings open up the potential for the use of supplements in type 2 diabetes regulation.

Valensa International gain sustainable recognition with Fresh from Florida logo for Saw Palmetto product
Valensa International’s Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) palms are now recognized with the Fresh From Florida logo, provided by the Floria Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The logo recognizes an array of factors including sustainable crops, responsible harvesting and local growth.

Hailed as a “Florida treasure” Saw Palmetto palms produce berries, from which Valensa International harvests and extracts the unique oil, using a solvent-free extraction process. The extracts are used for men’s urinary tract health and prostate function normalization.

“We are proud of this designation and look forward to helping everyone in our business, from the farm to the pill, learn about this treasure grown only in Florida,” said Uma C.P, CEO of Valensa. “Marking our Saw Palmetto ‘Fresh From Florida,’ gives our customers more confidence they are receiving unadulterated, pure Saw Palmetto Extract.” NutritionInsight has previously spoken in depth with Uma on the topic of fakes in the Saw Palmetto market.

USP’s Dietary Supplement Verification Program gains gold for reliability
USP’s Dietary Supplement Verification Program, which is designed to assure and distinguish quality in supplements, has been named the number one Pharmacist Recommended Dietary Supplement Verification Program by the Pharmacy Times. Results from a Pharmacy Times survey conducted amongst pharmacists demonstrated that USP’s verification mark is recognized and recommended more than other third-party verification programs.

Because dietary supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods, not as drugs, third-party verification programs by organizations such as USP, are often relied on by pharmacists to ensure the quality of products they recommend.

Supplements with the USP verified mark ought to reflect their label lists in potency and amount, not contain harmful levels of contaminants, will break down in the body in set times and have been made safely according to FDA and USP guidelines.

“USP created the Dietary Supplement Verification Program to provide consumers and healthcare practitioners confidence in choosing quality products, as well as to allow companies to distinguish their products in an increasingly competitive global market,” said Nurisha Rush, USP’s Senior Director Strategic Marketing and Program operations. 

Omega 3 and omega 6 supplementation in rodents found to regulate glucose levels
In clinical news, the health halo of the omega family has been widened by a study finding that fatty acid supplementation regulates gene coding for secreted proteins in muscles. Meaning, omega 3 and omega 6 may well alter gene expression instrumental to obesity, and to type 2 diabetes through the regulation of blood glucose levels.

The objective of the study, published in Physiological Genomics, was to determine if improvements in whole-body glucose homeostasis (the balance of insulin and glucagon to maintain blood glucose levels) in obese rats supplemented with either omega 6 linoleic acid (LA) or omega 3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) for 12 weeks were related to changes in the skeletal muscle secretome (proteins secreted to the muscle tissue cells).

After 12 weeks of receiving the supplements, the obese rats had lower glucose levels and improved glucose control. These results suggest that “LA and ALA may differentially regulate the skeletal muscle secretome,” the researchers explained, and that the addition of PUFA further alters gene expression. “Our findings concerning the relationship between obesity and the skeletal muscle secretome add valuable information to a relatively understudied area of investigation.”

By Laxmi Haigh