Weekly Roundup: Odyssey’s prebiotic protein bar unveiled, O Positiv enters vaginal health space

16 Sep 2022 --- This week in nutrition news, Odyssey Snacks prioritized gut health within the protein bar space with its latest launch and MegaFood unveiled a line of digestive health water enhancers. Women’s health brand O Positiv entered the vaginal health space with a new Science-Backed Collection Of Vaginal Probiotic And Urinary Tract Supplements. Meanwhile, Nektium took steps to secure the long-term sustainability of its Rosea extract, and “bulk and cut” dieting was linked to symptoms of eating disorders.

In brief: Product launches 
Utah-based Odyssey Snacks launched its Prebiotic Protein Bar. The brand features six flavors curated with clinically proven ingredients to aid with digestive wellness. Odyssey uses prebiotics in its bars because of their symbiotic effect when paired with probiotics. Probiotics are naturally produced by the body or consumed via supplements or food, and prebiotics are what probiotics eat to flourish in the microbiome. Odyssey uses prebiotic ingredients such as chicory root fiber, cassava root, and green banana powder.

MegaFood, a B-Corp crafting supplements, expanded its collection of digestive health products with the launch of its new Digestive Health Water Enhancers. In three fruit flavors – Pineapple MangoMegaFood expanded its collection of digestive health products with the launch of its Digestive Health Water Enhancers.Kombucha, Guava Passion Fruit Kombucha, and Lemon Ginger Kombucha – MegaFood Digestive Health Water Enhancers deliver refreshing gut support with prebiotics and probiotics, said the company. The probiotic powders contain 2 billion CFU of DE111 – a probiotic strain clinically studied to be shelf-stable and resistant to stomach acid. They also include kombucha powder, apple cider vinegar, green tea extract, and prebiotic fiber from the Jerusalem artichoke. Further, they are Certified Glyphosate Residue Free, vegetarian, and formulated without nine food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish and sesame.

Women’s health brand O Positiv entered the vaginal health space with its latest supplement collection URO. The non-GMO, vegan and major-allergen-free Vaginal Probiotic (URO VP) and Urinary Tract (URO UT) Capsules are intended to support overall vaginal balance, ultimately helping with vaginal and urinary tract health.

In brief: Sustainability moves
Nektium took steps to secure the long-term sustainability of its Rhodiolife Rhodiola rosea extract by switching a significant proportion of its raw material sourcing to cultivated plants. The move – an industry first on such a large commercial scale – will reduce reliance on under-pressure wild-grown supplies. Rhodiola rosea is one of the most powerful adaptogens found in nature, offering a range of cognitive and sports nutrition benefits. It grows wild in the remote Altai mountains in south and central Asia at the intersection of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The rapidly growing adaptogen market has increased demand for Rhodiola rosea roots, leading to concerns about over-harvesting. In response, Nektium has worked with its long-standing local partner to establish fields that offer conditions optimal for the controlled growing of Rhodiola rosea. Together, they have converted barren land into undeveloped, unpopulated locations, ensuring minimal impact on communities nearby. After a successful trial, initial exploratory fields were extended to provide full-scale sustainable cultivation sufficient to satisfy market demand at an industrial level. Children with obesity, who have recently lost weight, are more likely to show hunger-related activity in their brains after a meal.

In brief: Research studies 
A new study, published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, found that nearly half of men, and one in five women, transgender and gender non-conforming participants, engaged in a “bulk and cut” cycle in the past 12 months. “Bulking and cutting” – a dietary technique characterized by alternating between periods of consuming surplus calories (bulking) and restricting calorie consumption (cutting) to optimize the growth of lean muscle mass and reduce body fat – is a practice that aligns with current body ideals. It is especially prevalent among adolescents and young adults, particularly those within the fitness community and striving to achieve a more muscular and toned body. The researchers found that engagement in bulking and cutting was connected with a greater desire to become more muscular, underscoring the link between this dietary method and the desire to change one’s body.

Children with obesity, who have recently lost weight, are more likely to show hunger-related activity in their brains after a meal, according to research presented at the 60th Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting. This brain activity, reflecting that they were unsatisfied with their meal, happens even though their gut hormone levels have changed, as expected, to reduce hunger and indicate fullness. This disconnect between food satisfaction in their brain versus their digestive system may underlie why many people regain weight, particularly after a strict diet. According to the researchers, understanding and addressing this persistence of hunger-promoting brain activity could lead to better and more sustainable treatments for obesity in children and adults. Professor Roth and colleagues at Seattle Children’s Hospital in the US compared brain appetite regulation activity with gut hormone responses in obese children before and after a 24-week weight loss program. Using functional MRI, they assessed activation patterns in appetite-regulating brain areas in response to high and low-calorie images after a meal. Gut hormone levels were also evaluated before and after meals, at the beginning and end of the program. At the end of the program, children still showed high levels of activation in brain areas related to appetite, after a meal, in response to food images, indicating that they were hungry. However, their levels of appetite-regulating gut hormones indicated fullness and satiety. Notably, the children who lost the most weight showed the strongest activation in their brains to food cues after a meal.

By Elizabeth Green