Men’s health matters: Industry targets testosterone boosts and artificial intelligence enhancements

03 Nov 2022 --- Drops in testosterone levels and its effects on fertility, virility and athletic and physical performance are some of the main factors driving nutraceutical and dietary supplement advancements in the men’s health space. NutritionInsight speaks with industry experts from Gencor Pacific and PharmaLinea, who provide insights into what men want and need regarding health and how they can approach healthy aging concerns. 

According to the two companies, male consumers are increasingly seeking natural and naturally-derived products to help increase their testosterone levels. They are also seeking products to address men-specific problems such as diseases and cancers of the prostate gland and products to help with male infertility.

“Depleting testosterone levels affects every physical aspect of a man’s body, including muscle mass, muscle strength and sex drive,” says Maggie McNamara, marketing director and Rajwant Kaur Gill, marketing executive at Gencor Pacific. “However, modern men are turning to science-approved and clinically researched natural testosterone boosters for aid.”

“Healthy aging as a category has outgrown typical beauty-based focus and is as important for men as it is for women,” elaborates Maja Orešnik, director of science and research at PharmaLinea. “The growing trend of launching new preventive products in this category is driven by the prolonged life expectancy and desire for a high-quality life.”

Time waits for no man
According to McNamara and Gill, dwindling testosterone is a natural consequence of aging, but it can affect every aspect of men’s bodies. 

Both companies believe AI and technology will be significant future factors in the men’s health space.“It’s not a secret that as men get older, testosterone levels diminish, and Father Time has the upper hand in the testosterone battle,” they explain. However, Gencor says that natural testosterone-boosting ingredients like the ones in their Tensor and Testofen pharmaceutical brands can help keep testosterone levels higher for longer. 

Another healthy aging issue for men is problems with the prostate gland. McNamara and Gill state that many men will develop problems with their prostates over time. One of the most common problems to develop is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). One of the symptoms of BPH is increased urination frequency. 

The company holds that its product Agepost can help alleviate this symptom and has been shown to reduce overall urine frequency from 9.2 to 6.9 times per day. Products like these may help increase men’s healthy aging by removing the stigma of the symptoms.

“A positive trend in men’s health today is the increase in regular prostate checkups and men’s active approach to their prostate health,” explain McNamara and Gill. “Men are now thinking smart enough to put their ego aside and their health as a priority.”

Creating fertile ground
According to Pharmalinea, another health concern for many men is fertility. The company further notes that the prevalence of infertility problems has also led to de-stigmatization and opened the doors for research and innovation in this area.

The one product in our portfolio that specifically addresses this issue in men’s health is Your Fertilium Capsules,” says Orešnik. “They are designed for men, who face suboptimal fertility scores due to their lifestyle and diet, and it is based on a branded ingredient known to increase testosterone levels and improve spermiogram results.”Gencor states that the de-stigmatization of men’s health issues allows more men to seek solutions.

“Selected nutrients in the product address the most common micronutrient deficiencies in this population, thus providing sufficient energy to sperm cells and, above everything else, excellent antioxidant support.”

The future of men’s health
Both companies see several opportunities in the years to come regarding men’s health. Gencor states that curcumin ingredients and Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), the main ingredient in Levagen Plus, will come under increased demand in the near future. 

“PEA is an endogenous fatty acid amide produced naturally in the body in response to injury and stress,” note Gill and McNamara. “PEA has important anti-inflammatory, analgesic and neuro-protective properties and is categorized as part of the extended endocannabinoid family with similar health benefits.”

Moreover, the company states that its curcumin-based product Hydrocurc has been shown and proven to improve immune health, cognitive health, joint health, heart health and exercise recovery in clinical studies.

Additionally, Orešnik from PharmaLinea says, “We see great potential for high-quality, clinically-researched ingredients that can revive some of the traditional men’s health categories driven by commoditized ingredients in the past. These include products addressing erectile dysfunction and sexual performance with a new generation of products based on clinically backed ingredients.”

Tech support
Another significant factor the two companies see shaping the future of men’s health is technology. From wearables to apps and artificial intelligence (AI), the companies state that technology’s influence will be increasingly felt everywhere.

“Wearables are shifting our understanding of many health areas, including men’s health,” says Orešnik. “For example, they give men the option of knowing whether their stress levels are too high or their sleep was poor during the night.”

“This can be the perfect cue for supplements to step in and help address those issues,” she continues. “Sharing sports results on social media platforms is also driving men’s need to perform better, giving place to sports performance-enhancing supplements.”

Maja Orešnik notes that beauty-based products are not just for women anymore.Orešnik also notes that the younger generation is focused on supplements that will help them with studies and gaming more than they are on the health of their prostates.

Gencor states that wearable tech and devices with apps will also play a massive role in the future. The company notes that Generation Alpha [born in or from 2010] have owned such devices from a young age and trends show that they will likely embrace them throughout their lives. However, the company states that AI is expected to increase over the next few years. 

Gill and McNamara expect to see the nutraceutical industry adopting a personalized approach when providing health solutions to individuals. “A survey conducted by Nutrify Today found that 15% of the respondents, who were nutraceutical industry leaders from across the globe, believe that AI will play a pivotal role in the industry as the food matrix will be designed per individual needs using data and algorithm,” they say.

They further note that another 12% of the respondents believed that profiling individuals and providing specific dosages and ingredients to meet their requirements would be possible via robotics and 3D printing.

“Whilst this may pose a challenge for the smaller companies to effectively deploy the AI models without negatively impacting their bottom line, AI allows nutrition businesses to think outside the box and evolve to stay ahead of the curve whilst providing better health solutions to individuals.”

By William Bradford Nichols