Of course, strengthened immunity is not just about probiotics, as the example of AB-Fortis® underlines. Whether combined with probiotics or co-formulated in other ways, the microencapsulation of this iron supplement means there are no flavour or oxidation problems, and less risk of an upset stomach. Crucially, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) allows claims to be made about ‘normal function of the immune system’ in relation to iron, product manager at IFF Health Christiaan Veltink stated. “At the same time, AB-Fortis® offers high bio-availability,” he added.
As the Mintel figures on patents demonstrate, alongside probiotics, increasing amounts of research are being directed towards the most promising types of botanicals in relation to immunity. Tracking launches over a five-year period, the same research organization found that
In some cases, these substances are plant-derived sources of essential micronutrients, such as vitamin C. This is true, for example, of acerola which, according to Mintel’s five-year data, is present in 4% of global vitamin and supplement launches, just behind turmeric (5%), and ahead of botanicals such as echinacea (see sidebar) and ginseng (both 3%).
Once again, quality and enhanced processing can make a huge amount of difference when it comes to the effective action of these ingredients. For example, IFF’s POWDERPURE process ensures that its acerola contains a much higher dose of vitamin C, gram for gram, than other sources.
Within turmeric, curcumin is the dynamo driving benefits including immune health. Here, too, in its Curcugen™ product, IFF has focused on quality within the most critical bioactive part of the plant. Evidence suggests that ‘immune balance’ as opposed to simply a strong immune response (or, naturally, weak immunity) is the most desirable nutritional outcome, and that active ingredients such as curcumin can play an essential role here.
Even though the focus here is on a broad resetting of baseline immunity and the nutrition to support this, it is worth noting that some of these botanicals do have a specific relevance to COVID-19.
For example, curcumin has been identified as a potential target in the adjuvant treatment of the virus. Elsewhere, trials have indicated that broccoli ingredients containing glucoraphanin, the precursor of sulforaphane as its active ingredient, helped COVID-19 symptoms in patients and, in vitro, showed activity against coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. IFF promotes and sells BroccoRaphanin®, a broccoli raffinate standardized in glucoraphanin.
References:
13. Mintel GNPD, launches tracked May 2016-April 2021.