The women’s health sector continues to be a key area for dietary supplement ingredient manufacturers. Deepening research is connecting supplement benefits to a range of women’s health conditions, spanning young adulthood to post-menopause.
For younger women, many supplements are marketed to support skin and hair, as well as fertility and fetal development. For older women, the focus shifts to cardiovascular, joint, brain and bone health support, said Matthew Roberts, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, KGK Science. “There has also been a trend to market multivitamins that are formulated with a micronutrient profile that benefit physical aspects such as bone density, hormonal levels, and longevity.”
Healthier lifestyle changes and an increased interest in convenient, holistically improved health are at the core of the women’s wellness movement, and so is the demand for products with research-supported results. “Women’s needs have not been properly addressed in terms of research and development (R&D) that is conducted on products,” commented Megan Luu, marketing coordinator, GE Nutrients Inc. She added products tested primarily on men that are rebranded and marketed to women may not only be physiologically ineffective, they may also cause adverse effects. “Women are looking for products that work optimally for them, so supplements that have actually been developed and tested specifically for women, and are verified as such, are in increasing demand.”
Skin health and longevity is a primary focus for Lycored, part of Adama Group. The company’s proprietary ingestible lycopene-based skin care technology, Lycored Nutrient Complex (LNC) for Skin™, was researched in a controlled clinical trial and found to be both safe and effective in protecting the skin from UV damage, promoting elasticity and contributing to the skin’s longevity. The ingredient’s most recently published skin health and beauty study was published in the fourth quarter of 2016.1
Cranberry juice’s role in fighting off urinary tract infections (UTI) came under scrutiny last year,2 however many women continue to turn to it for urinary tract health. Cran-Max®, a concentrated cranberry ingredient from Proprietary Nutritionals Inc., is made with a proprietary process that utilizes cranberry skin, seeds, pulp, juice and fiber without any of the solvents, preservatives, sugars, water, flavorings or color associated with cranberry juice.
“Unlike antibiotics, which kill bacteria, cranberry works by changing the bacterial structure and preventing adhesion to tissues so it works effectively for prevention without the risk of developing antibiotic resistance,” said Dean Mosca, president, Proprietary Nutritionals Inc.
A peer-reviewed study compared the effects of a commonly prescribed antibiotic to Cran-Max in women with reoccurring UTIs and found Cran-Max was comparable to an antibiotic for UTI prevention.3 The study showed taking one, 500mg dose of Cran-Max, started working immediately on UTIs, in contrast to other cranberry supplements that need to be taken for longer periods of time before seeing a response.
For lactating and pregnant women who plan to breastfeed, a recent study linked the consumption of Benexia chia oil, one of the highest plant sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) and alpha linolenic acid (ALA), to transferring high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to infants during breastfeeding.4 DHA is essential for the formation and function of the nervous system and vision.
Half of the 40 healthy pregnant women (22 to 35 years old) enrolled in the study received 16 mL of chia oil daily from the third trimester of pregnancy until the first six months of nursing. The mothers in the chia group experienced a “significant” increase in the levels of omega-3 EFAs in breast milk, specifically ALA (60 percent) and DHA (50 percent). They also had increases in the amounts of ALA (76 percent), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (57 percent) in their red blood cells…
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