Companies such as Nature’s Answer and Pharmachem Laboratories rolled out a variety of new products in recent weeks, expanding the immune health, digestive health and weight management sectors.

To start, Nature’s Answer found another way to get broccoli into peoples’ diets. It’s new product, Brocco-Glutathione™, is made with organic broccoli sprouts that have been shown to supply the body with up to 100 times more glucoraphanin than mature broccoli. It’s a precursor to sulforaphane, which activates the body’s cells to increase glutathione levels. Each capsule also contains 250 mg of Setria® Glutathione, a brand of glutathione that replenishes the body’s stores while also protecting cells from oxidative stress and harmful toxins.

The Spanish biotech company AB-Biotics and Derbycare have also signed an agreement to launch a product in China aimed toward gastropediatric health. Derbycare will launch the product, called AB-Kolicare, in the first half of 2015, and the company will develop three new clinical trials with a minimum of 3,000 patients to further substantiate the product’s proven health benefits. The consumption of AB-Kolicare over 14 days reduces the excessive daily crying in 67.5 percent of subjects with a daily crying duration between 60 and 240 minutes, according to clinical trial developed by AB-Biotics. Derbycare and AB-Biotics will also collaborate for the research and development of new probiotic formulas and food supplements rich in probiotics for infants.

Complete Nutrition launched the new product Immune Stix™, which combines the immune-boosting benefits of Wellmune® with the on-the-go convenience of a tasty soft chew. A natural yeast beta-glucan, Wellmune is a functional food, beverage and supplement ingredient clinically proven to help strengthen the immune system. Each individually wrapped Immune Stix chew contains a clinically tested, efficacious 250-mg serving of Wellmune. A study published in The Journal of Applied Research demonstrates that Wellmune reduced the incidence of fever and eliminated the need for participants to miss work or school.

DietSpice from Pharmachem Laboratories Inc. could also add a new dimension to the growing category of functional foods. Coming in the form of functional seasonings, DietSpice is formulated to help people lose weight literally while they eat. As part of the R&D process that led to DietSpice, Pharmachem subjected its Phase 2 Carb Controller to third-party sensory evaluations by the Tragon Corp. Testing found that the ingredient does not affect the taste or texture of foods in which it was added, including baked goods. As a functional seasoning, DietSpice provides numerous packaging options, from individual stickpacks to boxes of assorted flavors. Each stickpack contains 1000 mg of Phase 2, a dosage shown in studies to reduce starch absorption and aid in weight loss. 

Cluster Dextrin®, the highly branched cyclic dextrin produced exclusively by Glico Nutrition Co. Ltd., has also recently rolled out an entirely new world of applications. Such applications include masking bitterness and reducing acidity. The company convened a panel of ten respondents to taste test samples containing a 1.6-percent solution of BCAA, a BCAA solution with an additional 0.75 percent of citric acid, and finally, a BCAA plus citric acid solutions along with a 2-percent solution of Cluster Dextrin. After rating each on a five-point scale, the Cluster Dextrin stood well above the others in terms of drinkability.