8 non-pill delivery formats that fuel supplements innovation
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The thing about nutrients is that they don’t amount to much if they can’t get absorbed into the system. Liposomal delivery systems are composed of a bilayer of phospholipids (what makes krill better absorbed than fish oil) that enrobe nutrients and effectively bypass the acidic GI tract to deliver nutrients to the bloodstream, cells and tissues. Vitamin C tablets, for instance, are absorbed at only about 12 percent, but when delivered in a liposomal format can get to nearly 100 percent absorbed – about what you get when vitamin C is administered intravenously as with Myers cocktails. CoQ10 also has notoriously low absorption rates. Vida Lifescience has three liposomal liquids: a vitamin C, glutathione and coQ10. In the case of coQ10, the company asserts that up to 13 times the effective dose is delivered in a liquid shot compared to coQ10 gelcaps. Pretty revolutionary.
Protein powders have diversified mightily. Non-animal protein sources are all the rage — we’re talking rice, pea and hemp proteins. But Plant Fusion goes all gluten-free ancient grain on us, using organic sprouted quinoa and amaranth to go with the proverbial yellow pea and the provocative globe artichoke. The result is a protein scoring a perfect 1.0 on the PDCAAS protein scorecard. In sum, you get 21 grams of protein per serving, plus 4,500 mg branch-chain amino acids, 3,350 mg glutamine, and only 120 calories per serving. If that doesn’t get you through your day, we don’t know what will. What’s better still is Phood — a protein-rich formula combined with a multivitamin formulation, the full range of omegas, and sprouted cruciferous greens. Now that’s a meal!
From the Hawaiians who bring us spirulina and astaxanthin, the Nutrex Hawaii hoaloha now have gotten into the booming nutritional powders in a tub game with its Green Complete superfood powder. The foundation of this green superfood powder is, of course, spirulina, but they’ve added organic greens barley, broccoli, kale and wheatgrass. Then they toss in organic antioxidants acai, goji berry and sea lettuce flakes, 300 mg of probiotics, and, for enhanced palatability, a little natural vanilla bean flavor, stevia and organic coconut palm sugar. Free of dairy, lactose, soy, GMOs, pesticides and herbicides, and 100 percent vegan.
In 1997, Hero launched the first gummy bear kids multi. It took another ten years before they figured out that if kids liked gummies, maybe adults would, too — or maybe just those kids grew up! Cut in the shape of fruit slices, the re-branded Slice of Life line has a half-dozen SKUs aimed at adults and made with all-natural fruit colors, flavors and sweeteners and nothing bad. There’s a reason the gummies category is growing at more than a 30 percent clip. It’s brand shifts like this one from the gummy pioneer.
This is one hip and trendy gummy. We love the fun way they position themselves. The Kids Complete lines all contain the range of vitamins and minerals, as well as 121 mg omega-3s EPA + DHA, and a healthy 900 IU vitamin D. Of course, there’s no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, nor any artificial sweeteners. High fructose corn syrup? Puh-lease. Available in single-serving packets perfect for kids’ lunch boxes or bottle-sized for the kitchen countertop.
For those looking to ingest nutrients without having to swallow a pill, the effervescent multivitamin powder hounds at Oxylent have been making a range of high-quality formulations to mix in with a glass of water. Now they jumped into the sports nutrition game with a 3-in-1 powder for energy, stamina and recovery featuring top-shelf branded ingredients for today’s natural athlete. Did we mention all Oxylent products contain no sugar, GMOs, dairy, gluten, soy or anything artificial?
Magnesium is the master mineral whose time, it would appear, has finally come. Magnesium works like a see-saw in tandem with calcium in that calcium constricts muscles while magnesium relaxes muscles. Magnesium is a cofactor in literally hundreds of other essential metabolic reactions in the body, from energy production to calcium absorption. Natural Vitality gives you magnesium in powder or liquid formats, including its sales champion Kids Calm SKU. Its Kids Calm Multi contains 24 organic fruits and vegetables, 150 mg omega-3 DHA and EPA, the full suite of letter vitamins, and of course magnesium — all in a yummy liquid shot format. 2 tablespoons do the trick; either mix in a small amount of water, or just send it down the hatch in all its fruity splash flavor glory.
Featuring a fresh new label design, these whole-food gummy supplements and probiotics are made with organic ingredients. B Beautiful Gummy may be the world's first hair, skin and nails gummy with B vitamins derived from plant sources plus folate. Nature's Dynamics has also launched the world's first and only whole food Prenatal Plus Multivitamin Gummy that utilizes plant sources for the vitamins and minerals with an organic fruit and vegetable blend. Its whole-food Vitamin D Gummy for kids and adults features vitamin D from mushroom sources, while its Whole Food B Complex Energy gummy contains B vitamins from plant sources. "You will always find the highest quality, whole food, plant sourced vitamins and minerals in all of Nature's Dynamics supplements and Probiotics," said Nature's Dynamics Founder and CEO Richard McPeak. "My own children and family take our products every day. I consider our Nature's Dynamics consumers part of the Nature's Dynamics family, and they deserve the same high quality gummy supplements my children receive."
Featuring a fresh new label design, these whole-food gummy supplements and probiotics are made with organic ingredients. B Beautiful Gummy may be the world's first hair, skin and nails gummy with B vitamins derived from plant sources plus folate. Nature's Dynamics has also launched the world's first and only whole food Prenatal Plus Multivitamin Gummy that utilizes plant sources for the vitamins and minerals with an organic fruit and vegetable blend. Its whole-food Vitamin D Gummy for kids and adults features vitamin D from mushroom sources, while its Whole Food B Complex Energy gummy contains B vitamins from plant sources. "You will always find the highest quality, whole food, plant sourced vitamins and minerals in all of Nature's Dynamics supplements and Probiotics," said Nature's Dynamics Founder and CEO Richard McPeak. "My own children and family take our products every day. I consider our Nature's Dynamics consumers part of the Nature's Dynamics family, and they deserve the same high quality gummy supplements my children receive."
Too many pills and capsules have led to the rise of so-called "pill fatigue," while fortified and functional foods don't quite deliver a functional benefit. That leaves a market opportunity for alternative delivery formats - gummies, powders, beverages and more. It's a rising niche and companies are innovating within this space to meet consumer demand. Already we see the gummies category growing at a clip north of 30 percent this past year. The greens category of nutritional powders grew more than 70 percent last year. What products are meeting this need? We trolled the show floor at Natural Products Expo West and found these eight products to entice consumers.
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