As the immune category market shows robust growth, manufacturers seek to improve classic products while keeping an eye on the latest trends.
Allergies and autoimmune diseases are the major immune problems that affect at least 50 million Americans. The main causes can be attributed to the following factors: genetics and environmental pollutants such as endocrine disruptors, heavy metal and pesticide contaminations. Furthermore, consumption of genetically modified (GM) food can potentially be one of the major factors nowadays that resulted in this prevalence, noted Sherwin Chen, vice president of operations for California-based Super Beta Glucan Inc., a supplier of medicinal mushroom ingredients.
As for the “garden variety” immune issues that manifest in colds and flu, Eileen Sheets, managing director with Bioforce USA (New York), pointed out that, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 62 million cases of the common cold occur each year. In its most recent survey, NCHS reported that 20 million school days and 22 million days of work are lost annually due to the common cold.
Kristy Anderson, NMD, medical advisor-bioregulatory medicine with New Mexico-based homeopathy manufacturer Heel Inc., added that immune health with Americans features a variety of issues. “One is with the GI tract and gut-associated conditions Like Celiac disease, which is an immune response by the gut to gluten in many foods. Then you have skin conditions, which are related to poor immune function, such as contact dermatitis and psoriasis. Both of those are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but they are both related to overall immune health.”
The causes for poor immune health in the U.S. population are many, including diet, she added. “When you eat a poor diet, which is lacking in essential nutrients and is high in gluten and other irritating compounds, the body tends to work hard to just respond to the food that is going through the GI tract on a daily basis. This can redirect the body’s attention to the GI tract when it should be focusing on other invaders of the body.”
State of the Market
Overall, there are many approaches and natural products that will help keep immune health somewhat intact. “These are things like eating a good, clean diet of organic fresh fruits and vegetables, and staying away from processed foods,” noted Anderson. “The natural health market is full of antioxidant-rich supplements and foods as well as immune-support supplements.”
But perfect health isn’t the answer. “It is still good for the body to have an occasional illness to stimulate the immune system,” Anderson explained.
“A person who never gets sick is also not healthy. We need the immune system to respond and we need to have drills for the immune system to combat an influenza virus or a rhinovirus (common cold) every now and then. Without this, there is a loss of regulation and this is also not good.”
As for products, Chen argued that the market has become saturated with an overwhelming variety of natural products intended for immune health because of the strong demand associated with the category. Sheets agreed with the point in regard to both new products and ingredients being introduced.“With that in mind, Bioforce AG is committed to research to fully understand the how and why of its primary immune product Echinaforce,” she said.
And that science-based support is what will continue to drive the immune market, according to Richard Mueller, president and CEO of Minnesota-based Biothera, an ingredient supplier and maker of Wellmune WGP®.
“The stars are aligned for the immune category in many ways. Consumers may not understand the complexities of the immune system, but they know maintaining a healthy immune system is important to their overall health,” he said. “However, consumers want immune health products that are supported by credible, human clinical research. Merely claiming that vitamins and minerals will support immune function is not enough—these claims won’t satisfy regulators either.”
Changes in Approach
While some manufacturers see immune health as a year-round category, Anderson said she does not. “The latest trend I see in the market is to support the immune system all the time with ongoing supplements and support. This is not always the best route to take for health,” she said. “Everything that the body does and needs is about regulation and modulation. Therefore, immune support is the same way; it needs to be used for a short period of time and then withdrawn.”
This allows for the body to have support and then regulate around that support to find its set point and maintains its own health, she explained. “Too much support and it becomes weak on its own, like anything else in nature. Support a tree too much and, without the support, it would collapse. Support the tree just while it is growing stronger and then gently remove the support, and the tree is stronger because of it, and it stands on its own. This is the same principle that should be used on the body.”
When the body becomes ill and has an active disease state, however, is a great time to offer that support, she added. “One of the many things I use when a patient becomes ill with the flu is Engystol, a homeopathic medicine that supports the body and helps address the symptoms of influenza.I use this in conjunction with supplements such as elderberry extract, vitamin C, zinc and others.”
Those ingredients are being scrutinized more thoroughly, according to Super Beta Glucan’s Chen. “Manufacturers are transitioning from utilizing ingredients that did not have solid scientific basis to the ones with evidenced based research results,” he said.
“For instance, vitamin C was commonly used as a novel approach to improve immune health; however, the mechanism by which vitamin C works to support immune health cannot be adequately explained.”
This also goes for Bioforce, which is working on adding to the body of research already published on Echinaforce. “An exciting new study will be published this fall in a medical journal,” Sheets said, adding that it will be the largest, double-blind, placebo-controlled study done on echinacea to date.
“Our echinacea is grown in an organic, sustainable cultivation, using only seeds from the original echinacea plants brought to Switzerland from the plans of North and South Dakota, ensuring genetic uniformity from year to year,” she said. “We already have eight published studies, so the focus for us is to continue the research until we feel we have uncovered all there is to know about the remarkable healing plant.Although there are certainly newer and perhaps more interesting botanicals in the immune category, we are still excited about echinacea. For us, the excitement is about producing the very best immune health-promoting echinacea possible.”
In addition, manufacturers are seeing the development of new delivery sysTems in the category, according to Julie Dennis, national science educator with California-based Source Naturals. “Today, consumers can choose from liquids, powders, extracts, fizzes and tinctures. Consumers are looking for alternatives to pills and more convenient forms that fit their on-the-go lifestyles. Source Naturals Wellness Fizz, which comes in small 10 wafer packs has become a favorite of travelers.This tangerine- or berry-flavored cocktail bubbles like seltzer in water for a convenient immune support.” To further meet the needs of on-the-go consumers, Source Naturals recently launched Wellness Shot, a grab and- go immune support product that delivers a berry-flavored blast of antioxidants and the classic immune support ingredients, yin chiao and elderberry for an immune support pick-me-up.
Retailers said they are gearing up for the upcoming immune health season. At Nature’s Cupboard in Michigan City, IN, Owner Mylese Tucker said her customers look for products that are an immune “balancer” rather than a “booster,” and Irwin Naturals’ Immuno- Shield liqud gel capsules that contain andrographis, and Source Natural’s Wellness Formula are top sellers.
The Wellness Formula, as well as elderberry, mushroom and astragalus products are also important sellers for Retailer Linda Lindenmuth, herbalist, nutritionist and owner of Natural Advantage in Reno, NV. While she noted that summer time sales of immune products are traditionally low, she expects to see stronger sales later in the year.
Ingredient Lists
Heel’s Anderson noted the qualities that make some ingredients staples in immune products.
“Echinacea offers overall immune support, and holy basil helps to remove congestion from the respiratory passages and supports digestion and overall the GI tract,” she said. “Vitamins A, C, E and D all function within the body for multiple enzymatic pathways, which are needed for the immune cells and other critical functions in the body. Then you have sulphur; known as a polycrest in homeopathy, it is used for many indications, some of which are illness where you feel hot (like with a fever), phlegm in the respiratory system and burning and itching of the skin.”
In addition, mushroom extracts, prebiotics and probiotics are among the most popular ingredients currently being used in the category, noted Chen. “Prebiotics and probiotics are probably best known for their role in digestive health, but emerging science shows they are powerful components of immune system health as well,” he said. “Since 60 percent of our immune cells are located in the digestive tract, it makes sense that keeping those cells functioning well is vitally important for staying healthy.”
Recently, mushroom extracts have gained popularity with manufacturers in the category to support and improve immune function, Chen added. “Scrutiny by recent medical research reveals that beta glucan, a polysaccharide polymer derived from the cell wall of mushrooms, is the key element responsible for the immune benefit. Beta glucan enhances the immune response by activating the macrophages, our body’s front line of defense,” he noted. “These cells of our immune system are responsible of finding, identifying and consuming foreign invaders in our body. In addition, the macrophages also have the ability to ‘trigger’ other components of the immune system including granulocytes (neutrophil, eosinophils and the basophils), B-cells, Tcells and natural killer (NK) cells to deal with the other potential threats.” The key immune responses enhanced by the beta glucan are: phagocytic activity, activation of the white blood cells, regulation of cell-mediated immune response and improvement in healthrelated quality of life (HRQOL), Chen said.
In addition, Wellmune WGP is clinically proven to safely prime key immune cells that help keep the body healthy, according to Mueller. Derived from the cell wall a proprietary strain of baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Wellmune mobilizes billions of innate immune cells that are part of the body’s natural defenses.
Ingredient Processing
Ingredient processing innovations have led to more useful and broader varieties of products by manufacturers. “An interesting innovation is that Bioforce has found a way to encapsule the alkylamides in Echinforce allowing them to make a very effective Echinaforce Junior in a form that is good for kids,” Sheets said. “Alkylamides cause the burning or tingling on the tongue. In fact, it is what many people associate as being the mark of effective echinacea products, but kids tend to find this unpleasant.We can now encapsulate the alkylamides so the tingling is removed, yet tests prove it to be just as effective. Add a natural orange flavor and you have an immune product kids like, with an excellent safety profile and proven efficacy.” The company has also come out with Echinaforce Forte, which is a one-a-day tablet formulation making compliance easier.
Extracts from the mushrooms that possess therapeutic potentials and specific probiotics strains have become the center of attention in This category, according to Chen. Beta glucan, the key component responsible for activating the innate immune response, has gradually become a popular ingredient as manufacturers realize that pulverized mushroom powders no longer provide the same benefits as well as the marketing advantages. Chen’s company answers manufacturers’ needs with its Immulink MBG® ingredient, which was launched at this year’s Institute of Food Technology conference, one of the largest food expos in the nation. “Our Immulink MBG represents one of the latest innovations in this category. We were able to demonstrate to the food and beverage manufacturers that the mushroom beta glucan has the unique capability to withhold the manufacturing process of any delivery system including beverage, bread and cereals, confectionary, snacks or dietary supplements.Since the concept of functional food and beverage is on the rise, we believe that the next trend of taking dietary supplements will be to fuse the beneficial ingredients with the food and beverages so that consumers can enjoys the benefits by taking your vitamins ‘on the go.’”
Manufacturer Watch
Recognizing the customer shopping the immune category is more sophisticated and retailers are vetting products with a more discerning eye, when addressing the immune category, cautious manufacturers expressed that their goals are to offer safe products, state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and education.
“Manufacturers should definitely pay attention when sourcing for quality immune ingredients,” said Chen. “Is the ingredient validated by GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the FDA? Where was the ingredient manufactured? Is it from the U.S. or from other countries with less health related regulations? Is it certified allergen-free? These are factors beyond pricing which manufacturers need to consider,” Chen stressed.“Harvesting high-quality beta glucan requires the finely tuned expertise of scientists who are skilled at a very stringent extraction process that uses state-of-the art biotechnology. For more than 30 years, our company has been pioneering beta glucan extraction to ensure a safe (GRAS) and premium ingredient for manufacturers.”
And they want to keep up with the latest social trends. “Manufacturers know that consumers are educating themselves, so we are getting smarter and looking to educate the consumer in new ways like expanding into social media with Facebook, Twitter and such,” Anderson concluded.
