The company has offered the two ingredients separately to product formulators, but as the immune support category is growing, the company decided to brand and position the ingredients in a new way, Nexira marketing manager Julie Impérato told us.
While there are no clinical studies yet conducted or published on the specific Immunell brand, both ingredients have been studied individually, she added.
“We have a lot of studies on acacia fiber and specifically on our own [branded] Fibregum,” she said.
On PubMed, a database of peer-reviewed clinical trials managed by the US National Library of Medicine, two studies appear when searching for Fibregum—One from 2007 attesting to its role in supporting growth of several probiotic strains in vitro, and one from 1998 postulating beneficial effects on host health through improvement of bacterial composition of the large intestine.
“Nucleotides [the natural yeast extract] are also largely supported with numerous clinical studies for infant nutrition, sports nutrition and specific nutrition related to inflammation (IBS). These two ingredients have complementary mechanism of action, already supported so we have not made a specific study on our proprietary formulation.”
The ingredient blend Immunell is available to product developers worldwide.
Standing out in the immune support crowd
Most North American multivitamin buyers make their purchases to maintain their general health and immune system, according to recent data from Euromonitor International, a market research firm.
But how about immune support from other categories beyond multivitamins? “Immune support is very well-established with some traditional ingredients: Vitamins (like vitamin C), botanicals such as echinacea, elderberry or ashwagandha and more recently probiotics. Probiotics have opened a new box,” opined Impérato.
Thanks to probiotics, there is growing awareness and interest in combining digestive and immune helath benefits, she added.
“Consumers are more aware of the link between gut and immunity. After the skin, our intestine is the main natural barrier against external factors. Our intestine is colonized by trillions of bacteria. This microbiota is involved in both innate and adaptive immune responses, as a barrier against pathogens,” she explained.
Which is why the company believes Immunell will resonate well to end-consumers. “Products combining gut health and immune claims are well understood by consumers. A product combining ingredients targeting both benefits (digestive and immune) will be perceived as more efficient.”