Beta glucans are naturally found in foods such as baker’s yeast, mushrooms, and cereal grains. However, they are not produced naturally, so beta glucans must be obtained through diet or supplementation.
Michael Chernyak, President of CK Ingredients, said CK Nutraceuticals partnered with product developers Biotec BetaGlucans AS on M-Gard.
According to Chernyak, partnering with pioneers in the beta-glucan world has proven successful. “Biotec BetaGlucans AS was the first company to develop industrial-scale production of yeast beta-glucan. The technical expertise of Biotec BetaGlucans involves knowledge on how to get the beta-glucan out in its most bioactive form. The company has also succeeded in producing a completely soluble and highly active beta-1,3/1,6-glucan for pharmaceutical and medical device application. M-Gard is the outcome of first-class scientific efforts combined with extremely rigorous standards. Our beta-glucans are also utilized in areas other than human nutrition (i.e. in animal feed, pharma, and medical devices). This allows for powerful cross-synergies between those fields of use.”
Unique structure
M-Gard is derived from a proprietary yeast strain with a unique molecular structure, the company says. “Biotec BetaGlucans AS has developed a ‘non-intrusive’ process for extracting the beta-glucans present in baker’s yeast without damaging the side chains, ensuring that purified M-Gard raw material retains its crucial structure and bioactivity. Optimal fermentation conditions, gentle extraction and purification processes ensure that M-Gard retains the optimal structure for superior potency compared to other types of beta-glucan.”
R&D
Chernyak said M-Gard was developed pre-pandemic, however, “COVID has accelerated some trends that were already in motion – i.e. taking a more proactive approach to keeping the immune system healthy. We continue to invest in research – COVID has not changed this.”
Indeed, Biotec BetaGlucans (BBG) has invested significant resources in R&D to better understand how beta1,3/1,6-glucan’s modulation of immune mechanisms can be used to support the immune system.
“M-Gard is the pinnacle of almost 30 years’ of scientific efforts based on heavy investments in R&D. M-Gard is produced in BBG’s own production facility in Norway,” said Chernyak. “As a result, the company has developed beta-1,3/1,6-glucan products for human consumption and advanced wound healing. M-Gard is supported by 8 clinical and 21 preclinical studies, as well as safety and mechanism-of-action studies. The vast majority of our research has been published in peer-reviewed journals. The unique technology behind M-Gard has been successfully developed for several alternative indications and applications, including nutraceuticals.”
Defense
“Every day, our immune system is under attack from virtually millions of pathogens; i.e. bacteria, viruses, funguses, etc. A strong immune system is what keeps us healthy and the pathogenic invaders at bay. Any minor shift, be it increased pollution, stress, overwork, or poor diet, can lower your resistance and tip the scales in favor of the pathogens. M-Gard keeps us healthy by boosting our immune system and significantly raising our level of resistance – it’s our insurance policy against pathogenic invasion. M-Gard helps support healthy immune function, in a variety of scenarios and situations.”
Application
The product can be obtained in a number of different formats and concentrations, including particulate and suspensions. It is odor-free and can be blended into existing formulas, utilized in gummies, liquids/syrups, capsules, tablets, powders, foods and beverages.
Additionally, M-Gard is a stable ingredient with a shelf life of 5 years and is not impacted by pH, temperature, or other physical influences typically encountered in the nutraceutical, food or beverage processing industry.
M-Gard is non-GMO, allergen-free, Halal & Kosher certified as well as Informed Sport certified.
