“We call RiaGev-SR the ‘next-generation NAD booster’ because it enables brands to set themselves apart from the competition,” said Michael Crabtree, N.D., director of scientific affairs at BLS. “It is much more consumer friendly, easy to digest and doesn’t cause the known side effects, such as flushing, associated with other NAD precursors.”
The Minnesota-based company introduced RiaGev-SR in November 2022 as upgrade to its healthy aging and cognitive health ingredient.
Mimicking food digestion
BLS explains that the wax-matrix format allows for a slow and steady release that mimics food digestion to solve the problems typically associated with other sustained-release technologies.
Developed by supplement manufacturer Innovite, the added technology offers benefits including superior stability with no “dose dumping”; the elimination of undesirable coating ingredients like sugars, starches, and artificial colors; improved consumer compliance due to reduced dosing requirements; and optimal absorption through the gut.
“We can replicate batch to batch extended-release nicotinic acid dissolution profiles with our vegetable wax matrix technology, by contrast, conventional extended-release nicotinic acid tablets rely on a swelling agent such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) that absorbs moisture to form a water-soluble matrix that releases nicotinic acid as the tablet erodes,” explained Joe Brunner, vice president of operations for Innovite. “However, irregular tablet erosion can lead to an unexpected release of nicotinic acid (dose dumping) and its associated side effects, including skin flushing.”
Instead, the hydrophobic vegetable wax matrix casing traps 100% of the labeled active ingredients beneath the surface and provides a steady release by utilizing the upper intestine acidic environment and body temperature to erode predictably over six to eight hours.
Within the wax matrix
Within the wax matrix is a 760 mg dose of RiaGev, a combination of Bioenergy Ribose (a 5-carbon carbohydrate that stimulates the body’s natural energy production) and nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3). First introduced in 2019, the compound has been shown to act directly on the NAD salvage pathway to efficiently boost cellular energy production in support of metabolic health.
“RiaGev is the only NAD booster that simultaneously increases NAD, ATP and GSH (Glutathione) in a single-ingredient solution,” Marianne McDonagh, vice president of sales told NutraIngredients-USA. “It elevates all three biomarkers, which are required to successfully increase NAD levels safely and effectively in the body”.
Benefits listed, including elevated energy, reduced stress and fatigue, improved concentration, and blood sugar control, are substantiated by a 2022 clinical trial published in the journal Nutrients, which concluded that “RiaGev appears to be safe and efficacious in increasing NAD+ metabolome in healthy middle-aged adults.”
“Our preclinical work indicates that RiaGev-SR enters multiple organs including the brain, liver and kidneys for more overall benefits,” Crabtree added.
