New Products Research Online

Focus Nutrisoda Improves Standardized Test Scores

Ardea Beverage Co., Minneapolis, MN, has released the results of a controlled case study it recently conducted in the Cherokee County School District in South Carolina. Results from the study, which involved 200 7th grade students, show improved standardized test results.

In an attempt to identify techniques to improve academic performance, the school chose Nutrisoda to test a hypothesis regarding the impact of dietary change on academic performance. Focus Nutrisoda was chosen based on its specific blend of 12 nutrients, including a complement of B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium and L-tyrosine (an essential amino acid). The test lasted 90 days and students were divided into two groups of 100 students each. Each of the two groups received identical breakfasts during homeroom, but group A was also served an 8.4-oz. can of Focus Nutrisoda with breakfast, while group B was not.

The 100 students who consumed Focus Nutrisoda in Group A increased their state standardized test scores on average by nearly 9% over test results from their previous school year. In contrast, Group B, which did not drink Focus Nutrisoda, had an average increase of only 2.6%.

Consumption of XanGo Juice Leads to High Xanthone Absorption

In a peer-reviewed study published in the June 2007 issue of the Journal of Separation Science, researchers established a credible scientific method for testing and measuring xanthones.  Preliminary results from a separate study conducted on XanGo, LLC’s (Lehi, UT) XanGo Juice, indicate usage of the whole mangosteen fruit (Garcinia mangostana) as a delivery vehicle leads to high xanthone absorption.

In the peer-reviewed method for quantifying xanthones from the mangosteen fruit, Edward Walker, PhD, Weber State University, lead researcher on the study, used the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis to create an analytical method that accurately identifies xanthones from the rind of the mangosteen fruit. According to Dr. Walker, an 80:20 acetone/water mixture was used to extract the xanthones from dried, ground whole mangosteen fruit rind.

Research lab ChromaDex developed the standards, and in accordance with AOAC protocol, performed a single lab validation to quantify xanthones through comparison measurement of detector response factors of individual xanthones. Dr. Walker said the research team chose the whole mangosteen fruit rind as the starting point because it holds the highest concentration of xanthones in their natural, unaltered state.

A pre-clinical, preliminary 28-day study of XanGo Juice by Charles River Laboratories Montreal identified the bioavailability of xanthones to determine how many xanthones are actually absorbed and the pathway they travel. Study director Susan McPherson, MSc, senior research scientist at Charles River Laboratories, said preliminary research findings demonstrate that the proprietary whole fruit formula in XanGo Juice leads to high levels of xanthone absorption.

Ongoing research shows high absorption of xanthones in defined dosages, with elements of the whole mangosteen fruit as a delivery vehicle. Unnaturally elevated levels of xanthone consumption actually were shown to result in decreased absorption efficiency. Preliminary results also showed long-term daily consumption of XanGo Juice to increase levels of xanthones in the blood.

“This is an issue of quality over quantity,” said Mike Pugh, manager, research and development at XanGo. “These preliminary findings add further context to the published xanthone measurement study. Ongoing research shows artificially inflating or manipulating a product with xanthone extracts may not add any value. The mangosteen presents more value in its whole fruit form, as presented in XanGo Juice. There are many other phytochemicals found in the fruit that have beneficial effects which are lost in extraction or jeopardized when the natural balance of the fruit is manipulated.”

Low Glycemic Diet Works Better than Low-fat Diet for High Insulin Secretors

A low glycemic index (GI) diet is gaining credit as an effective weight management method after a recent study, involving 73 obese adults, aged between 18 to 35 years, at the Children’s Hospital Boston, showed greater weight loss among participants who followed a low glycemic load (GL) diet over a low-fat diet. After 18 months on a low GL diet, high insulin secretors lost fives time more weight (12.8 lbs/5.8kg) compared to the high insulin secretors who followed a low fat diet (2.6 lbs/1.2kg). Those on the low GL diet also had significantly greater decreases in body-fat percentage (-2.6% vs. -0.9%) and did not regain weight between 6 and 18 months—a time when regain virtually always occurs. The results suggest that dieters who have struggled to lose weight in the past may be able to overcome the diet challenge with a simple oral glucose tolerance blood test and a low GL diet based on low GI carbohydrate food choices.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) May 16, 2007, also reported that all participants who followed a low GL diet (regardless of insulin secretion), showed beneficial effects on HDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, known risk factors for diseases, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

SoLo Gi Low Glycemic Nutrition & Snack Bars, from Solo GI Nutrition, Edmonton, Canada, were used in the study at the Children’s Hospital Boston. SoLo Gi bars are designed to be a healthy alternative to high GI snacks, making it easy to follow a low GI/GL diet, without having to do the math.

Cran-Max Outperforms PAC Cranberry Extract in Preventing Recurrent UTIs

The results of a recently published clinical study has shown that the patented Cran-Max Cranberry Supplement is nearly twice as effective as a cranberry extract capsule in reducing the recurrence of lower urinary tract infections (UTIs). Over the study period, only 11% of patients taking the Cran-Max supplement (brand name GynDelta) suffered a recurrent UTI, compared with nearly 19% of patients taking a cranberry extract containing 36 mg of pro-anthocyanidins (PACs), and 43% of patients taking placebo.

The randomized, double-blind study was conducted over a period of 45 days at the A. Fournier Institute in Paris. It included 120 female subjects who had experienced more than six lower UTIs during the last 12 months. Each subject was given a post-coital dose of either one Cran-Max/GynDelta capsule, one capsule of cranberry extract containing PAC, or one placebo capsule.

Published in the January 2007 edition of The Gynaecologist’s and Obstetrician’s Journal, Dr. Jean-Marc Bohbot detailed the study conclusions. “GynDelta proved its efficacy in the prevention of lower urinary tract infections after a single, post-coital dose with a greater level of statistical significance than cranberry containing 36 mg of PAC compared with placebo.” 

Proprietary Nutritionals, Inc., a subsidiary of Pharmachem Laboratories, Inc., Kearny, NJ, markets Cran-Max in conjunction with its partner, Insure Your Health, LLC, Venice, FL. Cran-Max, made from the whole cranberry, uses the patented Bio-Shield technology to protect the cranberry from destruction by gastric acid, so it can be delivered to the gastrointestinal tract for maximum effect.