10.03.23
Booth 2445
At SupplySide West, DolCas Biotech will showcase results of a clinical study evaluating the efficacy of a high-potency ginger extract called Ginfort in reducing menstrual cramps. Ginfort is standardized to contain greater than 26% gingeroids, and is concentrated with the oleoresin of ginger.
Primary dysmenorrhea, a clinical term for pre-menstrual syndrome, affects between 45% and 95% of women in their reproductive years. PMS is primarily expressed by lower abdominal cramps that span from two or three days to two weeks, along with additional symptoms such as nausea, headache, vomiting, and/or back pain.
In the study, published in The Open Access Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 50 female subjects between the ages of 18 and 35 who suffered from recurrent, moderately intense menstrual cramps for at least six periods, and with no identifiable non-hormonal cause received either a placebo or 100 mg of Ginfort twice a day for two consecutive periods. Pain was measured via two methods during each period: the Visual Analogue Score (VAS) and verbal multidimensional scoring system (VMS) as the secondary outcome. Changes in accompanying symptoms were also assessed.
The results demonstrated that Ginfort supplementation was associated with an 84% reduction in spasms after two months of continuous dosing. Nausea was completely eliminated in the 80% of women who were effected by it at baseline, and remained absent through the eight-week intervention. Marked improvements were also observed in vomiting, diarrhea, and lower back pain in those who received Ginfort.
Excessive inflammatory uterine prostaglandin secretion, particularly PGE2 and PGF2, are believed to lie behind the acute uterine muscle contractions, leading to cramps and other discomforts.
“The nutraceuticals sector is now actively showing interest in addressing women’s health, particularly menstrual stress which affects many women in the prime of their lives,” said Dr. Shavon Jackson-Michel, director of medical and scientific affairs for DolCas Biotech, LLC. ”For many in this demographic, PMS has not been satisfactorily addressed in the botanical space. There is still a need for safe and effective alternative therapies.”
“Ginfort is the first formulated ginger active to be studied for its ongoing positive affect on PMS,” Jackson-Michel continued. “Previous studies focused more on the root’s short-term ‘quick-shot’ action. While acute-dose studies can be useful in targeting the seemingly fleeting nature of premenstrual discomforts, they still lack consideration of the dance of hormones, lifestyle factors, and genetic predispositions that put some women at greater risk for unhealthy prostaglandin and leukotriene imbalances in the first place.”
Ginfort is believed to suppress the synthesis of COX-2 enzymes into inflammatory prostaglandins, however, the lack of standardization and poor stability of ginger extracts have limited its health applications – according to DolCas, however, Ginfort overcomes these challenges.
“Ginfort is our first product clinically researched to support women’s health,” said Jackson-Michel. “The study delivered the validation sought by nutraceutical companies targeting natural solutions in the women’s health and PMS-support domain and marks our entry into this nascent space.”
At SupplySide West, DolCas Biotech will showcase results of a clinical study evaluating the efficacy of a high-potency ginger extract called Ginfort in reducing menstrual cramps. Ginfort is standardized to contain greater than 26% gingeroids, and is concentrated with the oleoresin of ginger.
Primary dysmenorrhea, a clinical term for pre-menstrual syndrome, affects between 45% and 95% of women in their reproductive years. PMS is primarily expressed by lower abdominal cramps that span from two or three days to two weeks, along with additional symptoms such as nausea, headache, vomiting, and/or back pain.
In the study, published in The Open Access Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 50 female subjects between the ages of 18 and 35 who suffered from recurrent, moderately intense menstrual cramps for at least six periods, and with no identifiable non-hormonal cause received either a placebo or 100 mg of Ginfort twice a day for two consecutive periods. Pain was measured via two methods during each period: the Visual Analogue Score (VAS) and verbal multidimensional scoring system (VMS) as the secondary outcome. Changes in accompanying symptoms were also assessed.
The results demonstrated that Ginfort supplementation was associated with an 84% reduction in spasms after two months of continuous dosing. Nausea was completely eliminated in the 80% of women who were effected by it at baseline, and remained absent through the eight-week intervention. Marked improvements were also observed in vomiting, diarrhea, and lower back pain in those who received Ginfort.
Excessive inflammatory uterine prostaglandin secretion, particularly PGE2 and PGF2, are believed to lie behind the acute uterine muscle contractions, leading to cramps and other discomforts.
“The nutraceuticals sector is now actively showing interest in addressing women’s health, particularly menstrual stress which affects many women in the prime of their lives,” said Dr. Shavon Jackson-Michel, director of medical and scientific affairs for DolCas Biotech, LLC. ”For many in this demographic, PMS has not been satisfactorily addressed in the botanical space. There is still a need for safe and effective alternative therapies.”
“Ginfort is the first formulated ginger active to be studied for its ongoing positive affect on PMS,” Jackson-Michel continued. “Previous studies focused more on the root’s short-term ‘quick-shot’ action. While acute-dose studies can be useful in targeting the seemingly fleeting nature of premenstrual discomforts, they still lack consideration of the dance of hormones, lifestyle factors, and genetic predispositions that put some women at greater risk for unhealthy prostaglandin and leukotriene imbalances in the first place.”
Ginfort is believed to suppress the synthesis of COX-2 enzymes into inflammatory prostaglandins, however, the lack of standardization and poor stability of ginger extracts have limited its health applications – according to DolCas, however, Ginfort overcomes these challenges.
“Ginfort is our first product clinically researched to support women’s health,” said Jackson-Michel. “The study delivered the validation sought by nutraceutical companies targeting natural solutions in the women’s health and PMS-support domain and marks our entry into this nascent space.”