Now that Ingredients by Nature has achieved its patent on Eriomin, a lemon-derived flavonoid extract, IBN president Rob Brewster said it’s onward and upward for the latest in a long line of flavonoid products developed by his family’s company.
 
Just a few years ago, Eriomin was subject to its first clinical study, which provided significant evidence that the formula has a role in regulating the blood glucose levels in participants with prediabetes, a condition found in one in three American adults. Prediabetic individuals have elevated blood glucose levels, and are at a greater risk of projection to type 2 diabetes, though they are often symptom-free.
 
The human clinical, involving 103 subjects given three different dosages of Eriomin, found decreases in a host of prediabetic symptoms despite a lack of intervention in diet, lifestyle, or any other factors.
 
“What we found most surprising was that the smallest dose, at 200 mg, was actually more effective than the higher dosages, and completely reversed prediabetes in 27% of the 200 mg group,” Brewster said.
 
Across the entire range of dosages, the average rate at which prediabetes was completely reversed was 24%. Additionally, all volunteers that supplemented with Eriomin saw improvements in key biomarkers that were measured, including blood glucose (-5%), insulin resistance (-7%), glucose intolerance (-7%), glycated hemoglobin (-2%), glucagon (-6.5%), C-peptide (-5%), hsCRP (-12%), interleukin-6 (-13%), TNFα (-11%), lipid peroxidation (-17%), systolic blood pressure (-8%), GLP-1 (+15%), adiponectin (+19%), and antioxidant capacity (+6%)
 
‘Blanket Support’
It was actually through a second trial, though, that Ingredients by Nature was able to secure its Eriomin patent. Hisperidin, another citrus flavonoid, was already a clinically-supported blood glucose-reducer, however, Eriomin’s mechanism of action was proven to be more multi-faceted, and connected to additional health benefits such as anti-inflammation and the promotion of antioxidant activity.
 
“To put it simply, it provides more of a blanket support for these symptoms,” Brewster said. “A third human clinical trial, which was a crossover rather than parallel study—not to diminish the first one by any means—showed consistent results among 50 participants severely affected by glycemia compared to placebo.”
 
Currently, Eriomin is available in capsules, tablets, or as a dispersible powder for beverages and foods. Some benefits as a food ingredient include its masking property for bitter flavor profiles, a neutral taste, and its potential use as a natural preservative.
 
In addition to providing a role in the supplementation of such a huge portion of aging adults in the U.S., Ingredients By Nature is also appealing to younger crowds who may need to think about healthy aging supplements early on in life: “E-sports” competitors heavily devoted to organized gaming competitions.
 
“E-sport athletes often live very sedentary lifestyles, and often, their diet is not where it needs to be,” Brewster said. “Younger populations living this lifestyle often have to worry about prediabetes at an early age, and we believe Eriomin can be used alone or in combinations with other functional ingredients we offer. Using the formula can help with macular degeneration by managing oxidative stress, and tinnitus by maintaining inflammation levels within normal range, which is understood to help minimize the effects of ear damage due to extended headphone use. We’re initially focusing on Eriomin Esport as a standalone or added into other blood glucose control formulas, to target vision, joint health, ear health,” and anti-inflammatory response.
 
Future formulations, market segment targets, and research are in-bound for Eriomin and a host of other lemon flavonoids that Ingredients By Nature has spent years working with.
 
Next Level Science
Formed in 2016, Ingredients by Nature is a joint company founded by Brewster Nutrition and Syntech International. Brewster Nutrition has been formulating flavonoid and plant extract nutraceuticals since the 1930s, originally focusing its research on alfalfa, tomatoes, and other vegetables, before extending into citrus extracts in the 1950s.
 
“Since IBN formed, we’ve been taking flavonoid sciences to the next level,” Brewster said. “We’ve had a very specific focus on citrus flavonoids such as eriocitrin … But we have four different flavonoids currently being assessed in human clinical trials. We know the potential of them already, and there will be more exciting developments to come.”