Is Rhodiola on the Road to Extinction?
Due to Rhodiola rosea products being better protected by CITES, the price of Rhodiola rosea can be expected to increase, as it will become a rarer and less easily attainable extract. However, we can also expect that Rhodiola rosea will be able to grow better in the wild as it is now conserved by the CITES trade agreement.
We at Nutraceuticals like to do things a bit different and provide our customers with the tools to make an intelligent choice.
Do you know your Micron, Micrometre, μm, and Mesh Size?
We try and explain the small things that mean so much.
What is a micron?
We at Nutraceuticals like to do things a bit different and provide our customers with the tools to make an intelligent choice.
This small, odd-looking ‘new’ berry is thought to have originated millennia ago in the frozen wilderness of Siberia and carried by birds to the northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido, where it was named ‘haskap’ by the indigenous Ainu people, who claimed it as the “the elixir of life and berry of good eyesight”.1,2
A range of skin-loving ingredients from Nutraceuticals
By Jess Martin – Quality System Analyst
Nutritional supplements benefit our bodies both on the inside and outside. A popular and ever in demand ingredient is collagen due to its links in reducing photoaging and promoting youthful-looking skin. However, there are many ingredients that contribute to and promote the production of collagen that shouldn’t be overlooked.
L-Lysine
L-Lysine is an essential amino acid, and one that is necessary in the production of collagen. Collagen is the protein responsible for the shape and mechanical properties of our skin tissue and Lysine is critical for its synthesis and function. It’s essential in the structure of collagen as it acquires numerous enzymatic modifications (post-translational modifications), particularly those that allow links between collagen chains.
L-Lysine can also inhibit collagenases, which are a group of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), which are the main type of enzymes responsible for collagen degradation.
By being able to reduce collagen breakdown, L-Lysine is an excellent companion in supporting wound healing and slowing down the physical symptoms of ageing skin. On the epidermis level, it can facilitate cell proliferation, reduce inflammation, angiogenesis (vascularisation) and has the potential to have antimicrobial effects.
With the world turning more towards a healthier, vegan-friendly and more sustainable diet, it is important to look towards obtaining protein from alternative sources, other than meat and fish. A popular vegan protein source amongst health-conscious individuals are Pea Protein, Brown rice protein and Quinoa Flour, however, there are many other high-quality protein sources that you may not be aware of yet.
What is Vegan Collagen?
Unfortunately, plants do not grow their own collagen. That said, it is exciting to see advancements in science and in recent news it has been reported that researchers have created some genetically modified collagen, using the bacteria P.pastoris [7].
However, what is commercially available, is our Nutraceuticals Base Blend composed of the many amino acids found in fish/bovine collagen (see Table 1) in combination with a number of vitamins, minerals, and herbals as well as sodium hyaluronate which may promote collagen production or optimize skin health generally
Whether it’s Green Tea, Artichoke Leaf, or White Willow Bark Extract 4:1 (Salix alba) Herbal Extracts are where our heart lies and a big part of our character here at Nutraceuticals. In our latest animation, we ask what are extracts and what is the difference between standardised and unstandardised extracts.
What are digestive enzymes and why do we need them?
Enzymes are also known as biological catalysts – increasing the speed of a chemical reaction but without ever being used up in the process. Enzymes have active sites made up of amino acids which are responsible for binding to their specific substrate. Once bound, the substrate is turned into product and the enzyme is free to catalyse other molecules.