At this year’s Vitafoods Europe, Euromed will showcase its expanding portfolio of natural extracts that are based on the beneficial ingredients found in the Mediterranean diet. Alongside olive, fig and pomegranate fruit extracts, the leading manufacturer of standardised botanical extracts will present artichoke-derived Cynamed. Visitors to the Euromed booth will learn more about the recent scientific results, health benefits and possible applications of these high-quality extracts in pharmaceuticals, functional foods, beverages and nutritional supplements.
A Mediterranean diet is rich in health-promoting ingredients such as unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, carotenoids, phytosterols and non-digestible carbohydrates. These valuable components provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic effects that are represented in Euromed’s Pomanox, Mediteanox, ABAlife and Cynamed extracts.
One of the most important age-related changes in the cardiovascular system is endothelial dysfunction. Pomanox is a full-spectrum polyphenol pomegranate extract with clinically proven heart health and anti-ageing benefits. As an anti-inflammatory, it lowers both blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and helps to improve endothelial health. In addition, it works as an antioxidant and has a positive effect on cognitive function, endurance and mood. The source of these benefits are punicalagins, pomegranate-derived water-soluble polyphenols. Patented water-only extraction allows to obtain an extra safe product, free from toxic alkaloids potentially related to alcoholic solvents.
The natural olive fruit extract Mediteanox offers another healthy ageing effect. Based on its high standardised content of hydroxytyrosol — a powerful natural antioxidant polyphenol — Mediteanox is clinically proven to enhance blood circulation and reduce LDL cholesterol oxidation levels, providing protection from atherosclerosis.
Euromed owns a patent-protected process to prepare Secret to Live, an extra virgin olive oil enriched with Mediteanox to support cardiovascular health. With ten times more antioxidants than conventional non-fortified olive oils, a human intervention study with Secret to Live suggests that an intake of just 20 ml/day reduces the oxidation of bad cholesterol by 35% compared with an estimated intake of 0.5 l/day of regular extra virgin olive oil.
According to EFSA, olive oil polyphenols (antioxidants) contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. To bear this claim, the daily intake must contain at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives in 20 ml of olive oil. Approved for both the EU and US, the physical properties of the oil and taste are unaffected by the enrichment process and the suggested daily dose of 20 ml of Secret to Live delivers 5 mg of natural hydroxytyrosol.
For natural blood sugar control, Euromed offers ABAlife, a patented extract of Spanish fig fruit. Purified using a carefully controlled process to achieve a high, standardised abscisic acid (ABA) content. ABA is a plant hormone that plays an important role in managing blood glucose homeostasis. Oral supplementation helps to improve ABA levels in the body, promotes glycaemic control and enhances insulin efficiency. Dietary supplements or functional foods with ABAlife can potentially counteract conditions related to insulin resistance, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity.
Cynamed is a new water-soluble artichoke extract with significant prebiotic potential that complements artichoke’s traditional digestive benefits. With inulin and caffeoylquinic acids, Cynamed may contribute to a well-balanced gut flora and a healthy digestive tract. A special process preserves the natural characteristics of inulin and makes it ideal for a variety of food and dietary supplement applications.
Interested visitors can get further information from the company’s experts at booth B60 or during a presentation by Andrea Zangara, Scientific Marketing Manager at Euromed. He will give a lecture in the Ingredients Zone Theatre on extracting the health properties of Euromed’s Mediterranean fruit extracts.
