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Ingredients for an immunity story
Good nutrition is essential for a well-functioning immune system. Find out which of our ingredients could help.
04 May 2020
3 min
Telling a credible immunity story starts with trusted ingredients, backed by evidence
As consumers around the world begin to contemplate life post the Covid-19 outbreak, the heightened interest in immunity will continue to be front of mind.
As a result, consumers will be increasingly proactive when it comes improving their immunity. These behaviours are already evident in some of the world’s largest markets.
In China, almost half of consumers try to ‘eat healthier’ to address poor immunity. This is reflected in the fact that 1 in 2 Chinese consumers are actively interested in foods with immunity claims.[1]
In the West, the statistics are similar, with 56% of US and 52% of European consumers saying they have made changes to their diet to improve their immune health.[2, 3]
In China almost half of consumers, try to 'eat healthier' to address poor immunity
Mintel 2020
But as brands scramble to capitalise on these immunity needs, there is the danger that ‘fast marketing’ and poor nutritional or scientific understanding compromises their position.
We have already observed some regulatory backlash on products which have over-reached on immune claims. Every time consumers see this, it can begin to erode trust in an entire product category – let alone a brand.
So in this environment, how can our customers credibly differentiate themselves and their immunity positioned products?
As a nutrition company, our answer has always been: ingredients which are backed with scientific evidence to tell a compelling and strong story.
At NZMP we’re fortunate that the source of our ingredients, dairy milk, is a naturally nutritious product, containing bioactive components, high-quality proteins, vitamins and minerals.
This has made our job ‘easy’ because we've simply applied our innovation & technical expertise to harness what nature has given us.
To identify what products could support an immunity story from a scientific basis, we’ve pulled together a summary for you.
Our latest infographic touches on:
1. Probiotics: Both our strains BifidoB HN0019TM & LactoB HN001TM have been clinically researched to provide evidence of immunity support.
2. Prebiotics: Galacto-Oligosaccharides (GOS) promote microbiome diversity & support the growth of probiotics in the gut. Some consumers may be able to tolerate GOS better than other prebiotics like inulin or FOS.
3. Proteins: Milk is a natural source of several vitamins & minerals, meaning these micronutrients are present in many of our proteins. These can play a wide range of roles from enhancing immune cell function, supporting immune signalling and providing antioxidant effects.
4. Whey Protein: is a source of essential amino acids. These can be used by the body to synthesise key molecules like the powerful antioxidant glutathione, which play a critical role in the immune system. As the building blocks of protein, amino acid acids are also used in immune cells, hormones, signalling molecules and even antibodies.
5. Lactoferrin: An iron-binding protein with strong antioxidant properties which can protect against some types of infections by binding with harmful micro-organisms.
References
- Global Immunity Survey - FMCG Gurus 2019
- US Immunity Survey Q4 - FMCG Gurus 2019
- Defend against disease with immunity-boosting products - Mintel 2020
