Reformulated Products Include Powerful Antioxidants, Support for Weight Management and Healthy Hair and Nails

by VRP Staff

In addition to the new pterostilbene product and the Delicious Omegas, we have reformulated a number of products. Our research and development team is continually keeping up with the newest research as well as keeping an eye out for new forms of nutrients that offer advantages over those available in the past. Consequently, ThermoLoss, Fiber-Rite, Extension Hair and Nails and Liquid Superfruit Antioxidant have all undergone changes to accommodate the latest research and the most innovative ingredients, including the most highly bioavailable form of green tea ever developed.

ThermoLoss

In developing our weight management line, our goal was to provide formulations that address all aspects of healthy weight. We addressed abdominal fat and the metabolic syndrome with Glabrinex®, balanced levels of the hunger hormone leptin with LeptinX™ and our ThermoLoss product has always been designed to address thermogenesis, the process by which the body “burns” fat. In analyzing the newest research on the most effective thermogenic ingredients, we couldn’t ignore the research that exists on Greenselect® Phytosome Green Tea. When our R&D team saw the science showing the thermogenic properties of Greenselect Phytosome Green Tea as well as evidence of its superior bioavailability, the decision was made to reformulate ThermoLoss with this powerful, weight management tool.

Greenselect Phytosome Green Tea is a caffeine-free, phospholipid-bound form of green tea that is the most highly absorbed form of green tea available. It has been shown to be a highly effective component of weight management programs. In one study, this special form of green tea was given to 50 subjects who were also put on a low-calorie diet (about 1,850 calories for men and 1,350 calories daily for women). Another 50 subjects followed the low-calorie diet only. After 90 days, significant weight loss and a decrease in body mass index (BMI) occurred in the group taking the green tea extract (14 kg loss in the green tea group compared to a 5 kg loss in the diet-only group).¹

The new ThermoLoss combines the highly bioavailable form of green tea along with L-carnitine L-tartrate, acetyl-L-carnitine and biotin. Carnitine is responsible for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the energy-producing centers of the cells known as the mitochondria. Clinical studies provide evidence that supplementary L-carnitine supports healthy fat oxidation and muscle (lean tissue) deposition, and along with a healthy diet and exercise, helps maintain a healthy body weight.^2-4

Healthy blood sugar metabolism is related to optimal weight and biotin is included in the formula due to its ability to support healthy glucose levels. In rodents, biotin helped maintain healthy glucose balance^5-6 and it also has been shown to help optimize triglyceride levels in human subjects.⁷

Together, the ingredients found in the new formulation of ThermoLoss are a powerful way to meet healthy weight goals. ThermoLoss, Glabrinex and LeptinX address several aspects of weight management for the most effective results.

Fiber-Rite

Fiber-Rite has been reformulated to include a special type of fiber known as Sunfiber® that significantly boosts health benefits. For example, unlike most fibers, which can affect the absorption of essential minerals such as magnesium and calcium, this type of fiber actually promotes the absorption of these and other beneficial minerals, ensuring the body receives the maximum benefits from the foods it digests. Sunfiber helps support regularity without overly degrading stool firmness, thus helping to eliminate the undesirable and problematic side effects of diarrhea.⁸

The reformulated Fiber-Rite capsules include a blend of guar gum, psyllium husk powder, apple pectin, prune fiber powder, citrus pectin, rice bran, and beet fiber, along with stevia extract, Fiber Aid AG® larch arabinogalactan, aloe vera powder, beet juice powder, fennel seed powder and slippery elm bark powder.

Adding a supplement source of fiber into the diet is an ideal way to support all aspects of health. Fiber has been found to be involved in many areas of optimal wellness including colon, breast and heart health and healthy blood sugar metabolism.^9-13

Extension Hair & Nails

We’ve increased the biotin in our Extension Hair & Nails from 500 mcg to 10 mg per capsule to provide even more nourishing amounts of a nutrient important for strong nails and shiny, healthy hair. Clinicians have noted faster hair growth and healthier hair in people taking biotin. According to research, supplementing with biotin also results in increased nail growth. In fact, research reveals that more than half of all subjects with brittle nails will see as much as a 25 percent improvement in nail quality—marked by significantly less splitting and greater regularity in nail bed surface cell arrangement—after treatment with biotin over six months.^14-15

In Extension Hair & Nails, biotin is combined with N-acetyl L-cysteine (NAC), inositol, PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), and silica (from bamboo), all ingredients that play a role in strong nails and healthy hair.

Liquid Superfruit Antioxidant

Liquid Superfruit Antioxidant is now new and improved with more than 20 antioxidant-rich whole fruit concentrates and extracts and no sodium benzoate. Liquid Superfruit Antioxidant is a delicious blend of exotic “superfruits” such as Açai, Noni, Mangosteen and Goji, and high-oxygen radical absorbent capacity (ORAC) fruits like pomegranate, blueberries, raspberries and tart cherries. This great-tasting liquid formula delivers a full range of beneficial phytonutrients, including anthocyanins, catechins, polysaccharides and xanthones, which are recognized for their cardioprotective, neuroprotective and immune system-supporting benefits.^16-19

References

1. Pierro FD, Menghi AB, Barreca A, Lucarelli M, Calandrelli A. GreenSelect® Phytosome as an Adjunct to a Low-Calorie Diet for Treatment of Obesity: A Clinical Trial. Alternative Medicine Review. 2009;14(2):154-60.

2. Flanagan JL, Simmons PA, Vehige J, Willcox MD, Garrett Q. Role of carnitine in disease. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010 Apr 16;7:30.

3. Cave MC, Hurt RT, Frazier TH, Matheson PJ, Garrison RN, McClain CJ, McClave SA. Obesity, inflammation, and the potential application of pharmaconutrition. Nutr Clin Pract. 2008 Feb;23(1):16-34.

4. Kuhajda FP, Ronnett GV. Modulation of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 for the treatment of obesity. Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2007;8:312-317.

5. Sugita Y, Shirakawa H, Sugimoto R, Furukawa Y, Komai M. Effect of biotin treatment on hepatic gene expression in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2008 May;72(5):1290-8.

6. Zhang H, Osada K, Sone H, Furukawa Y. Biotin administration improves the impaired glucose tolerance of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1997 Jun;43(3):271-80.

7. Revilla-Monsalve C, Zendejas-Ruiz I, Islas-Andrade S, Báez-Saldaña A, Palomino-Garibay MA, Hernández-Quiróz PM, Fernandez-Mejia C. Biotin supplementation reduces plasma triacylglycerol and VLDL in type 2 diabetic patients and in nondiabetic subjects with hypertriglyceridemia. Biomed Pharmacother. 2006 May;60(4):182-5.

8. Hara H, Nagata M, Ohta A, Kasai T. Increases in calcium absorption with ingestion of soluble dietary fibre, guar-gum hydrolysate, depend on the caecum in partially nephrectomized and normal rats. British Journal of Nutrition. 1996;76:773-784.

9. Franco A, Sikalidis AK, Solis Herruzo JA. Colorectal cancer: Influence of diet and lifestyle factors. Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 2005;97:432-448.

10. Jensen MK, Koh-Banerjee P, Hu FB, Franz M, Sampson L, Grønbaek M, Rimm EB. Intakes of whole grains, bran, and germ and the risk of coronary heart disease in men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6):1492-9.

11. Fed Reg. 1997;62(99):28234-28245.

12. Divisi D, Di Tommaso S, Salvemini S, Garramone M, Crisci R. Diet and cancer. Acta Biomed. 2006 Aug;77(2):118-23.

13. Saarinen NM, Wärri A, Airio M, Smeds A, Mäkelä S. Role of dietary lignans in the reduction of breast cancer risk. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Jul;51(7):857-66.

14. Colombo VE, Gerber F, Bronhofer M, Floersheim GL. Treatment of brittle fingernails and onychoschizia with biotin: scanning electron microscopy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1990 Dec;23(6 Pt 1):1127-32.

15. Hochman LG, Scher RK, Meyerson MS. Brittle nails: response to daily biotin supplementation. Cutis. 1993 Apr;51(4):303-5.

16. Schauss AG, Wu X, Prior RL, Ou B, Patel D, Huang D, Kababick JP. Phytochemical and nutrient composition of the freeze-dried amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart. (acai). J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Nov 1;54(22):8598-603.

17. Chen LG, Yang LL, Wang CC. Anti-inflammatory activity of mangostins from Garcinia mangostana. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Feb;46(2):688-93.

18. Ho YS, Yu MS, Lai CS, So KF, Yuen WH, Chang RC. Characterizing the neuroprotective effects of alkaline extract of Lycium barbarum on beta-amyloid peptide neurotoxicity. Brain Res. 2007 Jul 16;1158:123-34.

19. Furusawa E, Hirazumi A, Story S, Jensen J. Antitumour potential of a polysaccharide-rich substance from the fruit juice of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) on sarcoma 180 ascites tumour in mice. Phytother Res. 2003 Dec;17(10):1158-64.