From menstrual blood to confronting conversations about mental health, 2024 has been the year to break taboos both in the wider zeitgeist and in the supplement industry too. These are some ingredients with research behind them that you can add to your taboo-busting products.
Mental wellbeing
KSM-66® Ashwagandha (P11206 ORG / P11697 CONVENTIONAL) - This ingredient precedes itself, it is the perfect ingredient to use in a mental health product. It has been studied countless times for its positive effects not only on anxiety and stress but also sleep and general wellbeing too. 125mg - 300mg twice/ day is the studied dose for this product which fits perfectly into capsules. Furthermore, it is a fairly neutral Ashwagandha extract so it can be used in blends too.
Theagreen™ (P11841 40%/ P15755 60% )- This is an ideal ingredient for food supplement products that want to focus on mental health. Theagreen(r) is sourced from green tea meaning that it is not novel in food supplements. We have two product available, a 40% and a 60% standardized version which makes formulation free from guess-work. Theanine has been studied at 200-400mg/ day and shows promise for being able to decrease stress and anxiety in people who are exposed to stressful situations.
Sexual health
Maca (P13209 ORG powder/ P1301 powder/ P1335 extract 10:1) - Maca is an ever-popular ingredient in the men's sexual health space for good reason, it has been studied for its effects on libido. In a clinical study from 2016, it was found that taking maca helped to improve sexual desire, mood and energy too.
Panax ginseng (P17443 Extract 4:1/ P07138 5% extract) - Ginseng has been a popular addition to blends for mood and cognition but it has also now been shown to be beneficial for supporting Ginseng has been studied and shown to support libido in menopausal women too.
Menstrual health
Vitamin E (P2218 (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl) Acetate/ P22193 D‐α Tocopheryl Acid Succinate) - In a recent study for 1,002 healthy female participants (age 15-30) it was found that supplementation with 200-900 IU of vitamin E significantly reduced primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain).
Iron (P0603 Fumarate/ Bisglycinate P14923/ P0614 Glycinate/ P06042 Sulphate) - it is really important that menstruating people ensure that they do not become anaemic while they are menstruating, supplementing with iron supplements is a good way to ensure that those levels don't drop.