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THE TOMATO SUNSCREEN SECRET Why is it that tomatoes don’t suffer from blistering sunburn? Does Maca, a Peruvian root vegetable grown at high altitudes, really improve potency? And can the pomegranate help women through the menopause? These are just a few of the tantalising questions whose answers might lead natural product manufacturers to the next hot products we’ll be seeing in health food shops. With the St. John’s Wort and ginkgo biloba sales explosion over, what is now underway is wholesale scrutiny—including some serious clinical scrutiny—of folk remedies, including those pejoratively labeled old wives’ tales. Industry experts say that vitamins and minerals have been so exhaustively researched that they’re unlikely to hold any startling new discoveries. Phytochemicals, the plant chemicals in fruits and vegetables, will bring new products to the fore. But botanicals are really opening up a wondrous new arena with literally thousands of herbs just waiting to be analysed. And what is currently driving the industry is the promise held by those herbs. Natural product manufacturers often turn to raw materials suppliers to net their ingredients from the far-flung countries where they are indigenous. And while these suppliers are usually more merchants than romantic Indiana Joneses, some, like French-born Marie-Anne Baudet of Lalilab Inc. in North Carolina, have the explorer’s zeal. A modern day sleuth armed with passion and a computer, she travels extensively looking for ingredients fom a network of "friends" in India, China, South America and Europe. She and her husband/ partner, Michel Baudet, learned of the root vegetable, Maca, because a small Peruvian natural product company they purchased manufactures Maca extract. Nicknamed ‘the Ginseng of the Andes’, it has legendary status in Peru as a fertility enhancer for males, females and cattle. Mark Le Doux, founder of Natural Alternatives International (N.A.I.) in California, has spent 20 years trying to develop natural alternatives to what he calls, ‘dangerous drugs.’ He was a young operating room technician when he first began studying alternative remedies, many of which hailed from England in the 1600s to 1800s: During the past 18 months, N.A.I. has completed 16 clinical studies. Natural products manufacturers paying for costly clinical trials is a relatively new phenomenon, but times are changing. "A lot of study has been undertaken in the last few years that started based on kind of old wives’ tales," says industry consultant, Danny Wells. He points out that his industry is still just 2% the size of the grocery industry, and approximately 8% the size of the drug industry. Yet some natural product manufacturers want to prove their products’ efficacy in carefully controlled clinical studies at recognized U.S. institutions whose work will be accepted by the scientific community. Drug companies spend big on research because they stand to make millions on proprietary products. Natural product manufacturers who fund expensive research have to look to other ways of ensuring a pay-off. Securing patent protection for their ‘methods of use’ is one answer. Meanwhile, we customers are left floundering in a sea of similar-sounding products. "You can get very, very different qualities of the herbs," says Danny Wells. "That’s the major issue right now, getting enough of the quality active ingredients in the product. Sometimes in these really hot markets there’s a short supply like there was with St. John’s Wort. There was product out there and you could still label it St. John’s Wort and it wouldn’t do anything for you." Nevertheless, it is an interesting time on the cutting edge of the dietary supplements world. "For instance, you never see a tomato with a sunburn," says Mark Le Doux, "and there’s a reason for this. If you eat tomato sauce, your chances of developing skin cancers is apparently greatly reduced. And the substance found in the tomato is lycopene." N.A.I. uses lycopene as an antioxidant in supplements because some studies indicate that it helps to prevent ultraviolet radiation damage to our skin’s dermal layer – beneath the outer layer. "It’s beyond comprehension how fascinating it is," says Le Doux. "We’re developing skin protection factor from the inside out, all from natural substances. It’s a nifty approach." His company is undertaking a clinical study with California’s prestigious Scripps Institute involving lycopene and lutein, another pigment which helps protect plants against ultraviolet radiation damage. Research suggests lutein might have potential to help slow the development of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in older Americans and there is currently no cure. Another ingredient to watch is the green tea extract EGCg (Epi Gallo Catechin g) which studies indicate may have cancer-fighting qualities. It was back in the early ‘90s when the gentle waves of growth in the natural products business turned into more of a tidal wave. A slew of new star products converged, all capturing massive press coverage. "We had melatonin, DHEA, St. John’s Wort and ginkgo biloba all back to back," says Danny Wells, "virtually driving new waves of people in." However, Lalilab’s Marie-Anne Baudet cautions that natural remedies and dietary supplements aren’t magic bullets and won’t satisfy customers who only buy wanting a quick fix. "Dietary supplements offer more of a prevention," she says, "a longterm benefit. And science has made so much progress, we’re used to getting results very fast. Well, that is not exactly the purpose of dietary supplements." MACA (Lepidium meyenii): A l961 Peruvian study found it increased fertility in rats. Other scientific studies are underway in Peru to determine Maca’s benefits. GREEN TEA: A l997 study by dermatology professor, Hasan Mukhtar Ph.D., of Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University showed it to be effective in fighting cancer cells in skin, lymph and prostate samples. Dr Mukhtar isolated a primary polyphenol in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCg) which significantly inhibited the growth of tumours. A recent study by Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute involving cancer cells in animals found that green tea and EGCg inhibit angiogenesis, the process by which a tumour develops its own blood supply, and which is necessary to its growth. This suggests that it might be helpful to prevent and treat angiogenesis-dependent diseases including cancer and blindness caused by diabetes. But more research is needed. Indeed, in an analysis of 28 green tea studies, only 17 showed a link between the drink and decreased cancer rates. The US’s National Cancer Institute is preparing to study green tea’s tumour-fighting effects on cancer patients. LYCOPENE: A University of Toronto study, part-funded by Heinz Canada, confirmed that lycopene lowers the risk of some diseases, including cancer and heart disease. The research also confirmed that drinking about two glasses of tomato juice daily was beneficial. LUTEIN: The US’s National Eye Institute is now conducting a large clinical study to assess whether antioxidants and/or zinc can slow AMD’s development and progress. The N.E.I. is also studying the possibility that deficiencies in lutein and another carotenoid antioxidant, zeaxanthin—which protect the macula by absorbing blue light and quenching active free radicals—may contribute to the deveopment of AMD. It is currently developing a research protocol to best evaluate the effect of lutein and zeaxanthin on AMD. Egg yolks and corn are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin as are red grapes, orange juice and zucchini. LUTEIN, LYCOPENE AND PHYTOCHEMICAL EXTRACTS:
POMEGRANATE SEEDS: ASTRAGULUS: FRUITS AND VEGGIES: One preliminary study with the Arizona Prevention Center at the University of Arizona focused on 46 people ages 60-86 and in good health. Scientists concluded that multiple immune functions were improved with the supplement. A tangential study of 20 of the same subjects conducted by scientists at Brigham Young University found that taking the fruit and vegetable extracts for 80 days reduced levels of DNA damage in lymphocytes by approximately 60%. Such damage is believed to contribute to the development of cancer. Daily
Telegraph, UK, 1999 |