Gadot Emphasizes Mineral Quartet for Bone Health
Leading global mineral supplier provides organic citrates to support bone health in women.
(HAIFA BAY, ISRAEL) Feb. 21 – As adverse bone conditions such as osteoporosis continue to affect approximately 200 million individuals globally, Ohad Cohen, chief executive officer of Israel-based Gadot Biochemical Industries, has called for the natural products industry to focus on a quartet of organic citrates, calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, zinc citrate and potassium citrate when developing bone support formulas.
“Bone degradation conditions such as brittle, porous bone cause nearly nine million fractures annually, which is basically a bone fracture every three seconds around the globe,” Cohen says. “With the significant impact of bone diseases and low food/beverage product launches with bone health claims, food and beverage brands have innovation opportunities to fill this wide-open niche.”
According to Mintel’s report, Nutrition watch: bone health over the previous five years, only 1% of new food, beverage and vitamin and mineral supplement product launches globally have carried bone health claims. “Here, not only supplements can fill the gap, but nutritional and meal replacement drinks and plant-based beverages are ripe areas for development,” says Cohen.
While vitamins D and K2 and the mineral calcium are excellent for bones and very well known, so too are magnesium, zinc, and potassium, less famous for their benefits for bone health. According to Cohen, there is substantive evidence for each in bone support for food and beverage products.
Controlling and maintaining magnesium homeostasis represents a helpful intervention to maintain bone integrity. Magnesium deficiency contributes to osteoporosis directly by acting on bone cells, and indirectly by impacting the secretion and the activity of parathyroid hormone and by promoting low grade inflammation. Overall, controlling and maintaining magnesium homeostasis represents a helpful intervention to maintain bone integrity.1
Researchers report an inverse relationship between serum magnesium concentration and vascular calcification. The authors write, “data from observational clinical studies showing that the serum magnesium concentration is inversely correlated with vascular calcification. The impact of magnesium in vascular calcification in humans could be studied in association with calcium levels, for example, as the magnesium: calcium ratio.”2
Potassium also has been demonstrated to contribute to healthy bone maintenance. One study reviewed research looking at the effect of potassium citrate on postmenopausal bone health. Supplementation with potassium has been proposed to limit the loss of bone mineral density (osteopenia progression).
According to the researchers, their study was the first to show that potassium (citrate form) inhibits osteoclastogenesis and that their results provide a basis for the use of potassium citrate in maintaining bone health.3
Zinc, often thought of as the “immune-support” mineral, is also shown to be of value in protecting bone health, especially in women. Zinc is abundant in bone and is thought to be a local regulator of bone cells. Zinc is known to play a role in the regulation of bone homeostasis by stimulating osteoblastic bone formation and mineralization, while simultaneously inhibiting osteoclastic bone resorption. This is the mechanism of action of how zinc protects healthy bone in women. Authors of one review concluded that “Zinc compounds may be designed as new supplementation factor in the prevention and therapy of osteoporosis.” 4
“Each of these minerals has a role to support bone health in women in the perimenopause and menopause stages,” Cohen said. “There is still room for innovation in new product development in food and drink and nutraceuticals, which are economical ways for women in peri- and post-menopause to support bone health as they age.”
Formulators need not look any further than Gadot Biochemical Industries, which provides the quartet of mineral citrates for women’s bone health products.
Calcium and magnesium citrates are available in various grades for specific applications: dairy fortification, fruit preps, beverage powder, tablets, capsules, meal replacement and sports nutrition. Potassium citrate is suitable for beverages and juices.
Zinc citrate is available for supplements, capsules, tablets, dry blends and gummies.
“With Gadot citrates as part of supplement formulations, women across the globe can enjoy supporting their bone health in a wide variety of ways,” Cohen said.
Gadot is approaching its 60th anniversary, delivering highly bioavailable ingredients, including tailor-made solutions, soluble minerals, and ingredient-base blends. Gadot consistently expands its offerings based on market demand. For more information, visit www.gadotbio.com or contact Eva Criado, marketing manager at [email protected]
References
1 Castiglioni et al., “Magnesium and Osteoporosis: Current State of Knowledge and Future Research Directions” Nutrients 2013 Jul 31;5(8):3022-33.
2 Villa-Bellosta R (2017) "Impact of magnesium: calcium ratio on calcification of the aortic wall" PLoS ONE 2017 12(6): e0178872.
3 Granchi, “Potassium citrate prevents increased osteoclastogenesis resulting from acidic conditions: Implication for the treatment of postmenopausal bone loss” PloS ONE 2017 12(7)
4 Yamaguchi, “Role of nutritional zinc in the prevention of osteoporosis” Mol Cell Biochem 2010 338:241-254
