Antioxidant supplement launch helps Progressive Laboratories revamp professional product line
Called Antioxidant Resiliance, the formula features Kyowa Hakko’s Setria branded form of glutathione and Seppic’s Extramel, a branded form of superoxide dismutase (SOD) derived from melons. The product provides some of the key pillars in addressing the body’s antioxidant needs, said Terry Shirvani, ND, director of product innovation for Progressive Labs.
Primary antioxidants
“SOD and glutathione participate in a variety of ways in cellular activities,” Shirvani told NutraIngredients-USA. “There are three basic antioxidants or families of antioxidants: SOD, catalase and perioxidases of which glutathione is one.
“They are known as the primary antioxidants because they are the first line of protection or defense from the free radicals the body makes in the process of making ATP in the mitochondria. The faster our cells go, the faster we make these radical oxygen species, and if we don’t deal with those, we have another reaction making radicals that are even more damaging,” he said.
“People who are very active are in a sense more vulnerable to this kind of damage,” Shirvani said.
The formula also features a “Cell Resilience Blend” which is a combination of botanicals known for their antioxidant potential. The main ingredient is a green tea extrat standardized to polyphenol content. Other ingredients include grape seed extract, pomegranate, broccoli, kale, apple skin extract, blueberry and quercetin.
Old line, new approach
The new supplement is part of a line sold through healthcare professionals that has been part of the Progessive Labs lineup for years, Shirvani said. The company is revamping the line because it had fallen behind the times.
“Progressive Labs is a family owned business that has been around for more than 40 years. We do have a practioner only product line and I was hired to upgrade the line because it had gotten stuck in the past. If you don’t keep up, you become obsolete. I was formulator at Life Extension. Life Extension has a very specific model and Progressive Labs wanted me to bring elements of that model here,” Shirvani said.
Shirvani said the new product fits into his vision of optimum supplementation for most individuals. Antioxidant support is often mentioned in conjunction with sports nutrition or active lifestyle products, but he believes all consumers could benefit.
“The standard American diet is just so poor that we are falling behind nutritionally. It’s just a fact. I’d recommend everyone get a digestivie enzyme, take probiotics whether in form of a supplement or a food, take a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement of some kind and get some antioxidant support,” he said.
“At Progressive Labs our main customers are chiropractors, and chiropractors see a wide variety of patients, so this new product is really for everybody,” Shirvani said.
