The Issue:
As the “Boomer” population ages, and as the early edge of the Gen-X population begins to experience inflammatory and general soreness symptoms, there will be a strong need for anti-inflammatory products.
Medical science is finding that inflammation is not just a matter of people complaining about their “aching backs.” Inflammation has been implicated as leading to serious conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and accelerated aging. These opinions are not simple guesswork, but appear in recent articles in prestigious publications such as Neurology, Sports Medicine, Circulation and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In other words, the very conditions that the aging populations fears the most are exacerbated by untreated or poorly treated inflammation. In the case of “poorly treated” inflammation, the medicine may be worse that the disease itself.
The Problems:
There are two main problems associated with inflammatory diseases other than the fact that inflammation may lead to more serious medical conditions.
The drug of choice for people with symptoms and complaints of inflammation are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAID’s. They may or may not bring about relief, but make no mistake – they are risky.
In a 2005 article appearing in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, it was estimated that on an annual basis more than 16,500 patients die of NSAID’s in the U.S. alone. In addition, a 2012 article in the American Journal of Epidemiology and a 2013 article in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association have implicated “steroids” as causing macular degeneration and hearing loss respectively.
Not only has inflammation become a serious problem, but the “traditional” drugs used to treat them may lead to tragic outcomes.
Another problem is how people view “inflammation.” In 2012 Food & Nutrition Database market research studies, only 20 percent of the population said they were very concerned about their inflammation while 50 percent were not concerned at all. On top of that, the FDA has disallowed previous supplement phrasing in regard to preventing inflammatory responses to specific diseases.
These problems should not be regarded as major obstacles, but represent major opportunities for suppliers of natural anti-inflammatory supplements.
Exciting Research Supports Natural Alternatives:
It has been demonstrated in human clinical trials, such as in an article appearing in the October 2003, Journal of Nutrition entitled: “Anti-oxidant Effects of Tea: Evidence from Human Clinical Trials,” that foods and beverages with large quantities of naturally occurring polyphenol’s help to reduce joint, muscle or gut inflammation.
The obvious problem is that most of us don’t have the ability to drink large quantities of Black tea each day to gain the positive effect as supplements for inflammation. However, the natural active ingredient in Black tea, Theaflin, can be isolated and used as supplements for inflammation. Theaflin works as a very powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory supplement to go to the site of inflammation and to help relieve symptoms.
The result of one recent study in 2010 involving Theaflin was reported in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study where college athletes participated in rigorous exercise. One group took Theaflin anti-inflammation supplements; one did not, but neither group knew what they were taking. The results at the end of 24 and 48 hours showed that the group that took Theaflin has lower muscle soreness, lower oxidative stress and less inflammation.
The positive effects of Black tea extract are still being explored and promising research findings in animal studies have now linked Theaflin anti-inflammatory supplements for muscles to also helping central nervous system conditions and potentially, Parkinson’s disease.
Theaflin may also be used in conjunction with other natural compounds to create unique products. For example, a formulation could be created for better joint health by combining Theaflin with collagen or formulating a heart and circulatory system supplement by mixing resveratrol with Theaflin.
Approaching the Market:
The FDA guidelines prevent anti-inflammatory supplements from being marketed as preventatives stemming from a specific disease. However experts feel that there still are huge opportunities to reach consumers with supplements for inflammation.
Education on anti-inflammatory supplements is the key. There is no problem with educating your customers about inflammation and its effects on health and well-being. Inflammation has very harmful effects and those effects are known. As long as supplements for inflammation are not specifically linked to the discussion, anti-inflammatory supplements marketers and salespeople are on safe ground.
However, natural anti-inflammatory supplements can be linked to a non-disease state. For example, anti-inflammatory supplements to help maintain joint and muscle health.
To say that a natural Black tea supplement may reduce muscular soreness following rigorous exercise is an acceptable approach. It is permissible to be condition specific when marketing supplements for inflammation, as long as the condition is not the result of a disease.
As consumers increasingly seek natural alternatives and supplements for inflammation, they will find Black tea extracts to be more beneficial. Natural anti-inflammatory supplements are an exciting opportunity.