The new branded ingredient - Sendara - uses two of the company's existing products: Sensoril, a mood enhancer, and Capros, an antioxidant. According to NutraGenesis, the combination of these two patented extracts can help maintain beauty by acting both internally and externally: it helps combat stress, which is thought to be a major contributor to physical signs of aging; and it helps fight against external causes of aging, such as exposure to the sun or poor nutrition. Stress relief The anti-stress component of the new product comes from the company's branded ingredient Seonsoril, an extract of the 'mood food' Ashwagandha (withania somnifera). Ashwanganhda has been used by ayurvedic practitioners in its native India for thousands of years. Its root is rich in flavonoids and steroidal lactones called withanolides, which are thought to have a number of beneficial properties, including anti-stress, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, mental cognition-boosting, immune-enhancing, and rejuvenating. NutraGenesis obtains its ashwanganhda from cultivated sources in India, where it is extracted from the root and the leaf using a patented process involving water and methanol. According to NutraGenesis' director of scientific affairs Bruce Abedon, the efficacy of the company's ashwanganhda extract was recently supported by a double blind placebo-controlled study, due to be published next month in the peer reviewed Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association. The study's findings, he said, revealed that 125mg of Sensoril produced "significant" decreases in subjective parameters of stress, such as fatigue and anxiety. It was also found to reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, and to increase levels of the antiaging hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). In addition, Sensoril was shown to reduce levels of C-Reactive Protein, a market of systemic inflammation in the body. Antioxidant Sendara also acts as an antioxidant due to the Capros ingredient it contains. Capros is NutraGenesis' branded extract of the superfruit Amla, or Indian Gooseberry (phyllanthus emblica). This is an antioxidant that helps prevent oxidative stress and degradation of skin proteins, and is said to enhance the firmness of the skin. In addition, when skin is exposed to the sun, enzymes are produced that degrade the proteins in skin, Abedon explained. Capros is said to inhibit these enzymes from breaking down dermal proteins. The extract is also said to be have a 'cascading' antioxidant effect, which means that its antioxidant activity is prolonged over a long period of time. This compares to other antioxidant molecules, that may lose their function shortly after initiating antioxidant activity, said Abedon. Form and dosage Sendara comes in a powder form. It contains Sensoril and caprose at a ration of 2:1. For use in dietary supplements, NutraGenesis recommends a dosage of 200mg Sensoril and 100mg Capros. However, as well as being used as a stand-alone ingredient, Sendara can also be used as a complementary ingredient, said the company. It is also vegetarian and has kosher certification. Structure/function claims Nutragenesis said that Sendara holds numersous structure/function claims that are in accordance with the requirements of the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act of 1994. These have been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They include:
- skin/anti-aging claims, such as "helps the body to preserve collagen protein and enhance elasticity of skin" and "helps slow the effects of aging by inhibiting oxidative damage to cells and tissues"
- claims for mood or emotional outlook, such as "revitalizing formula promotes emotional well-being" and "promotes a calming, relaxing state of mind"
- Antioxidant claims, including "a powerful, broad spectrum antioxidant that helps protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals" and "reduces formation of superoxide free radicals caused by exposure to environmental stressors such as UV rays"
- Inflammatory response claims, including "promotes a healthy response to inflammation"