The ingredient, an extract from a blend of green and black tea varieties from traceable plant sources, targets older men concerned about symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
A spokesperson for Kemin told NutraIngredients-USA that the men's health market includes a wide range of urologic health including prostate, urinary tract and bladder health, and so is not really specifically defined market. However from information from Euromonitor and NBJ we have identified, with some assumptions a market of around $500 million, they said.
AssuriTea Men’s Health, as the ingredient is marketed, is 100% water extracted, said the company, and does not produce any gastrointestinal distress and other reported undesirable side effects sometimes associated with other men’s heath ingredients.
“There is a significant opportunity to provide a safe, natural and effective ingredient that provides relief for men dealing with lower urinary tract symptoms,” said Alex Fink, marketing director of the human nutrition and health division of Kemin.
“Although urologic discomfort will affect the majority of men at some time in their lives, to date, men have had limited nutritionally-based approaches that can help manage normal urinary function.”
A clinical trial was recently completed by Aaron Katz, MD, chairman of urology at Winthrop University Hospital in New York, and the preliminary data will be presented at next week’s SupplySide West show in Las Vegas. A paper is being prepared for publication in a peer-review journal, and NutraIngredients-USA has not seen the data.
AssuriTea Men’s Health is the third product released under Kemin’s AssuriTea brand and follows the September 2010 launch of AssuriTea Wellbeing, and AssuriTeaGreen, launched in July 2011.
The ingredient, affirmed as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) for certain food and beverage applications, is generally suitable for use in international markets, said the company.