Nutraceutical and functional food-focused biotech Canomiks has debuted WhatToTrust, a novel consumer-targeted platform.
The free-to-use tool is designed to help consumers navigate the complex world of dietary supplements; offering science-based evaluations of hundreds of natural wellness products.
This includes botanicals, biotics, protein powders, vitamins and other natural products which target everything from women's health to stress, immune health and sports nutrition.
By accumulating reliable quality and research data on both supplement formulations as a whole and their respective ingredients, Canomiks' platform is designed to help consumers make informed decisions about the supplements they choose to buy.
WhatToTrust also aims to boost public engagement with the science behind a dietary supplement's efficacy, while allowing consumers to easily determine the safety, quality and value for money of popular supplement products on the market.
Working on a scoring system, WhatToTrust categorises supplement formulations based on an evaluation of the scientific information available on the supplier's website — including references to FDA-required tests for ingredient identity, potency and purity.
The platform's 'Compare Products' feature also allows users to contrast similar supplements based on ingredients, specific health benefits and science.
To ensure there is no bias in the scoring system, Canomiks does not charge product companies listing fees, and the company will always list if it has performed independent testing on a product in the score breakdown.
Being open with consumers
With some studies estimating that 75% of American adults take dietary supplements, there is a clear need for transparency in the industry, notes Founder of Canomiks, Dr Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk.
"Terms like 'science-backed' and 'clinically proven tend to be thrown around in supplement marketing, though these claims aren't always supported by robust scientific research," she states.
“While the supplement industry is regulated, it's not to the same standard as drugs and devices. Regulatory compliance alone doesn't guarantee efficacy studies, which are rooted in science. Our WhatToTrust™ scoring system goes beyond regulatory requirements to
incorporate preclinical and clinical research evidence, ensuring products are backed by solid science"
"Consumers need alternatives to the mainstream narrative that nutraceutical products are unregulated, untested and unsafe," adds CEO of Alkemist Labs, Elan Sudberg.
“By providing consumers with product ratings based upon clinical evidence, we can counter that fallacy," he concludes.
