Monteloeder, a functional ingredients company, has released a novel botanical ingredient for joint health — specifically focusing on addressing musculoskeletal discomfort.
BeRelief’s formulation, which contains a blend of ashwagandha, rosemary and sesame, was created with the help of machine learning, which was used to measure the synergism between the botanical ingredients.
50,000 compounds were ran through a machine learning algorithm, which was programmed to pick out ingredients which could synergistically work through specific receptors associated with musculoskeletal pain.
The development of the functional ingredient was supported by the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation and co-financed by the European Union’s FEDER funds.
“Discomfort and soreness can be debilitating and significantly impact a person's quality of life,” explains Marketing Director of SuanNutra, Maria Ángeles Gutiérrez Montero. “By developing BeRelief, we wanted to create a natural ingredient can enhance quality of life by reducing or alleviating pain. In today's sedentary, stress-filled and sleep-deprived lifestyles, discomfort and pain are increasingly common. Prolonged sitting, repetitive activities, occasional stress peaks, and lack of sleep can lead to issues like muscle tension, joint pain and headaches.”
Trial supports the beneficial impact of BeRelief
A randomised, double-blind trial found that the proprietary blend can reduce the intensity of back aches. The 12-week trial, which is published in Frontiers of Nutrition involved 135 participants who complained of neck and back pain.
After 12 weeks of supplementation, volunteers in the BeRelief arm of the study experienced a significant reduction in discomfort.
Those given the 400mg/day dose experienced a self-reported reduction in discomfort by 56%, while those on the 800mg/day dose saw a 59% reduction.
Participants also reported improvements in health-related quality of life, as well as better sleep quality and overall mood.
A synergistic trio
Ashwagandha has been used in traditional Indian medicine for centuries, and its role in enhancing sleep quality and mood, as well as its muscle relaxing capabilities, are well documented through a number of clinical studies.
Rosemary has been used in folk medicine to improve symptoms of joint discomfort, as well as for headaches.
Sesame extracts have been used in a traditional Chinese medicinal context, mostly to mitigate pain in inflammatory conditions.
Reference
1 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1403108/full