Canadian companies aim to stir up wellness with drink mixes, teas

The phrase “you might be what you eat” has roots that may be traced to the 1800s.

Blume Blue Lavender Latte. Photograph by Megan Madden

We’ve all heard the phrase “you might be what you eat.” However what in regards to the concept that you’re what you drink?

A rising variety of wellness-focused firms in Canada appear to be betting huge on the latter concept, providing merchandise that span complement mixes and “superfood lattes,” to supercharged teas. The purported advantages, they declare, vary from prompting psychological calm and boosting immunity, to bettering bodily output for athletes.

The concept an individual’s total well being might be tied again to what they ingest is nothing new. The phrase “you might be what you eat” has roots that may be traced to the 1800s. So, why is the wellness drink-mix enterprise seemingly booming now?

The recognition of well being dietary supplements similar to nutritional vitamins and minerals, which have reportedly topped Canadian sales of $827 million in the second quarter of 2021, undoubtedly performs an element within the development. Karen Danudjaja, co-founder and CEO of the Vancouver-based beverage combine agency Blume, additionally factors to the curiosity in wellness-enhancing drinks, which has been pushed alongside by COVID-19 as many shoppers seek for merchandise that focus on sickness prevention and stress discount.

“Shoppers are extra harassed, have extra nervousness and extra bother sleeping than ever. They’re in search of pure options to assist their our bodies and minds,” she says, including that the corporate’s drink mixes are designed to counterpoint individuals — “each mentally and bodily.”

With retail companions spanning small boutiques to mainstream shops similar to Chapters Indigo, the women-led firm’s enterprise has grown 500 per cent year-over-year, in line with Danudjaja.

“Our blends are all-organic, small batch, filled with superfoods and designed that can assist you have enjoyable with wellness,” Danudjaja says of the corporate’s colourfully packaged, domestically made merchandise that function 100-per-cent pure, all natural elements similar to blue spirulina, turmeric, reishi and extra.

The intention behind the model, in line with Danudjaja, is to offer an alternative choice to caffeine- and sugar-packed consolation drinks similar to espresso and sizzling chocolate.

“We exist to assist deliver shoppers again to the fundamentals — offering a good-for-you drink various, with a chance to have enjoyable alongside the best way,” Danudjaja says of the Blume merchandise, which embrace the Instagram-popular Blue Lavender Mix ($25 for a 30-serving packet at itsblume.com) that sees vegan-friendly lavender, coconut milk and blue spirulina powder combined at dwelling with sizzling water and a splash of milk to create a purple-hued concoction that advertises anti-inflammatory advantages.

Vancouver-based Superbolt Tea promises a sustained energy source for athletes with its proprietary tea blend. — Vancouver-based Superbolt Tea guarantees a sustained power supply for athletes with its proprietary tea mix. Photograph by Superbolt Tea

Whereas wellness-targeting drink powders are gaining recognition, fitness-related components have lengthy had a spot within the business. Vancouver-based model Superbolt Tea ($14 for 12 tea luggage at superbolt-tea.com) is seeking to tweak the narrative surrounding performance-boosting merchandise for athletes with its “efficiency tea mix” that’s “particularly formulated to offer a constant wave of power, with out the crash or drag that espresso and different sugary power drinks offers you,” in line with founder Elliott Graham.

Noticing a “hole out there and an absence of innovation within the tea area” for high-performance choices, Graham positions the corporate’s mix as possibility for these in search of a “sustained” supply of endurance throughout exercises.

“You received’t expertise digestive points that you could be encounter whereas ingesting espresso or different high-caffeine drinks,” Graham says. “Along with a core mix of inexperienced, black and white tea, we’ve added eight further superfoods and adaptogens that make up our proprietary mix.”

Graham says the corporate’s “core elements” are ethically sourced and licensed natural by the U.S. Division of Agriculture. The teas are manufactured and packaged in Surrey utilizing 100 per cent biodegradable sachets. A line of Superbolt Efficiency Powders concentrating on every thing from “pre-workout and restoration, to mind focus and calming” are within the works, in line with Graham.

The wellness mix-in business’s development is undoubtedly additionally prodded by on-line tendencies and affect.

Lately, collagen has develop into a buzzword in each wellness and sweetness. In reality, the hash tag #collagen has been used on Instagram in additional than 9.2 million posts, with #collagendrink at 547,000 makes use of and #collagenpowder at practically 250,000.

“Collagen is basically a protein, a make-up of particular amino acids that kind your secondary collagen construction, also known as the triple helix, and people particular amino acids — similar to glycine, proline and hydroxyproline — are what makes it totally totally different than whey/vegan protein powders,” Avalon Lukacs, founder and CEO of Calgary-based Aura Inner Beauty, explains. “Collagen, which our physique naturally produces, begins to sluggish as we age, often round age 25, which is why we will begin experiencing the results of getting old.”

Avalon Lukacs, founder and CEO of Aura Inner Beauty. — Avalon Lukacs, founder and CEO of Aura Inside Magnificence. Photograph by Isabella Pugiotto

By way of her firm, Lukacs’s Vancouver-manufactured merchandise just like the bestselling Coconut Marine Collagen ($68 for 350 millilitres at aurainnerbeauty.com) promise to spice up the physique’s “collagen formation” for pores and skin, hair, nails and joints with out the usage of artificial nutritional vitamins. The merchandise, she says, “holistically join your pores and skin, physique and thoughts” via the usage of probiotic and adaptogen powders, marine collagen and vegan omega oil.

Specializing in classes similar to pores and skin, intestine well being, immunity and menopause with quite a lot of liquids, powders and oils, Lukacs says Aura Inside Magnificence merchandise are backed by medical research that present “essentially the most useful outcomes” are skilled after not less than 5 months of use.

“It is because your physique sends these amino acids the place it wants it most,” Lukacs says. “Whilst you could also be in search of collagen to right away strengthen and thicken your hair, you may very well discover enhancements elsewhere in your physique, like in your intestine or joints. Taking collagen for not less than 5 months offers it time to construct these amino acids so that you’re in a position to see the advantages all through your whole physique.”

So is a product confirmed or only a promise that pays into the more than US$4 trillion global wellness industry? The most effective factor to do is analysis. Lookup elements, ask questions and at all times seek the advice of a medical skilled you probably have well being considerations.

“There might be elements in wellness drink mixes or dietary supplements that may work together with one’s medicines or is contraindicated in the event that they require a particular food regimen for his or her medical diagnoses,” Adrienne Ngai, a Vancouver-based registered dietitian and Licensed Diabetes Educator, cautions. “For instance, excessive doses of Vitamin Ok — present in spinach, kale, and different leafy greens — in inexperienced drink mixes can negatively affect the drug, warfarin, from working …

“It’s best to talk along with your doctor or dietitian or pharmacist earlier than incorporating a brand new wellness drink combine or complement to 1’s routine.”

Regulation is a key concern in the case of these kinds of wellness merchandise. Natural Health Products such as probiotics, vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies are regulated by Well being Canada’s Pure Well being Merchandise Program. Merchandise have to be licensed and adjust to particular labelling and packaging necessities, with “good manufacturing practices” adopted and “correct security and efficacy proof” supplied, in line with Canada.ca.

Licensed Pure Well being Merchandise function an eight-digit Pure Product Quantity (NPN) on the packaging. Well being Canada additionally manages a publicly accessible database the place shoppers can discover data similar to elements for every authorised launch.

Along with session, Ngai says it’s necessary to think about anticipated outcomes in regard to wellness-focused drinks and dietary supplements.

“Hold an open thoughts and handle your expectations when making an attempt merchandise of this type,” Ngai says. “Regardless of a product not having the scientific proof for well being claims, there may be at all times a gray space and every individual’s expertise of the product can differ …

“There are not any single meals that may have these ‘superpowers.’ As an alternative, concentrate on ensuring you might be consuming complete meals — fruits, veggie, complete grains, extra plant-based proteins — and making wholesome life-style selections — participating in bodily exercise, satisfactory high quality sleep, managing stress and taking care of your psychological well being — this may yield the very best common well being profit.”

Aharris@postmedia.com