Ingredient Idol rewards the most innovative, top-shelf dietary ingredients recently introduced into the nutrition and supplements market today. Consummated at SupplySide West in Las Vegas on Oct. 26, this year’s juried competition featured three health conditions with three finalists in each category—active nutrition, microbiome and nootropics. Live at the show, a panel of sharp, smart and informed industry judges heard elevator pitches from ingredient supplier brands, peppered them with follow-up questions, and decided the winner.

For the microbiome category, the three finalists were:

The winner was NXT-USA’s Digexin. Here are the three categories upon which the ingredient was judged.

Innovation

Digexin is unique in its approach to address gut health and mood health. It is a patent-pending proprietary combination of an ayurvedic herb and a vegetable extract, clinically shown to provide increased regularity, number of bowel movements, mood and comfort benefits and transit time. This is also backed by biomarkers and physical tests.

The herbal ingredient helps the body produce serotonin, which primarily affects mood, promoting feelings of well-being, and it affects appetite, sleep cycles and the perception of pain. This also increases peristalsis, which supports faster food transit and regular, complete evacuation. Serendipitously, 95 percent of the body's supply of serotonin is produced in the gut. The vegetable extract soothes and lubricates the endothelial lining of the digestive tract, which supports calm, comfortable food transit, improves nutrient absorption, and hydrates stools for easy evacuation. This makes for a synergistic innovation for a happier, more regular consumer.

Market potential

In the multibillion dollar gut supplement industry, the main products are fibers or probiotics. However, looking at the digestive supplement options, fibers, which affect the gut contents, or probiotics, which affect the gut bacteria, leave consumers with nothing for their actual gut function. Digexin takes a novel approach by focusing on the gut itself. It boosts the gut’s serotonin to speed digestion (peristalsis), lowers levels of anxiety-inducing cortisol, and soothes the gut lining for softer, more regular movements. The result is a more satisfying morning movement, better sleep, and a significantly improved quality of life. So, it's a new concept that can address digestive health directly, while also complementing existing supplements. The potential is to help folks find relief!

Scientific merit

Constipation is a common gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction that limits social activities and reduces mental and physical well-being. Globally, constipation is prevalent in 12 to 15% of adults. The prevalence of major depression in people with chronic constipation has been reported to be as high as 33%. While laxative use is common, this strategy is somewhat problematic, as stress causes increased intestinal permeability, increasing inflammation and the feeling of bloating.

Digexin, a proprietary herbal blend, has been designed to address both gut and emotional well-being. It has been clinically demonstrated to be a tolerable and efficacious botanical supplement that helps relieve constipation, reduce stress and improve GI function, sleep quality, and general wellness in healthy adults.

Digexin soothes and lubricates the epithelial lining of the digestive tract, which supports calm, comfortable food transit, improves nutrient absorption, and hydrates stools for easy evacuation. It also increases peristalsis, supporting faster food transit and complete evacuation. Meanwhile it increases adaptogenic functions, which helps maintain a healthy stress response and overall calm with reduced cortisol, and increases serotonin levels leading to restful sleep, positive mood and overall well-being.

In a published DBPC study with 48 participants, 14-day supplementation with Digexin was shown to relieve constipation and improve several associated symptoms. Study participants in the Digexin group reported significant improvements in the Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM) score, showing 93.58% reductions in the overall burden of PAC-SYM (total score). The Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) showed significant reductions in the total PAC-QOL score. The Digexin-supplemented group was 88.74% at 60 days, while the placebo group showed only a 19.87% reduction from baseline. At the end of the 14-day study, participants in the Digexin groups had significant improvements in the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) scores compared to placebo, with reductions in constipation of 67.92% and diarrhea of 60.15%. Digexin supplementation also improved sleep quality and reduced stress, which was confirmed by biomarkers such as serum serotonin (increased by 25.79%), gastrin (increased 19.56%), and cortisol (reduced by 27.25%) compared to baseline.