The founder of a successful New Zealand dietary supplements manufacturing company is calling for public health officials to consider "nutritional strategies" to support public health.
Warren Matthews, chairman of Christchurch-based Xtend-Life Natural Products, says a new report has shown high quality supplements are an effective way to support immunity, in addition to traditional public health measures.
The review article, published earlier this year in the peer-reviewed scientific Nutrients journal*, says: "Supplementation with micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids is a safe, effective and low-cost strategy to help support optimal immune function."
The article, by four international university researchers (one from the University of Otago), says the role nutrition plays in supporting the immune system is well-established. Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folate; trace elements, including zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium, and copper; and omega-3 fatty acids were identified by the authors as playing "important and complementary" roles in supporting the immune system.
Xtend-Life is one of the few family-owned health supplement and skincare manufacturers in New Zealand. During the past 20 years, the global company has grown a customer base of 300,000 people in 40 countries, with all products manufactured and distributed from its own purpose-built, state of the art facility in Christchurch.
Matthews says the latest findings reinforce the role of supplements in supporting immunity and core health: "Our bodies need a wide variety of nutrients often missing from modern diets. Immunity support has never been so important. Supplements can help fill in nutrient gaps and support our natural defences."
Xtend-Life supplements are the culmination of extensive international research and a commitment to sourcing premium ingredients from around the world, says Matthews – who engages directly with international bio-engineers, scientists and physicians to assess the latest and most compelling data to inform the development of Xtend-Life products.
His overriding message is that not all supplement products are created equal: "Unless you supply your body with the right nutrients it needs to perform key cellular processes, all you're doing is burning a hole in your pocket. We need to address the needs of each and every organ in our body, and this means going beyond the traditional multi-vitamin approach.
"Xtend-Life's products are complex, multi-nutrient formulations. For example, our flagship product, Total Balance, contains more than 90 ingredients designed to support every function of the body. The stronger your underlying health is, the more robust your immune system will be."
Warren and his team are committed to researching which ingredients really work, and the very best international supplies. All Xtend-Life ingredients are from reliable sources and tested extensively to prove their potency, purity and efficacy.
A recent addition to Xtend-Life's extensive product range is Immu-Stay – a natural immunity formulation. Immu-Stay is an innovative combination of 21 herbs and powerful nutrients. Selection of each ingredient is made after extensive research and based on scientific data demonstrating it can support the body's natural defences.
Star players in Immu-Stay include Indian echinacea, Siberian ginseng, olive leaf extract, bilberry extract (a rich source of antioxidants), turmeric, vitamin C, quercetin and zinc.
"We are committed to pioneering new products, using the latest scientific research and manufacturing technology," says Warren.
"Our research and development focuses on ensuring that all of our supplements contain only raw ingredients scientifically shown to be effective. We also test every batch of our products to ensure they are free of contaminants. This testing is done by an internationally-accredited laboratory here in New Zealand."
Visit Xtend-Life's online store here. Use the code 'RESPONSIBILITY10' to redeem 10 per cent off Xtend-Life's entire range. Valid for online orders placed on www.xtend-life.com only. Promotion ends 12 September 2020, 11:59pm NZT**.
*Nutrients is published by MDPI or Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, a publisher of author-pays open access scientific journals.
**Valid for New Zealand orders only. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers.