Ferré & Consulting Blog (English Version)

Lallemand Health Ingredients has launched a new yeast-based ingredient with “elevated” levels of vitamin D, referencing claiming that up to 75 per cent of the European population receive insufficient amounts.

Citing studies such as the prominent UK National Diet & Nutrition Survey’s 2003 findings on vitamin D, Lallemand claims that up to 75 per cent of the European population could receive insufficient levels, where one of the vitamin’s principal roles is regulating calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the intestines and bones.

A dried, inactivated whole yeast cell of the saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, Lalmin Vita D contains 8,000 IU of vitamin D per gram in a “natural, non-synthetic” form that can be used as a food ingredient and in supplement tablets, soft gels and capsules.

Yeast is a natural source of ergosterol, which reacts naturally with sunlight to form the fat-soluble ecosteroid vitamin D, where yeast cells respond in the same way as human skin by transforming ergosterol into the vitamin.

Patented production process

Business development manager Julie Rosenborg told NutraIngredients.com that the yeast contains elevated and standardised [consistent] levels of vitamin D2, where it differs from an existing Vita D product in its baker’s division, due to its status as an “inactivated and much more concentrated form” when used in a dose of 50mg per day containing 400IU.

Rosenborg added that although vitamin D deficiency was associated with low sunlight levels in Northern European countries – anticipated as major markets for Lalmin Vita D – Lallemand expected worldwide demand for the yeast, given that “populations worldwide have deficiencies”.

Subjecting S.cerevisiae to UV light under controlled conditions, Lallemand is able to catalyse the conversion of endogenous (native) ergosterol into the vitamin to produce a yeast cream that is then inactivated by pasteurisation and roller-dried; the firm stresses that no reblending is then necessary before the adding the ingredient to the final formula.

Claimed health benefits

Rosenborg said Lallemand expected to see principal interest for its new yeast in supplements and especially softgels (vitamin D being fat-soluble and suitable for delivery in oil), adding that although vitamin D is used to fortify US foods it is not a massive market in Europe.

That said, she did note that “fortified foods and beverages aimed at elderly people” could provide potential markets, where Lalmin Vita D could be used in meal replacers and to fortify meals or products such as cakes and bread.

Lalleland said it had performed several bioavailability studies showing equivalent effects for yeast rich in vitamin D2, compared with its synthetic form and crystalline D3, with all showing a “similar increase in 25-OH-D concentration” over 4 weeks.

The firm also cites “growing evidence” that Vitamin D boosts the immune system, reduces inflammation and maintains muscle strength, and also helps to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and even heart disease.

To date EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority), has published positive opinions on article 13.1 health claims relating to beneficial effects of vitamin D supplements on bones, teeth, muscles, immunity and reproduction.

Ingredients Lalleland, Vitamin D, yeast

Increased consumer awareness of the potential health benefits of vitamin D is opening up opportunities in fortification, according to results of a new survey.

The proportion of American consumers believe that vitamin D plays a great role in maintaining or improving their health has increased to 44 percent, up from 37 percent last year, according to a US survey conducted by Angus Reid Strategies for Lallemand.

But while consumers may be more aware of the benefits, their interest for vitamin D-rich foods appears to focus on bread that naturally rich in vitamins (56 percent) than fortified bread (6 percent).

Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors – D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. The former is produced in the skin on exposure to UVB radiation (290 to 320 nm). The latter is derived from plants and only enters the body via the diet.

Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active ‘storage’ form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.

While our bodies do manufacture vitamin D on exposure to sunshine, the levels in some northern countries are so weak during the winter months that our body makes no vitamin D at all, meaning that dietary supplements and fortified foods are seen by many as the best way to boost intakes of vitamin D.

One such option is bread, being a staple of many cultures. Jean Chagnon, CEO of Lallemand, supplier of vitamin D-rich bakers’ yeast, pointed to recent findings from Professor Christel Lamberg-Allardt from Helsinki University that found that bread baked with a baker’s yeast containing vitamin D2 maintained blood levels of the vitamin to approximately the same extent as a D2 supplement over a four-week period.

“Bakers using our yeast therefore have a head start in helping meet this important dietary requirement,” said Chagnon. “In addition, we expect to receive soon a positive response to our FDA petition aiming to amend the current regulations to allow levels of up to 400 IU of vitamin D per 100 grams of baked foods using our yeast.

“This will provide bakers with an even greater opportunity to respond to the growing consumer awareness of vitamin D’s benefits, allow bread to naturally become the primary dietary source of vitamin D (perhaps ahead of milk) and strengthen bread’s healthy attributes,” he said.

Other findings from the survey included the findings that the most common vitamin D-rich food source is milk (74 percent), followed by yogurt (40 percent), orange juice (21 percent) and cereals (18 percent). However, only 10 percent of the respondents perceived bread as a source of vitamin D.

Bakery, Ingredients Bakery, Vitamin D, yeast

vitamin d

A petition to amend US food additive regulations by increasing the safe limit of vitamin D in yeast-raised baked foods was reported by the Food and Drug Administration in The Federal Register of 17 December. Lallemand, Inc., Montreal, QB, filed the application “on behalf of the US baking industry” to raise the safe limit to 400 IU of vitamin D per 100 g of yeast-raised baked foods. The petition’s full text is available at www.lallemand.com/VitaminD/petition.pdf.

The petition addresses the fact that consumption of vitamin D by many consumers is below Adequate Intake (AI). It goes on to request the safe use of vitamin D2 yeast for baked foods be set at levels higher than the current 90 IU vitamin D per 100 g food.

“Upon approval by FDA, bakers will have the opportunity to achieve the levels of vitamin D necessary to make ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ source claims, giving them one more tool at their disposal to reinforce the contribution bread can make to a healthy diet,” said Gary Edwards, president of Lallemand/American Yeast.

Lee Sanders, senior vice-president, government relations and public affairs, American Bakers Association, noted support from ABA and thorough discussion of the topic within its Food Technical Regulatory Affairs Committee (FTRAC) prior to submission. “This will be good for the American public and for the baking industry,” she said. “While Lallemand was the sole petitioner, the idea is grounded in science as well as studies that indicate average consumers do not consume sufficient quantities of vitamin D in their diets.”

Scientists urge the availability of more food sources of vitamin D, according to Lallemand. The US Department of Agriculture stated that approximately 69% of the population is not meeting their AI for vitamin D. “Considering the widespread deficiency and that vitamin D plays a critical role in bone health, as well as new information indicating that it could potentially play a significant role in strengthening the body’s defenses against chronic and immune diseases, one can realize the importance of improving the vitamin D content of the food supply so that the status of vitamin D improves,” said Wendy Dahl, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition at University of Florida, Gainesville.

Based on consumer surveys made by Angus Reid and TNS Global, milk is perceived to be the most important dietary source of vitamin D. “While fortified milk has been recognized as an important source of vitamin D, there are many in the population who choose not to consume this food,” said Dr. Dahl. “Thus, non-milk drinkers are placed at an increased risk for deficiency. Were there more foods containing vitamin D, especially foods that are consumed by persons of different ages and different ethnicities such as baked foods, this would go a long way to improve vitamin D intakes.”

Bakery, Health adequate intake, baked foods, Vitamin D

Increased blood levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 40 per cent, says a study with people from 10 European countries.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, is said to be the largest of its kind to date and adds to the science supporting the apparent health benefits from increased vitamin D. Indeed, a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2007 reported that higher blood levels of vitamin D were associated with a lower risk of colon cancer.

The link between vitamin D intake and protection from cancer dates from the 1940s when Frank Apperly demonstrated a link between latitude and deaths from cancer, and suggested that sunlight gave “a relative cancer immunity”.

“However, before any public health recommendations can be made for vitamin D supplementation, new randomised trials are needed to test the hypothesis that increases in circulating 25-(OH)D concentration are effective in reducing colorectal cancer risk without inducing serious adverse events,” wrote the researchers behind the new study, from six European countries.

Study details

Using data from over half a million participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Study (EPIC), the researchers analysed dietary and lifestyle information obtained from questionnaires, and collected blood samples.

During the course of the study, 1,248 cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed and matched with 1,248 healthy controls.

Colorectal cancer accounts for nine per cent of new cancer cases every year worldwide. The highest incidence rates are in the developed world, while Asia and Africa have the lowest incidence rates.

It remains one of the most curable cancers if diagnosis is made early.

The EPIC data showed that blood levels of vitamin D below a mid-level of 50 to 75 nanomoles per litre were associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, while blood levels above this were not associated with any additional benefits, said the researchers.

The association was significantly stronger for colon cancer than rectal cancer, added the researchers.

“Additionally, higher consumption of dietary calcium, but not dietary vitamin D, was found to be associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer,” they report.

Plausible mechanism(s)?

Commenting on the potential protective action of vitamin D with respect to colorectal carcinogenesis, the EPIC scientists noted that both vitamin and mineral may be involved. “The main proposed colorectal cancer protective mechanisms of calcium action (binding bile acids and fatty acids) could pertain largely to its concentration in the colorectal milieu rather than to a direct vitamin D-mediated effect,” they said.

Controversy

The potential benefits for the vitamin, alone or in combination with calcium, for colorectal health are somewhat controversial, with some studies reporting benefits while others report null results.

Indeed, back in 2006 results from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) stated that daily supplements of vitamin D and calcium ‘had no effect’ on the risk of colorectal cancer. The results were questioned however and independent cancer experts said at the time that the claims should be interpreted in the light of the complexities of the study.

Michele Forman and Bernard Levin from the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, noted that the WHI trial had three overlapping components, with 69 per cent of the women enrolled on the Dietary Modification trial, 54 per cent enrolled on the Hormone Therapy trial, and 14 per cent enrolled on both

“The enrolment in three overlapping trials maximised the participation and size of the WHI trial but created a complex approach with potential confounders for biological interpretation,” said Forman and Levin.

Source: British Medical Journal

Health calcium, colorectal cancer, Vitamin D