The Best Way to Get Functional Ingredients into Your Diet

Not all functional food products are created equal. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as choosing a product with functional food or ingredient on the label. Many times products are “pixie-dusted”, which means they contain trace or negligible amounts of the functional ingredient. Other times the product won’t contain an absorbable, or usable form of the functional food. One example of this is turmeric. The active compound of turmeric, curcumin, is notoriously difficult to absorb since it’s fat-soluble, and human digestion is water-based. 

So, when it comes to choosing products with functional ingredients, the two most important factors to consider are absorbability and concentration. This is why gummies may be the best way to eat functional foods since some gummies offer superior absorption and amounts of ingredients compared to other functional products. 

What are Functional Foods?

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Functional foods are foods that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond nutrition.”. For example, rice is not a functional food. It is a nutritious food, but it does not promote better health beyond satisfying the body’s needs for carbohydrates. Mushrooms, however, are a great example of a functional food. They are a nutritious food, but their high levels of antioxidants give them the ability to boost health and prevent disease. 

Why Does Absorbability Matter?

Extra nutrition, antioxidants, and phytochemicals do no good if they aren’t absorbed by the body. Going back to the turmeric example, without the presence of fat (and also black pepper) the active component of turmeric will simply pass through the digestive tract. For these functional ingredients to be well, functional, they have to be available to the body to be used. 

Novel Gummy Matrix

Seattle Gummy Company (SGC) makes gummies with the highest concentrations of absorbable functional ingredients on the market. Their novel gummy matrix allows them to add higher amounts of functional ingredients in a bioavailable form. This suite of technologies allows them to create functional gummies, which are delicious gummy candies packed with the highest concentrations of functional ingredients on the market. How are these different from other “functional” gummy candies? Other gummy makers simply add ingredients to their candy. There’s a limit to how much they can add before the taste is affected. With SGC’s gummy technology they can pack in far more functional ingredients, make these ingredients more absorbable, and still create a delicious gummy.

High Concentration Ingredients from SGC

Here are some of the functional ingredients SGC highlights in their series of energy, wellness, and beauty gummies. 

1. Turmeric (curcumin) 

This wildly powerful herb offers many health benefits, most notably acting as an anti-inflammatory. It has been used for generations to treat pain and disorders like arthritis in Chinese and Ayurvedic (Indian) herbal medicine. Curcumin has been studied extensively and has also been found to boost the immune system and protect the brain. Try a potent, absorbable dose of 125mg with the SGC Golden Glow gummy.

2. Ginger

Ginger is the other featured ingredient of the Golden Glow gummy. Like turmeric it boasts very high antioxidant activity, has been in use for thousands of years and is a potent anti-inflammatory.

3. Astragalus

This high antioxidant Chinese herb promotes blood circulation, supports the immune system, and is anti-inflammatory. Modern studies have shown astragalus to have anti-aging effects, and it is used in SGC’s Beauty multivitamin gummy.

4. Valerian Root

This potent sleep herb is a sedative and has been used for sleep for centuries. It is also notorious for smelling and tasting terrible. With SCG’s technology, they can keep all the sleepy goodness of valerian and leave out its taste and smell. Their Slumber Shot sleep gummy has 16x the amount of valerian root compared to other sleep gummies on the market. 

5. Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba is a Chinese herb with two notable functions. One is its potent antioxidant levels that hold a particular affinity for the cardiovascular system. The second is its effect on the brain. Ginkgo biloba boosts circulation to the brain, which improves memory and overall brain health. You can get your daily dose of ginkgo biloba (and energy) from a Mocca Shot energy gummy. 

6. Angelica

Known as the woman’s ginseng, this is a very popular Chinese herb. It has antioxidant, immune-boosting properties and may suppress the growth of cancer cells. It also promotes wound healing through stimulating circulation. It is also used to support a healthy complexion in the Beauty multivitamin gummy. 

7. Elderberry

This powerful immune herb protects your cells against viruses and supports the immune system in general. Elderberries also taste delicious, making them an effective herbal medicine. SGCs Immunity Shot gummy contains 500mg of elderberry, which is 5x more elderberry than other elderberry gummies contain.