Company insight Research made accessible
Right across the ingredients space, finding accurate and straightforward information can be challenging. But when it comes to DHA, a new website promises to change that. Ingredients Insight talks to experts at Progress Biotech to learn more.
he consensus is increasingly clear: DHA offers vast benefits across the body. But if this omega-3 fatty acid can support the development of eye and nerve tissues, and potentially bolster everything from heart health to memory, actually understanding the science remains challenging. Yet if the sector has traditionally been divided between academic research and vague conjecture, literature is increasingly available – as the work of one Dutch company is proving. Anyone looking to learn about DHA generally has two options. The first is to track down scholarly papers – and then grapple with the inevitably challenging terminology. The second is to look on industry websites. Both options, for their part, come with challenges. On one end of the spectrum are the blogs, often replete with marketing language, or else making vast claims without proper sources. As Joris Geigenmüller explains, this is unfortunate, with the scientific consultant at Progress Biotech stressing that research over decades has yielded a “very large amount” of evidence about the positive impact of DHA. Yet for Geigenmüller, relying on academic journals comes with pitfalls too, especially given the number of papers available. “Because such a large amount of literature exists,” he says, “it can be very difficult for individuals who do not have the time, expertise or background knowledge to learn about the health benefits of DHA.” For non-scientists, grasping the relevance of certain findings can be difficult too, as can parsing quality papers from less rigorous counterparts. It goes without saying, meanwhile, that these difficulties can have real-world consequences. As DHA can have differential effects in health versus disease, it is crucial to avoid erroneously extrapolating scientific findings of one study to other specific contexts.
T Whether the user is a doctor or a patient researching DHA, the website is a clear and useful source for all.
With this in mind, it makes sense that Geigenmüller and his colleagues have developed an alternative. Known as healthDHA, this comprehensive information website first scans the world’s journals for groundbreaking DHA research – then summarises the findings in accessible language.
Not that healthDHA is merely there to simplify. Conscious that non-academic interest in DHA runs the gamut from lay curiosity to professional need, the website instead offers two layers of explanation. “For individuals with a background or general interest in medical biology or medicine,” Geigenmüller says, “we offer an introduction per topic – rheumatoid arthritis, for instance, or birth weight – and what role DHA plays according to research.” That’s shadowed, he continues, by “plain-language” summaries for the public at large. Whether you’re a doctor, in short, or simply someone facing a condition that could be helped by DHA, healthDHA is probably a worthwhile stop, particularly given information is helpfully divided into healthcare areas.
This thoughtful approach arguably extends to the healthDHA’s branding – or rather its lack. Unlike many other websites in the ingredients space, marketing here is nonexistent, with Progress Biotech stressing that its main aim is to offer
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impartial advice on DHA and its uses. To quote Jaap Peters, the CEO at Progress Biotech: “We’re not hiding that we sponsor it. But we don’t want to have a sales pitch.” Appreciate Progress Biotech’s broader philosophy and this attitude makes sense. As Peters freely concedes, his business is ultimately a business enterprise. On the other hand, this is an outfit that obviously cares about scientific rigour, and tracing the deep value of DHA using robust research. “We really want to bring the best product to the market that we can,” Peters emphasises. “And that’s why we use the science part, which is not a commodity.”
This ethos is reflected in Progress Biotech’s commercial partnerships, never sacrificing quality for short-term gain. This philosophy extends to the healthDHA website. Right now, studies into omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA vary significantly by dosage, focus and more. But with Progress Biotech’s expertise – and its comfort with different forms of DHA – Geigenmüller says he’d be “excited to engage” with external academics to sharpen research in future. Given everything healthDHA has achieved already, this exuberance clearly isn’t misplaced. ●
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