Since ancient times in the Mediterranean, the fruit of the olive tree and its oil have been consumed for food and used for cosmetic purposes. The people of the region soon discovered that olives were not only delicious, but also healthy. When olive oil and the extract from its leaves were examined scientifically, a surprising number of useful compounds were isolated. Olive leaves have been shown to contain around 100 valuable components including high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, and to be an important source of polyphenols, squalene, beta-carotene and vitamin E. It is particularly rich in polyphenols with an antioxidant effect, especially oleuropein, which is the best known and one of the most effective of these. Oleuropein is a very bitter tasting polyphenol and a strong antioxidant. Its anti-inflammatory, antiviral and immune-modulating properties are currently the subject of intensive research. Olive leaf extract has 4 times more antioxidant power than vitamin C. (
(Whale KW, et al., Olive oil and modulation of cell signaling in disease prevention, Lipids 2004 Dec;39 (12):123-31).

Thanks to this, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has officially declared the health claim for the antioxidant effect of olive polyphenols under number 1696.

The legendary mushroom of China and the Far East is the reishi mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum. In China, the mushroom has been known and used for its medicinal properties for almost 2,000 years. There are many scientifically supported accounts of its use in traditional Chinese medicine. In recent decades, the reishi mushroom has again become the focus of attention and research.

Its usefulness for medicinal purposes has been confirmed by studies of the mushroom’s content as it has more than 150 triterpenes and more than 50 polysaccharides - Lelley, 1991. In China, it is an important part of the remedial spectrum of the health insurance system and, in the US, the otherwise strict Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of reishi mushrooms and included them on the list of dietary supplements that can be marketed.

Understanding the substances responsible for biological effects only began in the 1960s, but has been ongoing at an accelerated pace since then. A very large body of scientific work on the detection of biologically active substances suggests that the mushroom and its spores contain a number of groups of active substances that can be described: polysaccharides, nucleotides, amino acids, proteins and terpenoids - Hobbs, 1995. One of the greatest benefits of the mushroom, as can be inferred from the above, is its effect on the immune system, which can directly or indirectly affect the whole body. As a result, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has included in its list under number 3764 the health claim for the mushroom’s effect on the immune system, which currently has on-hold status.

Beta-glucans are polysaccharoids composed of glucose polymers in the cell walls of bacteria, plants and fungi. Beta glucans used to be found naturally in our food and provided a continuous and natural stimulation of the immune system. With the gradual spread of hyper-hygienic food chains and fungicides, these natural immune stimulants are no longer entering people’s bodies. At the same time, we are exposed to a number of effects that diminish immune function. These include environmental toxins, heavy metals, immunosuppressive drugs, and continuous stress, the overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is the most common source of molecules having branches at the 1-3 and 1-6 carbon atoms. A special process is used for extraction of a quality that preserves the beneficial physiological effects. In the 1970s and 1980s, intensive research was launched to find out the mechanism of action of the effects observed in the regulation of the immune system. As a result of these studies, we know that yeast beta-glucans (beta-1,3/1,6 glucan) are absorbed through Peyer’s patches in the small intestine, then engulfed and processed by macrophages (a type of white blood cell), which can lead to an increase in the activation levels of the cellular elements of the immune system.

Native to America, it is also cultivated in Europe, including in Hungary. The biologically active substances come from the roots of the plant. These contain glycoproteins, polysaccharides, as well as caffeic acid esters, phenylethanoids, isobutylamide derivatives of polyenoic acids and polyacetylenes. It also contains essential oil. Traditionally, it is used to treat and prevent colds and other septic processes. It has also been observed to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics in bacterial respiratory infections, and to play a role in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions and wounds that are difficult to heal. It stimulates the immune system due to its polysaccharide content. ¹ Echinacea extract enriched with plant polysaccharides has been found to increase the natural immune response in bacteria-infected mice. ¹ The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has included in its list under several numbers the health claims for the effects of echinacea on the immune system, which currently have on-hold status. ²

^1,2: Szemelvények a fitofarmakológia és fitoterápia tárgyköréből 2011, Dr. Juhász Béla, Debreceni Egyetem Orvos és Egészségtudományi Centrum Gyógyszerésztudományi Kar, Gyógyszerhatástani Tanszék

Glutathione, synthesised from amino acids by the liver, is thought to play an especially important role in protecting against reactive radicals because it acts as a substrate for the antioxidant glutathione peroxidase while being converted to its oxidised form, glutathione disulfide (GSSG). The GSH/GSSG ratio can be easily measured in the plasma and reflects the intensity of oxidative processes in the body in pathological conditions. Reduced glutathione is also used as a substrate by the enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) in neutralising electrophilic compounds and toxic substances. In recent years, the important role it plays in GST signalling, gene expression, apoptosis, protein glutathionylation, nitrogen oxide metabolism and inflammation has been demonstrated. The main role of GST is to conjugate toxic substances and harmful products generated during oxidative stress with reduced glutathione to create a less toxic product. ¹

¹ A farmakológia alapjai, Gyires, Klára Fürst, Zsuzsanna: Semmelweis Egyetem, 2011

Up to 7 times higher bio-availability of curcuminoids with PNS technology

Turmeric, a member of the ginger family, has been used in traditional medicine and gastronomy for thousands of years. The main component and most important active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin.

Aurea BioLabs has developed a curcumin formula with unmatched bio-availability called Cureit. It has up to 10 times more bio-availability than normal curcumin. Both the product and its manufacturing process (PNS technology) are patented, resulting in the only curcumin extract containing the entire turmeric matrix. The natural matrix of turmeric plays a significant role in increasing the bio-availability of curcuminoids. Protein, dietary fibre, carbohydrates and volatile oils all contribute to the bio-availability of curcuminoids. ¹

PNS technology is used to increase the biological efficiency and bio-availability of the product by preserving the natural matrix of the raw material without breaking down the active molecules. Restoring the natural matrix contributes to increasing the stability of the active molecules. ¹

In well-controlled clinical trials, the absorption of Cureit™ was roughly 7 times greater compared to volatile curcumin oil preparations. In comparison with the curcumin-phospholipid formulation, the values were found to be 4.4 and 6.6 times higher. ^1
1Learn more. Download the Cureit™ leaflet in English>

Fructo-oligosaccharides are oligosaccharides made up of fructose monomers, which are most abundant in nature as polymers in the form of inulin. Inulin is a common polysaccharide in the plant kingdom. Inulin is neither absorbed in the human digestive tract nor is it broken down due to the absence of the appropriate inulinase enzyme. This makes it a dietary fibre in the human diet, and only the bacteria in the large intestine are able to break down inulin.

On reaching the large intestine, fructo-oligosaccharides serve as a source of carbon and nutrients for the bifidobacteria present there, and are converted into lactic acid and short-chain fatty acids (acetate, propionate, butyrate) and gas similarly to other dietary fibres. ¹ Over recent years, a large amount of research has been carried out to map and understand the nutritional effects of inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides accurately. ^2,3

¹ Bornet és mtsai., 2002
² Halmos, T., Suba, I. [Physiological patterns of intestinal microbiota. The role of dysbacteriosis in obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and metabolic syndrome]. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(1), 13–22.
³ Rao, 2001; Roberfroid, 2000, 2002; Biedrzycka és Bielecka, 2004; Van de Wiele és mtsai., 2004; Macfarlane és mtsai., 2006).

Vitamin C was named ‘ascorbic’ acid as this means anti-scurvy, against the disease which develops due to a deficiency of it. Perhaps one of the best known Hungarian scientific discoveries is vitamin C, which is known to contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolic processes, normal immune function and the protection of cells against oxidative stress, which it also supports by aiding the regeneration of the reduced form of vitamin E. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation, which helps to maintain the normal condition and functioning of blood vessels, skin, bones, cartilage, teeth and gums. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron, contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, maintains normal psychological function and reduces fatigue. ^EFSA

We can thank the American biochemist Elmer McCollum for the discovery of vitamin D. His research focused on the influence of diet on health. As a result of his research, the effect of vitamin D on the bone has been known since the 1920s. However, in recent years it has been demonstrated that its role in the body is far more complex. Activated vitamin D is in fact a steroid hormone whose receptor can be detected in almost all cell types and it has a proven role in regulating the transcription of over 200 genes.

Surprisingly, insufficiency of vitamin D is one of the most common deficiency states in the developed world. Growing evidence suggests that a very high proportion (over 54%) of the population has relative hypovitaminosis D that does not yet cause osteomalacia. ^1,2 Surprisingly, hormone deficiency is widespread not only among the elderly in care, but also among the population as a whole, both in Hungary and around the world. ³

Vitamin D levels decrease with age and this decline is inversely related to bone mineral content and the degree of bone resorption. ⁴ If this occurs, calcium absorption is reduced and the rate of bone remodelling accelerates, leading to bone loss. An increasing number of studies demonstrate the benefits of vitamin D supplementation and treatment outside the skeletal system. It has now been shown to contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system and to play a role in cell division. ^EFSA

¹ Chapuy MC, Preziosi P, Maamer M, et al: Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in an adult normal population. Osteoporosis Int 1997; 7:439-443.
² Gloth FM, Gundberg CM, Hollis BW, et al: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a cohort of homebound elderly subject compared to a normative matched population in the United States. JAMA, 1995; 274:1683-1686.
³ Fischer M, Lakatos P. A D-vitamin ellátottság vizsgálata 65 év feletti idősek körében. Ca és Csont 2000; 3:22-24.
⁴ Orwoll ES, Meier DE. Alteration in calcium, vitamin D, and parathyreoid hormone physiology in normal men with aging: relationship to the development of senile osteopenia. J Clin Endocrinol 1986; 63:1262-1269.