Tell us a bit about your company
SmarterNaturally’s story began in the 1980’s when their Lead Scientist, Prof. of Human Nutrition, Richard Mithen, was on a field trip to collect rare plants as part of his PhD when he came across a wild variety of broccoli that was unusually high in a special compound called glucoraphanin (GR). GR (which converts to an active form called sulforaphane in the gut) has long been considered to be beneficial to health. Its presence in broccoli is one of the core reasons broccoli has come to be considered a ‘superfood’. There is a large and growing body of research indicating the potential benefits of GR and sulforaphane for a wide range of age-related chronic diseases. These include common cancers, heart disease and cholesterol management, blood glucose and blood pressure and neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s.
Motivated by a desire to bring the health benefits of this broccoli to our society, Richard spent decades using traditional crop cross-breeding techniques to develop a hybrid broccoli (called GRextra) that has a very high level of glucoraphanin (up to 5x more than a traditional broccoli), but that looks and tastes like the broccoli we know and love. He also undertook clinical trials to further explore the benefits of GR on blood glucose, prostate cancer and other age-associated diseases.
Laura Knight, CEO of SmarterNaturally worked closely with Richard at the Quadram Institute and was inspired by his research and the potential impact that his very high-GR broccoli could have on people’s health. They both wanted to see his decades of research benefitting society through the translation of his science into a consumer product. So, they joined forces with Dr Martin Stocks to establish The Smarter Food Company and its brand SmarterNaturally, aided by ~£1m in seed funding and UK Government grants raised from Innovate UK. Using the findings from Richard’s research, they patented the impact of GR on blood glucose and developed SmarterNaturally’s first product, a dried broccoli soup that’s very high in GR (launched June 2022). Excitingly, after just 8 months we’re already seeing impressive case studies from real patients who’ve seen improvements to their diabetic health since they started eating a weekly bowl of SmarterNaturally Soup.
At SmarterNaturally we are inspired by the opportunity to translate good quality, publicly funded British scientific research into a consumer product that has the potential to benefit so many individuals, prevent disease and alleviate pressure on our stretched healthcare systems, not only in the UK but globally. It is that goal that motivates and inspires us each day. The company is a spin-out from the Quadram Institute (one of the UK’s leading food and health research organisations) and is backed by strong, highly credible published research, which gives the company the potential to be extremely successful.
Tell us about the latest product, promotions or launches visitors can hope to see on your stand
SmarterNaturally Soup is made from a unique broccoli (GRextra), that contains a powerful dose of the natural health-boosting molecule glucoraphanin. Glucoraphanin allows our body to switch on its natural antioxidant defences and re-tunes the metabolism to reverse the harmful effects of ageing and help keep our metabolism young.
SmarterNaturally Soup is backed by patented research and clinical trials, which suggests that eating just one bowl a week delivers enough glucoraphanin and other healthy nutrients found in broccoli to help maintain a healthy metabolism. Maintaining a healthy metabolism is associated with a reduced risk of developing a number of age-related health conditions, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s – offering a totally new approach to ageing well.
SmarterNaturally Soup contains a uniquely strong dose of glucoraphanin, with our GRextra broccoli containing 5x more glucoraphanin than standard varieties, making it an easy, tasty and affordable way to add this health-boosting molecule to your diet.
SmarterNaturally Soup is the first product containing GRextra broccoli powder, and it offers a completely new approach for people wanting to slow or reverse the harmful effects of ageing and live longer, healthier lives. Just 8 months post-launch, we are already seeing some fantastic results from customers confirming the research data we already have, as well as seeing a growing base of loyal customers who swear by the health benefits of our product. We’re continuing to do further research studies on our GRextra broccoli and its health benefits, and once we’ve collected enough evidence, we’re hoping to secure a proprietary health claim from the European Food Safety Authority and other regulatory bodies around the world.
Try a free sample at stand T96 in the Launch Pad zone.
Why is exhibiting at Natural & Organic Products Europe 2023 an unmissable opportunity for you?
We are extremely excited to bring SmarterNaturally Soup to Natural & Organic Products Europe and meet potential buyers who are looking for innovate products that will make a real difference to consumer lives.
Being a functional food product places SmarterNaturally soup in a unique position amongst consumers since there is a growing trend against taking medication and supplements (daily) and a preference to maintain health through diet & lifestyle changes. This trend is leading to more and more consumers searching for alternative ways of reducing their risk of developing chronic diseases as they age. As such, the demand for functional foods with health benefits is rising, and our GRextra broccoli is ideally placed to meet those demands.
Find SmarterNaturally on stand T96.
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