Cranberry to address a key Women’s Health concern

Women’s health is gaining increasing attention in the dietary supplement market as brands develop solutions targeting specific health concerns across life stages as seen in our previous blog post.

According to the CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements*, 77% of American women report using dietary supplements, compared to 68% of men, highlighting women’s strong engagement in proactive health management.

This growing interest is also reflected in market performance. The women’s health supplement market continues to expand as consumers seek targeted solutions addressing issues such as hormonal balance, digestive comfort and urinary tract health.

Urinary tract health, in particular, represents a major area of need. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in women. Studies estimate that 50–60% of women will experience at least one UTI during their lifetime, and one in three will require antibiotic treatment by the age of 24¹.

As a result, demand for natural preventive solutions supporting urinary comfort continues to grow.

Cranberry: the reference ingredient for urinary tract health

Among botanical solutions, cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) has long been recognized for its ability to support urinary tract health. Its benefits are largely attributed to proanthocyanidins (PACs), specific polyphenols that help prevent certain bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract lining.

This mechanism helps support urinary comfort and may reduce the recurrence of discomfort. However, the efficacy of cranberry-based supplements depends strongly on the raw material quality, PACs content standardization, traceability and manufacturing quality as well as rigorous analytical control, which remain key challenges in the market.

These factors are essential to ensure consistent efficacy.

Exocyan™: Nexira’s expertise in cranberry extraction

Exocyan™ is Nexira’s premium cranberry ingredient developed for dietary supplements, food and beverage applications.

Produced from high-quality Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton cranberries, Exocyan™ benefits from Nexira’s expertise in botanical extraction and quality rigor.

Developed from carefully selected cranberry sources, the berries are processed in Nexira’s production facility in the South of France, where advanced technologies and strict quality procedures ensure the preservation of the fruit’s natural active compounds.

Nexira offers the industry’s most extensive range of cranberry extracts by using pomace or juice (or in combination) with several processing options. Through recognised R&D know-how and strong manufacturing expertise, Nexira can produce cranberry extracts with extremely high levels of active compounds, such as 90% PACs by Bate-Smith and 20% PACs by BL-DMAC. Using advanced analytical techniques such as BL-DMAC and Bate-Smith methods, Nexira ensures precise quantification of PACs. In addition, a proprietary UPLC analytical method allows the identification of potential adulteration and guarantees the authenticity of the raw material, thus ensuring unparalleled traceability and purity.

This rigorous approach ensures high traceability, purity and reliability, key factors in a market where cranberry ingredient quality can vary significantly.

With its Women Health Collection, Nexira supports partners in developing natural, science-backed solutions that empower women at every step of their journey.

Clinical evidence supporting urinary comfort

To validate the effectiveness of Exocyan™ at alleviating from UTI concerns, Nexira conducted a open-label, comparative,  observational study involving 219 women experiencing recurrent urinary discomfort over a period of six months.

The study demonstrated that regular consumption of Exocyan™ significantly improved urinary comfort and overall quality of life in women with recurrent urinary discomforts.

Key results included:

• 60% of participants experienced no UTI episodes during the study
• Reduced duration and intensity of urinary discomfort episodes
• Nearly 80% of participants did not require any standard treatment during the study
• Improvements in psychological wellbeing and perceived urinary comfort

Participants also reported improvements in concerns related to daily life situations often associated with urinary discomfort, such as travel conditions, limited bathroom access or insufficient fluid intake.

These results confirm the significant improvement in their overall quality of life and reinforce confidence in Exocyan™’s effectiveness and its ability to improve women’s health, offering a natural and safe alternative to traditional treatments.

93% of consumers would recommend Exocyan™ CRAN 40G.

Exocyan™, the women’s true ally

With urinary health representing one of the most common health concerns for women, ingredients such as Exocyan™ provide formulators with a science-supported botanical solution. Its natural origin, quality control and scientific foundation make it a valuable component of women’s health nutraceuticals.

Exocyan™ can be incorporated into a wide range of dietary supplement formats, including:

• capsules
• powders
• stick packs
• functional beverages

Exocyan™ combines botanical expertise, advanced analytics and clinical validation to deliver a reliable cranberry ingredient and target products supporting urinary health and improving women’s quality of life.

Get in touch to receive a sample or book a meeting with our team!

Caroline Jourdain
Technical Support, Nexira

Sources:
*https://www.crnusa.org/resources/2020-crn-consumer-survey-dietary-supplements-consumer-intelligence-enhance-business
1)Samantha J. Eells, Kiran Bharadwa, James A. McKinnell and Loren G. Miller. Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Among Women: Comparative Effectiveness of 5 Prevention and Management Strategies Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo Model, Clin Infect Dis. 2014 Jan 15; 58(2) : 147–160.
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