By developing Exten(d)®, an innovative ingredient resulting from research carried out by our R&D department, Natural Origins offers a turnkey solution for formulations dedicated to the joint health sector. Find out here why the Cell'innov brand has chosen to work with us.

We are delighted to offer Exten(d)®, our innovative botanical solution that meets everyone's needs, and to contribute this cutting-edge formulation to the success of Cell'innov's Arti Mobile Max 5.

Zoom in on  the essentials of a fruitful meeting (which you can watch in full in the video below) between Cell'innov, Marc Roller, General Director of Natural Origins and Chloé Blanchard, Product Manager, to discuss the effectiveness of Exten(d)®.

Origin of the ingredient project

Cell'innov: What investigative work led you to create this ingredient?

Chloé Blanchard: We have been focusing our research on the joint health sector for the last three years. Sport and running have become increasingly popular since Covid, with a growing awareness of the importance of health. Intense sport combined with an active lifestyle and an unbalanced diet increase the risk of injury and pain, and repetition can lead to stress and joint discomfort. Nutrition is now a priority for sportspeople looking for natural, healthy, additive-free, long-term health solutions. Ginger and harpagophytum are known for their effects on joint health and maintaining mobility. So, we came up with the idea of designing a formula for everyone, clinically proven to be effective, because everyone has the same joint system and the same mechanisms of discomfort, whatever their age, gender or sporting level. That's how Exten(d)® was born, for anyone with joint mobility problems. 

Cell'innov: Do you work with top athletes?

Marc Roller: Yes, ultra-trailers tell us about their needs and to support them in their activity. Our research naturally has focused on joint comfort.

Its composition

Cell'innov: Can you tell us more about Exten(d)®, the innovative ingredient developed in your laboratory?

Chloé Blanchard: Exten(d)® is a complex of powders derived from three botanicals: harpagophytum, ginger and annatto. 

Unlike using extracts, working with powders enables us to obtain a product that preserves all the benefits of the botanicals (vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, proteins, etc.) with minimal processing. This is a mechanical process, so there are no solvents, additives or carriers, such as maltodextrin. These ‘full-spectrum’ botanical powders are made from 100% of the original raw material. This approach meets the requirements of minimally processed products, in vogue in the United States, referred to as ‘minimally processed’.

Cell'innov: This ingredient is a sophisticated blend of three powders in a single formula!

Chloé Blanchard: We have combined two botanicals with proven efficacy for joint health, harpagophytum and ginger, with annatto, botanical rich in carotenoids. Our initial hypothesis was to maximise the effectiveness of the formula based on the composition of annatto.

Cell'innov: Can you tell us why you chose to combine these three botanicals?

Chloé Blanchard: These three botanicals are sourced from different regions but are rigorously selected for their active ingredient content. Ginger from Nigeria has antioxidant properties (because it is titrated in gingerols and shogaols) and helps to maintain joint flexibility. Harpagophytum from Namibia contains harpagosides, active ingredients known to help strengthen the body's locomotor system and keep joints and tendons flexible. These health claims can be found on the EFSA lists. The third ingredient is Brazilian annatto, the fruit of the annatto tree, rich in antioxidant compounds (carotenoids, flavonoids, bixin and norbixin).

Marc Roller: Exten(d)® is a synergy of the benefits of these optimised dosed three ingredients. 

The study process and results

Cell'innov: This technology and know-how for joint health is fascinating. At Cell'innov, it's exactly this kind of innovation that we want to make available to our customers. 

Marc Roller: As General Director of Natural Origins, I'm also in charge of innovation and new product development. It was in this context that I set up the clinical studies to assess the efficacy of our botanical ingredients in the Exten(d)® compound with our R&D laboratory.

Cell'innov: What studies have you carried out to assess  the action of Exten(d)® on joints? 

Marc Roller: We conducted a clinical study in collaboration with the University of Madrid and runners, as these athletes are the first to experience joint discomfort. This independent study was carried out on a double-blind, placebo-controlled basis.

Cell'innov: So you tested the benefits of Exten(d)® on people who push their joint activity to the limits. How did you go about this?

Marc Roller: The clinical study on Exten(d)® was carried out over four weeks on regular runners aged between 40 and 60, with two groups of 15 volunteers: a placebo group and an ‘Exten(d)®’ group. The subjects were suffering from mild knee joint discomfort associated with their sporting activities. Two series of tests were carried out on the two groups, before and after taking supplements, in order to observe the impact of the product in a scientific and statistically significant way. We chose an original non-invasive approach for this study.
 
Cell'innov: What tests were carried out?

Marc Roller: Firstly, we studied the stride during a running exercise using motion capture technology, which enabled us to reconstruct the stride of each runner in 3D and thus measure each movement very precisely. Secondly, we used a thermal camera to assess blood flow, a marker of joint heating.

    

Cell'innov: What did the results reveal?

Chloé Blanchard: This clinical study enabled us to show that the Exten(d)® group achieved a more natural, more fluid stride than the placebo group, with, for example, a reduction in the angle of flexion of the knee and improved posture. Infrared measurements also showed a reduction in joint heating, which may reduce the sensation of discomfort. In the Exten(d)® group, a reduction in body fat was observed in favour of muscle mass, due to an increase in sporting activity linked to the reduced joint discomfort. Finally, our blend of ingredients has been shown to improve running technique by helping to maintain joint comfort.

Cell'innov: We can see that you've really pushed your research to the limit to ensure Exten(d)®'s effectiveness... And the results are astounding!

Chloé Blanchard: To sum up, a simple four-week treatment of Exten(d)® enabled an improvement in the comfort felt by these sportsmen and women both during exercise and at rest. Not only in the knees and hips, but in all the other joints too!

Exten(d) applications and Natural Origins sports partnerships

Cell'innov: Many athletes can now enjoy the benefits of Exten(d)®. Can you tell us about the applications of this solution for joint health?

Marc Roller: We have always been keen to focus our research on supporting our top-level athlete partners of Natural Origins, such as Sébastien Raichon. It's important for us to test our formulas on a demanding target audience, to get their feedback on the practicality of the format, the taste and the effectiveness, so that we can meet their specific expectations. Our athletes tested capsules containing 2g/day of Exten(d)® and approved the results. Exten(d)® is a solution for athletes of all levels. 

Chloé Blanchard: Natural Origins is a proud partner of Sud Raid Aventure, Run In Lyon and Duo de l'Hermitage. We also support extreme sportsmen and women taking part in ultra-trails such as the UTMB or very long races and marathons (TOR des Glaciers or the Barkley). These challenges enable us to test our products in the field (in terms of digestibility, effectiveness and ease of use). With Exten(d)® we have developed a natural sports nutrition solution to support and help athletes in their quest for performance.

Cell'innov: Fantastic! We can see that Exten(d)® has found its place in the sports community and that this revolutionary ingredient meets the joint needs of people of all ages and all levels! At Cell'innov' we've been won over. That's why we wanted to work with you to develop our new joints formulation: Arti Mobile Max 5. It contains two grams of your Exten(d)® complex in tablet form, and we've added our own personal touch by combining it with two other ingredients. 

Want to find out more about our ORGANIC Exten(d) active? Come and check this out on our e-platform:

ORGANIC Exten(d)® active

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