‘Address the stress, improve the gut’: Ashwagandha-okra blend offers novel approach to address digestive health
“Digexin is just getting started,” said Eric Anderson, managing director of NXT USA, which is commercializing the ingredient. “We currently have a number of new Digexin products available in the U.S. market with several more coming, while we also have products launched in Norway, Slovakia, Brazil, and we are just now being introduced in Australia and Asia.”
Manufactured in India by Laila Nutraceuticals, Digexin launched at SupplySide West in 2022 and is distributed in the U.S. and Europe through Freeman Nutra.
Science
Published data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial previously reported that the botanical blend may significantly improve stress levels, gastrointestinal function and sleep quality in people with constipation (Journal of the American Nutrition Association).
The new narrative review, published in Cureus, offers an in-depth analysis of the ingredient's efficacy and safety profile. In addition to the potential benefits for common gastrointestinal issues, the botanical blend may also enhance gut motility, support microbial balance and reduce inflammation, wrote Cassandra Evans and Douglas Kalman from Nova Southeastern University.
Commenting on the potential mechanism of action, Evans and Kalman said the blend reduces stress and lowers cortisol, but the precise mechanism(s) have not yet been fully elucidated. However, they proposed that Digexin may boost serotonin levels, which subsequently impacts the enteric and peripheral nervous systems. Both of these may impact gut health by promoting peristalsis, they wrote.
“The mechanisms result in improving the speed of peristalsis, while also soothing the gut, protecting gut integrity, helping preserve softer stools—resulting in more frequent, more complete bowel movements,” NXT-USA’s Anderson told NutraIngredients. “We say: Address the Stress, Improve the Gut.”
This, therefore, creates a significant market opportunity, he added, noting that the U.S. digestive health products market was valued at $8.92 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $18.66 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 8% from 2024 to 2033.
“We are addressing a condition that impacts more than 40% of Americans—and yet many are still looking for relief,” Anderson said. “We are of course talking about digestive discomfort including constipation, bloating, gas and all of the digestive issues that impact quality of life. Digexin is a new approach, one that addresses digestive health from Brain to Gut—not gut to brain. We are not a probiotic, we are not a laxative, we are not a fiber.”
With a novel mechanism of action and a number of new product launches on the horizon, what’s next for Digexin? Anderson said the company is contemplating two new human studies. While one would focus on acid reflux, the other would investigate the ingredient’s potential to counter the negative side effects of prescription GLP-1 inhibitors, which are known to cause constipation and diarrhea.
“We have anecdotal evidence that Digexin helps folks in this predicament as a result of GLP-1 inhibitors, but we would like to study it to validate these benefits,” he said.
Source: Cureus
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.7759/cureus.66698
“Addressing GI Health Through the Bidirectional Modulation of the Gut-Brain Axis With Herbal Extracts: A Narrative Review”
Authors: C. Evans, D. Kalman
