Launched under the company’s premium health functional food brand Vital Garden, the newly released KeyTentional Grow Up Stick is the first product in this range, which aims to support healthy growth from infancy to adolescence.
It is also the first health functional food in South Korea to contain lactic acid bacteria FGO, which was researched and developed by LG H&H, and approved as a functional ingredient by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in November last year.
FGO is derived from fermenting oyster extract with a specific strain of Lactobacillus to increase gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and lactic acid content. It has been shown in studies to have potential effects on height growth, muscle strength, and bone health.
Besides having FGO as a main ingredient, the KeyTential Grow Up Stick is a multifunctional product that is formulated with five essential nutrients for growing children, namely vitamins B1 and B6, niacin, zinc, and selenium.
The liquid stick comes in an orange mango flavour to encourage children to take it daily.
“We developed it through strict quality control so that children can consume it with confidence. We will strive to ensure that KeyTential products, which contain LG H&H’s philosophy and research know-how, can become a new option to help children grow healthily,” the company said.
In 2019, LG H&H’s fermented porcine placenta extract (FPP) was recognised for the functionality of improving fatigue, a first in the country.
Since then, the company has acquired MFDS-approved functionality for various raw materials. These include Lactobacillus-fermented oyster extract (FSO) that helps improve muscle strength, and marigold flower extract (containing lutein and zeaxanthin) that supports eye health.
Going forward, the health and beauty giant plans to expand its presence in the global market through product development based on its continuous research and development of health functional food ingredients.
Science and safety
In recent times, lactic acid bacteria FGO has been gaining attention worldwide. It holds patents in South Korea, Japan, Europe, and the US, and has had six Science Citation Index (SCI)-level papers about it published.
A study conducted by School of Oriental Medicine at Pusan National University enrolled 100 children aged 6 to 11 years, who were in the 25th percentile or lower for height based on the 2017 Korean National Growth Charts.
For a period of 24 weeks, participants in the intervention group consumed the FGO extract (500mg) whereas the control group took placebo extracts once daily.
The effects on six indicators related to height growth were evaluated.
It was found that height gain and height standard deviation score (SDS) were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group after the study period.
Height velocity (HV) was also significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group after the 6th and 24th week.
After 24 weeks, a decrease in growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) was observed in both groups. However, serum IGFBP-3 level in the intervention group reduced less than placebo group.
Lactobacillus FGO was certified as a New Excellent Technology (NET) in marine and fisheries by South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries last year, along with LG H&H’s formulation technology.
Utilising this technology, the functional components of oysters harvested from the southern coast of Korea were used in the KeyTentional Grow Up Stick.
Additionally, the product is said to be manufactured under stringent quality control to ensure safety from harmful marine substances, such as shellfish toxins and heavy metals.
