This is based on the rationale that immune health is one of the key foundations for an active lifestyle - which encompasses not only sports performance or exercise, but also continuing everyday routines, work, travel and social activities.
“In APAC, seasonal and regional health challenges can affect daily routines and exercise habits,” said Koichiro Murashima, executive officer and general manager, Institute of Health Sciences at Kirin. “Supporting immune health helps people stay active and well, linking immunity closely to active lifestyle nutrition.”
Murashima highlighted the above during this presentation on active nutrition at the recent Growth Asia Summit held in Singapore on July 8-10.
Discovered in 2010, LC-Plasma works by stimulating the plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) - a group of cells that serves as commander-in-chief of the immune system. It does so by activating immune cells, including NK, Killer T, B and Helper T cells.
So far, LC-Plasma has been reported to reduce cold-like symptoms in a meta-analysis of eight clinical studies published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology. It has also been studied for reducing the incidence of dengue fever-like symptoms in a trial in Malaysia.
At the same time, the company has explored the ingredient’s potential benefit in an active lifestyle. This is based on the observation that athletes tend to manifest symptoms of a suppressed immune system, such as catching a cold, especially after intensive sports training.
“Athletes often face a unique challenge. Intense training can temporarily suppress immune function and increase physical fatigue,” said Tomomasa Yagisawa, deputy general manager, health science business division head at Kirin Holdings, in his presentation.
Findings of a two-week RCT published in Nutrients reported that long-distance track and field athletes who took LC-Plasma experienced lower subjective feelings of fatigue post-exercise compared to the placebo group, which researchers said could be attributed to pDC activity.
Going out of Japan: LC-Plasma expansion across APAC
Kirin has formulated a series of health supplements and functional food and beverages containing LC-Plasma. While the majority of the launches have taken place in Japan, the company is also introducing these products overseas, with Singapore its latest addition.
The product, KIRIN IMMUSE Yoghurt Flavor, is a beverage said to be developed specifically for Singapore’s sugar-conscious consumer market, where it is given a “B” NutriGrade. NutriGrade “A” is the healthiest in terms of sugar and saturated fat content, while “D” is the least healthy.
As part of its strategy for Singapore, Kirin has partnered with Fullerton Health, a provider of healthcare services in Southeast Asia, where the product will be sold on its digital platform, the Fullerton Health Marketplace.
Prior to Singapore, LC-Plasma products have already been introduced to Vietnam and Taiwan.
Watch the video above to find out more.
