Professional recommendation: Swisse expands Nutra+ practitioner-only range with six new supplements
The Nutra+ range was first launched in May 2020 with four products (Astra Build, Andro Max, Uri Tract Pro, Joint Pain).
The new supplements include Advanced Mag Day for muscle health (magnesium, vitamin Bs, folic acid), Advanced Mag Night for sleep support (magnesium, passionflower, California poppy) and Advanced Mag Calm for stress relieve (magnesium, kava).
It will also include High Strength Collagen Repair to relieve mild osteoarthritis (collagen, glucosamine, vitamin C), Pro Strength Vitamin C + D Complex for healthy immune system (vitamin C, D, zinc), as well as Advanced Pregnancy Care to support preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding (a multivitamin containing 25 nutrients).
This practitioner-only range was developed based on scientific and traditional evidence, and is only available behind the counter in pharmacies in Australia.
Nick Mann, managing director at H&H Group, parent company of Swisse Wellness said the Nutra+ range was an evolution for Swisse.
According to Mann, consumers were increasingly turning to pharmacists for assistance, with one in five vitamin, mineral and supplement (VMS) purchases now driven through professional recommendation.
He added that shoppers who purchase practitioner-only range brands also spend nearly double than the average aisle brand shopper, driving overall category value.
In Australia, other practitioner-only supplement brands include Blackmores’ BioCeuticals and Designs for Health.
Currently, Nutra+ products are distributed in around 500 pharmacies across Australia including Terry White Chemmart, Priceline, Good Price and Choice Pharmacy.
Mann said: “We have a vision to make the range accessible to all Australians, by creating physical availability through pharmacy networks and online availability through personalised practitioner consultations.”
Of its initial four products launched in May, Mann said Astra Build was growing at a faster rate than the rest of the portfolio.
“This is not surprising with our current environmental situation and this offer being specifically focused on immune health support and traditionally used in Western herbal medicine for fatigue relief.”
Evidence based therapeutic supplements
Mann told NutraIngredients-Asia the purpose of Nutra+ was to develop products that were designed and developed for pharmacists and health care professionals, that were trusted by patients.
Ingredients in its supplements are supported by research and evidence, he stressed.
For instance, its Swisse Nutra+ Astra Build for immune support and fatigue relief contains rhodiola. Rhodiola has been shown to enhance physical and mental performance, as well as fatigue, in stressed and fatigued individuals as reported by Hung et al (2011) and Spasov et al (2000) in Phytomedicine.
In the Swisse Nutra+ Joint Pain Complex formulated to relieve inflammation and soreness, contains boswellia serrata and natural egg shell membrane (NEM).
Boswellia serrata extract has been demonstrated to improve joint pain in people with knee osteoarthritis after just seven days of treatment, a clinical trial of 75 participants as reported by Siddiqui (2011).
Clinical trials have also found that NEM could reduce joint stiffness from exercise in healthy people, as recorded by Ruff et al (2018) in Clinical Interventions in Aging.
Mann explained: “Selected ingredients are only ever included at therapeutic doses where evidence lies for the specific outcome that the product is designed to achieve.”
The H&H Group is currently conducting clinical trials on Nutra+ products, and also planning further supplement launches next year.
According to Mann, Nutra+ was developed in Australia for Australians needs, and there are no immediate plans to launch the range overseas.
“The range is set to service the local community, but as with many other great Australian products it will no doubt be an offer that exporters may want to leverage.”
