Cardiovascular disease prevention

Heart health is already one of the most popular positionings for functional products, and as the baby boomer demographic ages, it will become even more pivotal. With this context in mind, global business intelligence provider Euromonitor International assesses the impact of two recently identified conditions implicated in heart disease: metabolic syndrome and chronic inflammation.

Adventurous baby boomers are attracted to functionality

Functional foods and beverages continue to do well in the United States in 2008, reaching value sales of $8.5 billion and $24.4 billion, respectively. Up until now, younger population segments were the industry’s most successful targets (e.g. two thirds of functional beverage sales are accounted for by energy drinks and sports drinks, aimed almost exclusively at young males), but the appeal of functional products is about to broaden significantly.

While it is true that today’s elderly consumers show a certain reticence toward functional products, their offspring, aka baby boomers, are much more adventurous in their food choices. This is going to translate into steadily increasing revenues generated by value-added functional food and beverage sales in the years to come. The sheer size of this demographic is impressive. In 2008, 38.7 million Americans are over the age of 65, and by 2020, this will increase to 47.3 million. Cardiovascular disease is of prime concern to this age group.

Baby boomers already constitute the key consumer group of functional spreadable oils and fats, which are almost exclusively marketed on the basis of cardiovascular health benefits by virtue of containing cholesterol-lowering plant sterols and/or heart healthy omega-3s. In 2007, value sales for this category jumped to $251 million, up from just $108 million in 2002. Euromonitor International predicts that by 2012, this will surge by nearly 30% to $322 million, while regular spreadable oils and fats, lacking distinguishing health benefits, are set to decline by almost 20%.

Metabolic syndrome—precursor of heart disease

When scanning the globe for new trends, Japan, the world’s most advanced functional products market, is an inevitable port of call. After all, this is the country that gave rise to the worldwide probiotics boom. The Japanese will spend $67.5 million per capita on functional packaged foods in 2008, compared to just $30.2 million in the United States. Not all Japanese trends make it to the West, but with the current national obsession with “metabolic syndrome,” it is virtually certain this trend will spread to Europe and the United States.

Metabolic syndrome is a term referring to a cluster of prime risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They include central obesity (where excess body fat is stored around the organs, resulting in the characteristic “apple” shape), elevated blood pressure, a disturbed lipid profile (including high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides), as well as insulin resistance (where the body has stopped responding to its own insulin, resulting in high-fasting blood glucose levels, ultimately leading to diabetes). Lifestyle factors, such as an unhealthy diet and insufficient exercise, are the key triggers of this condition.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, Brussels, Belgium, people with metabolic syndrome are three times as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke compared to people without the syndrome. The American Heart Association, Dallas, estimates that around 47 million Americans have the condition. However, hardly anyone outside the medical community has heard of it – except, that is, for the Japanese.

Metabolic syndrome was propelled into mainstream Japanese consciousness in 2006, when a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare report shocked the nation. It claimed that half of all Japanese men between the ages of 40 and 74, and one-fifth of women, either suffered or were at risk from the potentially deadly metabolic syndrome. In a desperate attempt to tackle the country’s spiraling health care costs, the Ministry introduced compulsory testing in April 2008. This includes taking the waist measurements of every employee over 40. Companies are expected to cut the number of overweight employees by 10% by 2012, and failure to reach this target will be punished with fines.

The Ministry’s grand initiative to tackle the issue, which includes ongoing media campaigns, as well as pressure on companies, had a profound impact on the Japanese health and wellness market. Since the metabolic syndrome threat was first publicized in 2006, a whole raft of metabolic syndrome-specific products were launched, including dietary supplements, special ready meals and, of course, functional foods.

According to market research carried out by Seed Planning Inc., Tokyo, the country’s most popular ingredients targeted at metabolic syndrome and found in packaged foods and supplements are dextrin and soy protein. Dextrin is an indigestible, non-fermentable carbohydrate said to help stabilize blood sugar levels. Soy protein is believed to have the same benefits, and also improves blood lipid profiles. In November 2007, Shaklee Japan launched a meal replacement product range, including shakes and bars (capsules are also available) for metabolic syndrome sufferers under its CINCH brand. These products contain soy protein, dextrin and a vitamin B-complex.

Major Western food companies have already started to gauge the potential of what they foresee will be the next installment in the global battle against cardiovascular disease. Pharmaceutical company Phosphagenics, Melbourne, Australia, in collaboration with Nestlé, Vevey, Switzerland, is developing the patented ingredient Phospha E, which is said to be effective against a number of biomarkers implicated in metabolic syndrome. Completion of phase 2 clinical trials is expected this summer.

U.S. baby boomers, being fairly well educated on issues surrounding cardiovascular disease, should readily be able to grasp the concept of metabolic syndrome as a precursor of heart disease. It is highly likely that metabolic-syndrome-positioning will become a mainstream way of marketing functional food and beverage products in the U.S. in the not-so-distant future.

Inflammation sets “the heart on fire”

Inflammatory conditions are also high on the global health agenda, because they are responsible for a long list of debilitating chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. In recent years, it has come to light that conditions not previously associated with inflammation are, in fact, linked to long-term, low-grade inflammatory processes. Clinical studies have revealed that inflammation contributes significantly to the development of cardiovascular disease, coined with the evocative description of “the heart being on fire”.

The causes of chronic inflammation remain, on the whole, a mystery. Epidemiological studies point toward a link with modern lifestyles, and Western dietary habits, in particular. The incidence of inflammatory diseases is very low among the world’s rural populations, as their traditional diets consist mainly of plant-based foods. On the other hand, Western diets rich in meat, dairy and processed foods appear to feed inflammation.

A large intake of the “wrong” dietary fats is high on the list of culprits. Saturated fats and an oversupply of arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in large quantities of animal-derived foods such as dairy and meat, are known to contribute to inflammation, while unsaturated fats, such as omega-3 found in fish, inhibit the inflammatory cascade.

Since 2004, FDA permits a qualified heart health claim for two omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3s’ newfound role as inflammation fighters adds even more weight to its already solid status as a heart health protector. Thus, omega-3 fortified products, like the aforementioned functional spreads, already appeal greatly to the baby boomer demographic.

Bioflavonoids and other naturally occurring plant chemicals with powerful antioxidant properties, found in high concentrations in fruits, vegetables and spices, are also known to be capable of neutralizing the free radicals believed to act as triggers in the inflammatory process. Two culinary spices extremely rich in such compounds are ready and waiting to be catapulted to anti-inflammatory fame: Turmeric (curcuma longa) and ginger (zingiber officinale). Studies have shown that the yellow pigment in turmeric acts as a highly potent antioxidant, and that ginger contains substances that inhibit the formation of inflammatory mediators.

Turmeric and ginger are extensively used in Asian cooking, e.g. in Indian curries, and the culinary-curious baby boomers are already positively inclined toward trying new cuisines. Positioning ethnic dishes directly at this demographic, supported by a heart health message, could well turn into a golden opportunity for manufacturers wanting to broaden their market.

Sadly, cardiovascular disease is set to remain the number one killer of adults in the Western world for the foreseeable future. Today’s over-60 demographic wants to remain active and maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible. Gaining awareness of metabolic syndrome and of chronic inflammation, both of which are easily diagnosed by health care professionals, will enable them to take preventative measures before serious cardiovascular complications develop. Functional products may not be the solution, but in combination with other measures, they do have a positive role to play.

Simone Baroke, based in London, is a nutritionist by training. She has worked for Euromonitor International for three year as a Health and Wellness analyst and is also currently studying for her Master’s degree in Food Policy.

Resources

American Heart Association—Metabolic Syndrome