Did you know that recent studies suggest that blackcurrants increase our skin’s essential scaffolding?
What we mean by ‘essential scaffolding’ is our skin’s collagen and elastin, and the right supplements can promote a healthy glowing complexion and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
One supplement making waves in New Zealand are CurraNZ’s Blackcurrant capsules, which include 2,500 blackcurrants per 350mg pack! They’re also a Good-approved alternative to other trending collagen supplements.
Already a staple ingredient of beauty creams, collagen is widely lauded for its topical use. However it’s the ingestible form that is making waves across beauty and health industries.
While animal collagen is the standard source, recent studies suggest blackcurrant extract could hold the answer to keeping lines and creases at bay. The key is in the skin of the fruit which contains anthocyanins concentrated in each capsule of CurraNZ, delivering a whopping 105mg per dose, equivalent to a generous handful of blackcurrants.
Researchers at the Department of Bioscience and Laboratory Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences, investigated how anthocyanins can increase levels of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid – the building blocks in human skin.
Lead study author Naoki Nanashima says: “The present study demonstrates that exposure to blackcurrant or anthocyanins increased the level of extracellular matrix (essential scaffolding of the skin) molecules such as collagen and elastin in human skin fibroblasts (a cell which produces collagen).”
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this type of activity of blackcurrant extract and anthocyanins in the skin.”
Although Nanashima’s study was a preclinical trial, his report concluded: “Long-term ingestion is expected to be effective, even at low concentrations”.
Fleur Cushman, co-director of CurraNZ, says good skin is just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to the power of Blackcurrants. Blackcurrant supplements also enhance the immune system, improve fat burning, and help get people in the mood for exercise, as well as exercising in high temperatures by helping our bodies to regulate properly. They also improve our energy levels.
“We receive a lot of positive feedback from customers who say our blackcurrant extract boosts immunity and increases energy. This latest finding on the anti-ageing effects on skin is another exciting insight to the benefits of these ‘small but mighty’ berries”, says Cushman.
And CurraNZ’s contributions to research for the supplement industry is impressive. So far, CurraNZ’s product has been evaluated in almost 30 published studies in peer-reviewed journals. The studies also demonstrate the capsules’ effectiveness for numerous benefits, including metabolic and cardiovascular function and performance and recovery in sport and fat oxidation.
Co-founder of CurraNZ, Scott Cushman has long-standing connections to the natural health industry. His father Mike Cushman co-founded the Clinicians range of dietary supplements, and he has been monitoring the research into blackcurrants for years. Cushman says blackcurrant is one of the most potent products he has seen in the world of natural health.
Speaking of the taste of CurraNZ’s blackcurrant supplements, Cushman says it’s a tart berry flavour, and he recommends putting a capsule in a blender as part of a smoothie. He notes that to reap the benefits of the supplements, it’s essential to take the supplements for 2-4 weeks for the benefits to become obvious and measurable.
CurraNZ is backed by New Zealand Olympic contenders Julia Ratcliffe (NZ Hammer Throw Champion) and Andrea Anacan (9th in the world for Kata-karate), among other local athletes and sports teams.
Find out more at curranz.co.nz.
Each pack of CurraNZ contains 30 capsules and is available at curranz.co.nz for $39.90. CurraNZ® is the most extensively researched blackcurrant product of this type on the market. They recently won the prestigious NutraIngredients Awards 2020 in recognition of their innovation and cutting edge research in supplements and nutrition.
