Bardo - Real Food Bites With Benefits

🍽️ FOODIE FRIDAY 🍽️ For those of you new to following me, I showcase x3 food & drink brands each week, reviewing them both with a consumer & buyer hat-on. It's great for discovering new brands to try, promoting young or new brands &/or highlighting some exciting NPD in this space. So let's do it... ☺️ I'm not really a soda drinker due to the amount of sugar level however I'm loving HOLOS Kombucha and their new soda. No sugar, made in small batches, not from concentrate this new range was so god damn delish. Also only 5 calories & 50% of your RDA vitamin C. Great credentials right. It's lightly sparkling so easy drinking & with some great flavour combination, my fav being raspberry & lemon. Big love for their charitable partnership, providing a safe working environment as part of a rehabilitation project for survivors of slavery & trafficking. The perfect healthier alternative to traditional soft drinks so would love to see in more coffee shops & QSR such as Black Sheep Coffee, Starbucks, LEON Restaurants. Also forecourts such as bp, Moto Hospitality, EG Group. Then the classics, contract catering so CH&CO, BaxterStorey, Genuine Dining. 🌱Always looking for healthier, whole food snacks especially when working from home, so was loving the range from Bardo - Real Food Bites With Benefits. Their delicious bite-size snacks contain minimally processed, real food ingredients and draw on the long tradition of using plants to improve our emotional wellbeing and mood. The lift flavour was my fav, full of plant-protein, high in fibre & mineral rich. The pouch size is perfect & filling & the packaging design is modern & clean like the ingredients. Love it. Want to lean on them getting stocked into adventure & fitness focussed accounts such as Third Space, Nuffield Health, Virgin Active, Decathlon UK but also adventure holiday destinations such as Center Parcs UK & Ireland, Forest Holidays & National Trust. 💝 For the vegans in my network, this one is going to blow your mind. Introducing the UK's first plant-based chocolate selection box, Catherine's Originals. Think a vegan quality street, this box of goodies contains such an epic & modern twist on the classics. I'm talking honeycomb, cookies & cream, orange & almond, all delicious & made using Fairtrade International cocoa. Such a treat & something I've really missed since turning vegan. Especially at Xmas. Perfect for farmshops & delis via Cotswold Fayre, a certified B Corporation & Holleys Fine Foods as well as key beacons like Selfridges & Daylesford Organic. I'd also say would be cool for people like Moonpig, Bloom & Wild as an add-on product as well as hampers such as Virginia Hayward Ltd & The British Hamper Company. Happy Weekend all! #gifting #plantbased #functional #sme

Interesting to hear some of the emerging research at the polyphenol symposium King's College London with the The Nutrition Society. We discussed how the gut-microbiota increases polyphenol (beneficial bioactive parts of some plants) absorption. This in turn impacts the breakdown and absorption of tyrosine and tryptophan in proteins which impact dopamine (our pleasure and reward chemical) and serotonin (which plays a vital role in appetite, gut health and improved mood). This may be the mechanism behind why a varied gut microbiota and a strong gut-brain axis improves mood outcomes and cognition and supports my own findings. #gutmicrobiota #polyphenols #gutbrainaxis

Potential neuroprotective effects of polyphenolic compounds. A recent review paper out of the University of Barcelona explored the potential of dietary polyphenols, once ingested, making their way from the gut to the brain - possibly exerting direct neuroprotective effects. This research highlights past research using various models (in situ, in vitro, in vivo, clinical…), and potential polyphenolic compounds (or their metabolites produced through bacterial metabolism in the intestines) that may influence brain function and cognition. Review Summary: *Bioconversion by gut microbiota: phenolic compounds are transformed into neuroactive metabolites like equol, urolithins, and enterolactone, which may cross the blood-brain barrier and modulate brain health. *Mechanisms of action: these metabolites may enhance neurotransmitter signaling, reduce neuroinflammation, and improve neural plasticity, suggesting a protective effect against neurodegeneration. *Challenges at the blood-brain barrier: The blood-brain barrier represents a significant barrier to direct action within the brain, emphasizing the importance of metabolites that can effectively penetrate this barrier. Polyphenolic compounds with potential for directly impacting brain health (referencing in vitro and in vivo models): *Hydroxytyrosol: Linked to reductions in β-amyloid plaques and oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial function and reducing apoptosis in neural cells. *Caffeic Acid: Notable for its role in decreasing tau hyperphosphorylation and β-amyloid accumulation, it also supports neurogenesis in the hippocampus. *Equol: Demonstrates the potential to modulate glial cell migration and improve hippocampal synaptic plasticity. *Urolithin A and B: These metabolites show promising effects in reducing neuroinflammation and enhancing autophagy, crucial for maintaining neuronal health. *Enterolactone: Engages in lowering inflammation and enzymatic activity linked to neurodegenerative processes. Each of these compounds represents a key area of interest in the ongoing research to understand dietary impacts on cognitive decline and the potential for food-based interventions in brain health management. https://lnkd.in/gzpCWTN5

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐬?   🛑 Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are making waves in food media and consumer concerns are on the rise. According to a survey, 3 million UK consumers have started avoiding them in the last 3 months.   📗 Dr. Chris van Tulleken's book 'Ultra-Processed People' has become a bestseller in the UK, reflecting a 60% increase in Google searches for UPFs over the last year.   🍔 UPFs are a significant part of UK diets, comprising 56% of consumed calories, second only to the US at 57%.   🌍 According to the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, 67% of Europeans blame UPFs for health issues like obesity, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.   🛒 Shopper behaviour is changing, with a nationally representative survey suggesting 12.8 million UK adults altered their diets due to UPF concerns in February 2024.   🏷️ The trend towards clean label and understandable ingredients is gaining traction as consumers seek alternatives to UPFs.   🔄 Despite some UPFs having potential health benefits like high fibre content, the shift towards cleaner eating remains strong.   And you, are you aware of what you’re eating? Let's discuss! 💬   _________________________   👍 If you enjoy the news, don’t forget to ✨ 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 & 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 ✨   🔗 Want to read the full article? Click on the link below: https://lnkd.in/eRqNYYmT   ➡️ For further articles, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eSVF5vSZ   #GreenSeedGroup #GreenSeedUK #EnterBritishRetail #InternationalFoodExpert #MarketingandSales #FoodMarket #FoodExpert #FoodTrends #ExpoWest2024 #Sustainability #HealthandWellness