Bone Health Market: Meet Beta Glucan

Glucan Corporation (Busan, Korea) and Anderson Global Group LLC (AGG; Irvine, CA) have partnered to launch Polycan, a black yeast beta glucan for bone health.

Beta glucans are traditionally marketed for immune health support, but early non-clinical trials on the unique strain of A. pullulans resulted in reported benefits to bone and joint health, said an AGG spokesman in an interview with Nutritional Outlook. The unexpected results effectively changed the direction of Polycan research, and the company claims the ingredient is now the first beta-glucan-based material targeting bone health.

In a 2009 12-week, randomized, double-blind clinical study on 60 patients, significant increases in osteoblasts (which help build bones) and decreases of osteoclasts (which break down bones) were observed with the beta glucan, according to AGG. The company states that seven other published clinical studies provided positive results.

'Although we are pleased with our favorable findings thus far, we carry on a continual research and development program to further validate the potential benefits of Polycan in bone, joint, immune, skin, and metabolic health arenas,' said Hyungrae Cho, president of Glucan Corporation.

This patented water-soluble compound can be applied in a number of food and beverage categories, including dairy products, grain products, and processed foods such as chewing gums and ice creams. Polycan will be featured at the Supply Side West show in Las Vegas, this October.

For more information on Polycan, visit Anderson Global Group, online.