Author Archives: elenzia

In recent years, there has been a noticeable surge in the popularity of practices that benefit our mental and physical health such as Mindfulness, Yoga, Pilates and Meditation.

Do you want to try out meditation?

(TIP: the NHS have a helpful guide that helps you take the first steps toward mastering meditation) 

These types of practices can help with: 

• reducing stress  
• managing anxiety 
• enhancing concentration 
• elevating mood 
• increasing self-awareness 
• improving physical health 
• improving sleep quality 

It’s key to remember that in order to reach our full potential, we must also nourish our minds. Our diet is an integral component of supporting mental acuity and wellbeing. For example, key nutrients like B vitamins play vital roles in cognitive function. They support concentration, mood regulation, and stress resilience by aiding neurotransmitter production.

Deficiencies can lead to brain fog and fatigue. Brain fog has no official definition and is commonly used to encompass a variety of symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating, a lack of mental clarity, slower reaction times and struggles associated with short-term memory. To alleviate brain fog, adopting a healthy lifestyle is crucial. 

The pursuit of mental clarity and focus has become vital to our overall wellbeing. Delve into Our 6 Step Wellness Cycle blog post to explore how our science-backed supplements provide holistic support for wellness goals.  

Are you ready to prioritise your brain health? elénzia ENHANCE™ is specifically formulated to improve brain health, focus and mental performance for a clear mind, containing a unique combination of nutrients vital for cognitive function, including 6 essential B vitamins. 

Have you ever thought about how your gut affects your health?  

We know that it is related to our digestive health, but that’s not the whole picture. The health of your gut is an integral part of your overall wellbeing. Many people are now realising how important gut health is for our well-being.  

Our stomach contains trillions of microbes, mostly bacteria, that make up the gut microbiota. This system doesn’t just help with digestion: it also plays a vital role in absorbing nutrients, supporting our immune system, and even influencing our moods.  

By taking care of our insides, we’re not only supporting digestion but also promoting overall health. Research indicates that better health could be linked to a rich diversity of bacteria. Just as a diverse ecosystem supports a thriving habitat, a diverse gut microbiota can enhance overall health, much like a vibrant rainforest with its varied ecosystem.  

From the fascinating gut-brain axis to the close connection it has with our skin, let’s explore the different aspects of gut health and how they contribute to our wellness. 

The Brain-Intestinal Axis

The gut-brain axis underscores the intricate communication between your stomach and your brain. Disruption along this axis has been linked to conditions like stress, depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative diseases. And, importantly, it is a two-way street. Your gut and your brain communicate with each other in a few different ways! 

Exploring the close link between the two, called the gut-brain axis, is an exciting area of mental health research, studied by scientists worldwide. Researchers at University College Cork’s APC Microbiome Ireland research centre have been investigating how the gut has a strong impact on our mood and emphasise that taking care of your gut through diet and lifestyle changes can improve mental well-being.

Another study published in 2020 showcased that embracing the Mediterranean diet for just one year led to changes in the microbiome of elderly individuals. This dietary change benefitted brain function and helped promote healthy ageing. Further research is needed to fully understand the complex relationship between the gut and the brain. 

elénzia ENHANCE™ is specially formulated to improve brain health and focus for a clear mind. It contains a unique combination of nutrients vital for cognitive function, including six essential B vitamins, with added fibre for a synergistic effect to support the gut-brain axis. 

The Relationship with Our Immune System

Around 70% of your immune system resides in your stomach, coexisting with your microbiome. This highlights the vital role your gut serves in supporting immune function. Nurturing a diverse and healthy microbiome enhances your defence against viruses and reduces the risk of respiratory infections. 

elénzia IMMUNITY™ is clinically proven to reduce the return of cold and flu illness by 45%, and significantly reduce overall illness severity by 80%. And provides 4.5g of fibre per sachet, helping you to meet your daily fibre intake. Adults in the UK are recommended to consume 30g of fibre each day but on average only consume about 18g. 

The Gut-Skin Axis

Your skin’s health is closely intertwined with the health of your gut – enter the gut-skin axis. Emerging research is unveiling how imbalances in the microbiome can manifest as inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and rosacea.

Prioritising gut health and promoting a diverse microbiota through a diet rich in plant-based foods, fermented foods, and adequate fibre may contribute to healthier, glowing skin. While the research on the gut-skin axis is still in its early stages, there is growing evidence suggesting that maintaining a diverse microbiota through a healthy diet and lifestyle may contribute to healthier, glowing skin.  

elénzia SKIN™ is our all-in-one ingestible approach to skin health. It also provides 4.5g of fibre per sachet, further contributing to achieving adequate fibre intake, and helping you reach that recommended 30g a day.

Prioritising Wellness

Here are some tips to enhance gut health and support overall well-being: 

Embrace a Plant-Powered Diet: Fill your plate with a colourful array of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds to provide essential nutrients and fibre for your microbes. 

Feast on Fermented Foods: Kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi are packed with beneficial bacteria that can enhance your microbiota’s diversity. 

Prioritise Fibre: Dietary fibre acts as a fuel for your microbes, promoting their growth and diversity. Opt for whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. 

Exercise Regularly: Physical activity promotes healthy digestion. Also, regular physical activity helps to reduce stress, which can also have a positive effect on gut health. Interestingly, research has found that elite athletes have noticeably more diverse gut bacteria. Being ‘elite’ isn’t necessary though as moderate exercise can have an impact. 

Manage Stress: Engage in stress-relieving activities like exercise, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing. 

Quality Sleep: Make sleep a priority by establishing a relaxing bedtime routine. A consistent sleep schedule supports brain health, metabolism, mood, and gut health (and vice-versa, notably, a healthy gut helps support restorative sleep). 

Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water supports optimal digestion and the movement of food through your intestines. 

Unlocking The Gut-Wellness Connection

As our understanding of the gut-wellness connection deepens, the importance of nurturing your overall health becomes undeniable. From a fortified immune system to improved mental well-being and radiant skin. By adopting a gut-friendly lifestyle, you enhance your inner wellness. By nurturing your gut through mindful dietary and lifestyle choices, you embark on a journey towards holistic wellness.  

At elénzia, we’re committed to supporting your health journey. Join us in embracing the vitality that comes from a nurtured gut.  

Discover all our products that support your gut health here. 

Long-Term Immune Health Kick 

It may seem like it’s today’s hot topic, but your immune system really is something worth looking after now and for the inevitable future. Your immune system does more than meets the eye, protecting you from outside “invaders”, such as bacteria, viruses, and toxins capable of bringing on illnesses and infections. It also works to regulate cell health in the body and resolve inflammation. Without a healthy immune system, your body struggles to function at its best, and you’re at risk of becoming unwell.  

The immune system is complex, and involves a large network of organs, white blood cells, proteins and chemicals working in synergy to protect your body. This network is reliant on nutrients and can also be boosted by specific phytonutrients from plants. Without proper nourishment, you may experience symptoms such as an upset stomach, feeling run down, having slow-healing wounds or more frequent infections. These are all tell-tale signs that your immune system is compromised and in need of a health kick. Simple ways you can improve your immune health include:  

• Eating a balanced diet 
• Getting enough sleep 
• Exercise regularly 
• Wash your hands 
• Keeping up with your vaccines 
• Maintaining a healthy weight 
• Avoiding smoking 
• Minimizing stress levels
• Taking an immune supplement 

 

Nutrients For Immune Health  

Eating a varied and balanced diet, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables provides your body with the nutrients it needs to maintain a functioning immune system. Some nutrients are more important than others when it comes to keeping the immune system functioning at its best. One of these is vitamin D. However, what’s unusual about this nutrient is our ability to synthesise it when we’re exposed to sunlight and how it tends to be unavailable through the diet alone. Because of our limited sun exposure and the lack of vitamin D in our diet, Public Health England recommends daily supplementation of vitamin D, especially throughout the winter months. Vitamin D plays a role in both your innate and adaptive immune responses, helping to protect your body from foreign pathogens. elénzia IMMUNITY™ contains 250% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin D3, from a plant-based source, contributing to daily immune function. Why 250%?  How well the body absorbs vitamin D varies. To ensure it does so efficiently you’ll notice supplements containing Vitamin D can vary from 100% to 1000% RDI. – And why vitamin D3 and how is this possible from plants? There are two types of Vitamin D. D2 and D3. D2 is often the plant-sourced version and less well absorbed by the body. Whereas D3 is more active and easily absorbed by the body, but usually only available from animal sources. elénzia IMMUNITY™ contains an incredibly unique, clinically studied Vitamin D3 produced from plant algae proven to be bioavailable at a daily intake of 20mcg. However, just to be sure we deliver on science, efficacy, and wellness, elénzia IMMUNITY™ contains 25mcg.  

An optimally functioning immune system improves your ability to detect and react to infection or illness, so you can enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning your body stores levels of this and releases them when needed and we should all be topping up this vital nutrient daily. 

 

The Relationship Between the Gut and Immunity 

You might be questioning what the link between the gut and the immune system is. What often surprises people is how integral the gut is for immune health when in fact 70-80% of the immune system resides in the gut. The immune system is particularly interconnected with the gut microflora, that being the trillions of bacteria that live in our digestive system. These live microorganisms promote healthy gut function, regulate metabolism, and comprise more than 75% of the immune system. The gut microflora and immune system have evolved together and developed a symbiotic relationship, working together to prevent harmful pathogens from taking hold. This is achieved when the gut sends signals that modulate healthy immune responses and in exchange, the immune system helps to populate the microbiome with health-promoting microbes. 

Maintaining a high balance of health-promoting microbes is essential to the efficiency of this relationship. Health-promoting microbes are live organisms that require specific conditions for their growth and survival. Diet and lifestyle play a role in this as they influence the conditions in the gut and nourish the bacteria that live there. Fibre is particularly important for gut health and plays a major role in digestive health, and gut function and supports the growth of healthy microbes. Our gut bacteria thrive on fibre and can break it down into helpful by-products. UK government guidelines published in July 2015 say our dietary fibre intake should be at least 30g a day. elénzia IMMUNITY™ provides 4.5g of fibre per sachet, helping you to meet your daily fibre intake.  

 

Beta Glucans and Immune Health  

Beta-glucans. Have you heard of them? Many people haven’t, although more recently they have been getting more attention due to the health benefits they have. They are soluble fibres that come from the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and some plants. They have been linked to lowering disease risk and boosting immune function. More technically, beta-glucans can activate the complement system, enhancing the specific immune cells to function, and helping to get rid of microbes and damaged cells. elénzia IMMUNITY™ contains 375mg of beta-glucans 1 and 3 fermented from algae (Euglena gracilis), clinically proven to reduce the ability of the unwanted bacteria or viral infection to develop and spread, reduce the length of sickness, and improve the body’s immune response. 

 

Stress, Immunity and Saffron 

Stress is a feeling many of us experience, some, unfortunately, more often than others. And while we know it’s not a good feeling at the time, it can have longer-term impacts on our health and wellbeing than we may have first realised. The stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress how well the immune system functions, making you more susceptible to infections.  

Sometimes feeling stressed can seem unavoidable, especially when life is throwing a hundred things at you at once. But there are natural ingredients that can help support your body during times of stress. One of these is Saffron. Saffron contains active substances that have been proven to improve the mood of healthy people who experience occasional stress, tension, and associated anxieties. These actives can improve the reuptake of feel-good hormones, helping the body to combat stress which in turn enhances the body’s immune system. elénzia IMMUNITY contains Lepticrosides, a patented combination of the active substances of saffron: crocin, safranal and picrocrocin, clinically proven to improve how the body responds to stress.  

 

Try elénzia IMMUNITY™

elénzia IMMUNITY™ is an innovative new nutritional supplement using pioneering ingredients to provide enhanced daily support for long-term immune health. Active plant-based extracts essential to immune health work in synergy to protect and strengthen the immune system, allowing the body to proactively defend itself when the time is right. The ingredients have clinically proven results for enhancing how the body responds to daily stressors, detecting viral and bacterial infections, and reducing recovery time.   

Be in control of your natural reactions by supporting a calm and controlled state and improved immune resilience when the time is right. Feel protected, supported and ready to defend.  

 

People’s rising demand for collagen to support overall health is telling – they have come to recognise it as the anti-ageing panacea. For example, according to google trends, online searches for collagen have more than doubled since the year 2015 and this is only projected to keep on rising.

See Google Trends Report Here

But what exactly is collagen? And why is hydrolysed collagen more beneficial?

 

What is Collagen?

The word “collagen” comes from the Greek word kolla – gennao which means glue – I produce. This is very fitting as collagen is technically the glue that holds the entire body together and something that we continuously produce until we age. Unfortunately, science has shown us that the ageing process and therefore the degradation of collagen can start from as early as the age of 20!

Collagen is a specific form of proteins bound together by what can be described as fibres to form an extracellular matrix compressed into specific structures to suit different areas throughout our entire body. See our blog post on how collagen is formed within the skin.

If you consider that after water the human body is mostly made of protein, and the most abundant protein in the human body is collagen, serving as a foundation to all structural functions, then it is no surprise producing and restoring it is vital to living a happy and healthy life. Collagen makes up the integrity of your skin, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, bones and much more, and until recently was the most over-looked nutritional compound known to support health. For example, we tend to think of calcium as the substance that makes up our bones but how many of us realise our bones are actually mostly made from collagen, then followed by calcium!

In short, if we want our bodies to function as well as they do while we are young, we need to continuously produce and restore collagen.

 

So how do we do this? How do we boost the production of collagen in our body?

This is where supplementing hydrolysed collagen plays a key role.

As mentioned, collagen is a protein and when we consume protein it is broken down into building blocks and reassembled where it is needed throughout the body. However, as we age, restoring collagen becomes less and less of a priority. Those building blocks are prioritised elsewhere and naturally the production of collagen slows down. To overcome this, scientists have found a way to partially break down collagen proteins through a process known as hydrolysis, which tailors the size and shape of the collagen protein making it more bioavailable before we ingest it. This means the pre-broken-down collagen known as hydrolysed collagen is easily absorbed straight into the blood stream where it acts as a messenger, telling the body to prioritise some building blocks for collagen production and start restoring it in the areas where it is needed most. Hence why supplementing hydrolysed collagen has become recognised as the holy grail for anti-aging!

 

What are the proven benefits of supplementing hydrolysed collagen?

Benefit 1: Joint health

Collagen helps maintain the integrity of your cartilage, which is the rubber-like tissue that protects your joints. Unfortunately, as our life experience increases, the amount of collagen in our body decreases. In turn this increases our risk of developing degenerative joint disorders such as osteoarthritis.

Research has shown that taking collagen supplements can help reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis and joint pain overall. In addition to this, clinical trials demonstrate that those who supplemented hydrolysed collagen over ordinary collagen, not only required less in the amount they supplemented daily to feel the benefits, but also saw a significantly higher reduction in pain and improvement to their mobility. A review of the research suggests this is due to its increased ability to lower inflammation, strengthen joint tendons, and improve recovery post exercise.

Earlier this year, we put the science to the test! In order to truly see the benefits of hydrolysed collagen for the everyday person, we created a consumer lifestyle study to show our customers how supplementing elénzia Restore™, our hydrolysed collagen supplement, could truly help them.

Our study looked at the everyday person aged 18-72 who suffers from some level of joint pain post exercise – that could be anything from achy knees after walking the dog, to painful ankles after running a marathon that only pain killers will relieve. During the study we looked at the 200 participants’ level of joint pain for 12 weeks while they were taking elénzia Restore™, comparing it to participants who were taking a placebo (a dummy capsule) for the same period. Our participants reported their level of joint pain, plus comments on their gut, skin and general well-being for 16 weeks – 12 weeks supplementing elénzia Restore™ and 4 weeks post supplementation.

To find out more about the ins and outs of our elénzia Restore™ lifestyle study, click here to download our full report.

The results below show how the everyday person noticed the benefits from taking elénzia Restore™.

 

 

 

 

The results here tell us that the everyday person experiencing joint pain post exercise saw a 64% reduction in their joint pain after 12 weeks of supplementing elénzia Restore™  – that’s more than a 50% decrease in the amount of pain they were feeling after exercise without having to take pain killers! Whereas participants who supplemented with the placebo only saw a 12% reduction in their joint pain.

Male participant aged 27:

Joint pain – Week 4:

“Played sports numerous times this week and experienced less joint pain than usual during and after activity”

 

Female participant aged 41:

Joint pain – Week 6:

“I’ve ran 18km this week and knee feels good. No pain”

 

Male participant aged 34:

Joint pain – Week 4:

“Back and knee pain reduced. Muscles feel like they can go for longer.”

Week 8:

“Lower back pain is substantially better”

 

The findings didn’t stop there – the additional feedback shared on gut, skin and general well-being tells us that hydrolysed collagen has influence on other areas of health other than joints.

 

Benefit 2: Gut Health and Inflammation

Collagen makes up our gut’s connective tissue. It helps maintain the integrity of the protective lining of your digestive tract.

You may have heard of leaky gut syndrome. This is when the tight junctions in the lining of the gut malfunction and let particles like antigens and bacteria pass into your bloodstream. This can result in issues like abnormal immune system responses and inflammatory bowel disease and is why collagen is also being recognised for reducing inflammation and improving the immune system.

In other words, since excessive inflammation affects everything from our joint health to our cardiovascular health, including hydrolysed collagen in your supplement routine is a safe and effective way to help prevent chronic inflammation.

Here’s what people who trialled elénzia Restore™ had to say about the benefits on their gut health:

Female participant aged 53:

Gut health – Week 9:

“My gut has improved and is still good even though I’ve had more to drink this week. Love the improvement.”

 

Female participant aged 29:

Gut health – Week 10:

“Gut feels more regular and I’m no longer experiencing bloating after meals!”

 

Male participant aged 48:

Gut health – Week 8:

“I can feel an improvement in my gut. I am more regular and more energised”

 

Benefit 3: Youthful, Healthy Skin

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our skin and as we age our body’s natural ability to produce collagen declines leading to that visible sign of ageing we all strive to avoid. Wrinkles.

For example, imagine your skin is a mattress and the collagen is the web of springs supporting the cushioning. Over time due to age and wear and tear, the spring count starts to decline and this leads to an uneven mattress – only wrinkled skin is not necessarily uncomfortable, it is just something we try to avoid for as long as we can. However, getting more collagen into your diet has been scientifically proven to improve skin quality, skin hydration, and skin elasticity. More specifically, from hydrolysed collagen.

Some of you may have tried to boost your skin’s collagen by applying it topically. However, as we explored in our blog post The new generation of skincare, the molecular weight of collagen used in topical skincare creams means that it cannot penetrate the skin therefore the desired results aren’t achieved. However, when hydrolysed collagen is ingested through supplementation in combination with topical skincare using innovative ingredients such as Nano Gold Technology that penetrate the skin, stimulating the production of collagen, the results are far more promising.

The elénzia Restore™ lifestyle study showed us just how beneficial supplementing hydrolysed collagen can be for the skin.

Female participant aged 67:

Skin health – Week 8:

“My skin has shown signs of improvement and is definitely glowing more”

 

Male participant aged 55:

Skin health – Week 7:

“Good, no more dry skin after shaving”

 

Male participant aged 34:

Skin health – Week 8:

“Good improved. I am no longer using steroid cream for my eczema”

 

Female participant aged 32:

Skin health – Week 6:

(experiences breakouts) “Skin in now completely clear”

 

Benefit 4: Hair and Nail Growth

When it comes to hair and nails the theory on how collagen supports these areas is a little different. It is not necessarily restoring your actual hair and nails; it is supporting the structure of the areas that do. Since as we age our bodies produce less collagen, our dermis – the skin layer where the hair follicle begins – becomes weaker and it is suggested that because of this hair follicles become smaller and therefore leads to a reduction in hair growth or eventually hair loss.

Science shows supplementing hydrolysed collagen can improve nail and hair strength, growth, and appearance. For example, this clinical trial showed supplementing hydrolysed collagen significantly improved hair and nail protein strength and growth speed by as much as 88%.  

In addition to this here’s what some of our participants in the elénzia Restore™ lifestyle study had to say about their hair and nails during the trial:

Male participant aged 43:

Hair health – Week 12:

“Hair seems to grow back faster”

 

Female participant aged 38:

Nail health – Week 9:

“Nails are feeling strong and thick. They are usually quite brittle and break but have been improving. This week they seem even better not sure if it’s the capsules but it’s great!”

 

To conclude…

“Normal” type 1 collagen does not equate to type 2 hydrolysed collagen, which is more bioavailable, meaning it is more efficiently absorbed into the body.

Innovative extraction and pre-breakdown methods make it possible for hydrolysed collagen proteins to reach our blood stream in their smallest form where they act as signalling ‘proteins’ triggering the body to produce more of its own collagen and put a pause and even reverse the natural process of breaking down collagen when we age. Basically reversing the signs of ageing!

Therefore, a more efficient way to ensuring you consume effective bioavailable collagen proteins is by supplementing hydrolysed collagen such as elénzia Restore™ – and you only need small amounts such as the recommended 2 capsules a day, making it easy to add to your supplement routine.

The question is, where will you notice the benefits first. Skin, hair, gut, or joints?

Interested in testing the results yourself? Use code restorefree at checkout to get free delievery on your first order.