Many health supplements have improved the well-being of humankind. Equally, many conditions have been brought under control, thanks to the emerging technologies in the health sector. Technology has been an important aspect in the improvement of our lives. Objectively, it has been a central pillar in the prevention and cure of diseases.
Technology has also been very instrumental in the health sector. The use of technology in coming up with health supplements has gone a long way in promoting the well-being of human beings. Some of the latest and the most notable health supplement tech trends are as discussed below.
1. Extraction of Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are an essential supplement for the wellbeing of many body parts. The supplements play an important role in the prevention of chronic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension. Despite being useful, the body cannot manufacture omega 3.
The evolution of the extraction process of omega 3 from its sources has been quite impressive. Its most notable source is fish. Many a times, the concentration of omega 3 in its sources is usually low. Without the development of the technologies, extraction of Omega 3 would be an
uphill task. To effectively enhance the harvesting of omega 3, purification and concentration have to be done.
With the purification and the concentration process, highly purified and fat-free omega 3 is produced. The omega 3 produced is in triacylglycerol forms and simple alkyl ester. Physical, chemical and enzymatic processes are employed in the purification process. Urea adduction, fractional crystallization, and chromatography are some of the methods used in purification and concentration of omega 3. Applying these technological approaches has made the extraction of omega 3 from their sources even much easier.
2. Superficial Fluid Extraction
This method has been very useful when it comes to extracting useful supplements from herbs. This method is mostly used in extracting valuable supplements from a source that has a number of other useful nutrients such as vitamins, and minerals. The advantage of this process is that
it favorably works in temperatures slightly higher than the room temperatures.
High temperatures may degrade the efficiency of the supplements. The near-ambient temperatures prevent thermal degradation of the substance being extracted.
Furthermore, the supplements extracted through this process are usually pure. In most cases, CO2 is the most popular solvent used in SFE. CO2 has unique properties that ensure the end product is pure. It is non-toxic, non-flammable and ensures the end product has no residue.
Furthermore, it does not react with the extraction equipment.
SFE has popularly grown to be used in extracting a number of supplements. It works efficiently if you want your supplement in liquid form. An example of this process is Tongkat Ali extract which also helps testosterone production.
3. Microwave-Assisted Extraction
The emerging use of electromagnetic waves in the extraction of supplements from herbs has been very useful in improving the efficiency of supplements. This method can also be used in the extraction of a variety of supplements from their herb sources. This process uses liquids such as water and alcohol for the extraction process.
The electromagnetic waves change the cell-structure of the herbs’ cells. The cell-change process leads to successful extraction of the target supplements.Generally, heat moves from the heat source to the particles of the herb.The microwaves energy, usually with a frequency of 0.3 to 300 GHz is delivered from the heat source to the herb cells through molecular interactions. The extraction is made quicker when the microwaves are converted to thermal energy.
Microwave-assisted extraction is a technological method used in acquiring the herbs in a short span of time. Better still, the supplements acquired are usually in large quantities and concentrated compared to supplements acquired by regular methods.
This method has been successfully used to extract supplements from the leaves and roots of
different herbs and plants.
In conclusion, supplements are an important part of our wellbeing. They are both useful
aesthetically and in boosting our health. Their efficiency and process of extracting the supplements from their sources have been made even much easier, thanks to the ever-evolving technological trends. Some of the tech trends discussed above are examples of how technology has been instrumental in making the supplements more effective.
