The Right Hand of Strong Immunity: Conscious Eating with Natural Ingredients

* Lilia Kawazoe

Never before has healthy eating been discussed as much as in recent years; however, with the emergence of the new coronavirus, the topic has brought to light concerns about immunity during this quarantine period.

Social isolation can lead to dietary excesses, which is why mindfulness about conscious eating is mandatory to strengthen the immune system, resulting in a more resilient body that is less susceptible to illnesses.

But paying attention to healthy eating is not new for Brazilians. According to research by Euromonitor International, since 2018, Brazil has ranked fifth worldwide in sales of healthy food and beverages.

Os dados destacam que este setor da indústria deve, mais do que nunca, apostar no desenvolvimento de produtos que atendam à demanda. E, para isso, é necessário que recorram a ingredientes de alto valor nutricional, rico em vitaminas, antioxidantes, minerais e ômegas.

At this moment of uncertainty and quarantine anxiety, the demand for indulgent products rises during shopping. Combining convenience and healthiness in indulgent products is possible. Healthy products must be flavorful. In this regard, including less processed ingredients in formulations can be an excellent strategy, such as liquid demerara or liquid brown sugar with organic certifications that preserve the natural minerals of sugarcane, like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.

Another noteworthy example is the omegas and natural vitamins derived from vegetable oils. Omegas and vitamins are essential to give a boost to immunity. Quarantine moments with sleepless nights and lack of physical exercise call for nutritional reinforcement to support immunity. Within this category of vegetable oils, there are various options, from traditional to more exotic ones, such as Brazil Nut Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Licuri Coconut Oil, Sacha Inchi, Toasted Babassu, Passion Fruit, and Açaí Oil. The important point is that these products, besides being healthy, carry a socio-environmental commitment with every application, promoting forest conservation and supporting the local community. These oils are free from chemical additives or solvents and can be used in a wide range of industrial applications, from breads, cakes, sweets, to even direct use in salads.

Undoubtedly, healthy eating is necessary in times like the one we are experiencing. The good news is that there are already ingredient suppliers who can be the best partners in facing the challenge of offering the market healthy final products that do not fall short in terms of flavor.

* Lilia Kawazoe is the commercial manager at Concepta Ingredients, a business unit of the Sabará Group dedicated to developing natural and technological solutions, focusing on healthy, natural, and organic ingredients to serve the food, beverage, animal nutrition, and veterinary pharmaceutical markets.