Living Juice

Lyophilised raspberry fruit
Raspberries are an excellent source of nutrients and bioactive compoundsincluding vitamins, essential minerals, fatty acids (lyophilized raspberry fruits also contain raspberry seeds, which are a nutritional bomb ), dietary fiber, carotenoids and phenolic compounds. Among them, anthocyanins are a class of phenolic compounds that are responsible for the red-purple color of the raspberry fruit. The main anthocyanins in raspberries are cyanidin derivatives. Anthocyanins have traditionally been used as natural dietary supplements that can be used to prevent several diseases, including some metabolic diseases, microbial infections, and more. Anthocyanins have a wide range of applications in the food and pharmaceutical industry and also in phytotherapy.

Anthocyanins are highly unstable molecules extremely sensitive to temperature, therefore the processing of fruits containing them must be careful, and lyophilization has proven to be one of the best ways to preserve anthocyanins in raspberries. It is important to know that anthocyanins show great bioactivity in our body with excellent bioabsorption (7).

Lyophilised celery root
Celery (Apium graveolens) is one of the most important vegetables in the human diet and a medicinal plant in traditional medicine and pharmacology. The nutritional and therapeutic importance of celery stems from the minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, ß-carotene, essential oils and phenols widely present in this plant (8,9). However, phenols (flavonoids and phenolic acids) are most responsible for the pronounced antioxidant capacity of celery (10). Phenolic compounds are involved in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, they also show anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties (11,12).

Since phenols are unstable, i.e. very susceptible to decomposition (heating) or reaction with some factors (e.g. oxygen) during processing, which can result in a change in their structure and a decrease in bioactive potential, celery root lyophilization is carried out, which can be considered one of the best conservation method to maintain antioxidant properties of celery. Lyophilization preserves all the phenolic compounds in the celery root, of which apigenin, luteolin, kaempherol, vanillic acid, ferulic acid and cachetin are especially important. Apigenin is one of the most important phenolic compounds considered to be a candidate for a new antibiotic, or as a dietary supplement to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics. Apigenin is also known for its relaxing properties, as it reduces the level of cortisol, which means that it provides protection during the body's response to stress.

Lyophilised ginger root
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a perennial plant from the family Zingiberaceae, which is widely used as a food flavoring, but also as a natural source of functional food and nutraceuticals. The health benefits of ginger are attributed to its rich and powerful antioxidant phytochemicals – primarily gingerol, terpenes and ginger oleoresin. In recent years, many health reviews on ginger have reported its beneficial bioactivities such as antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory effects in biological systems (13, 14, 15, 16).

Fresh ginger has a high moisture content of 78.89% and is classified as a perishable commodity. Ginger with a high moisture content is highly susceptible to spoilage due to the growth of microorganisms and moisture-mediated deterioration reactions. Therefore, lyophilization of ginger is a good post-harvest procedure that extends its shelf life while preserving its natural phytochemicals and improving its bioactivity. In addition, lyophilization maintains product quality attributes, such as nutrients, color, flavor with indistinguishable changes to the original product. In fact, freeze-drying increases the flavonoid content compared to fresh ginger root. The reductive ability of freeze-dried (lyophilized) ginger extract significantly increased by 3.95 and 3.15 times, respectively, compared to the fresh extract. The health benefits of ginger are attributed to its rich and powerful antioxidant phytochemicals – primarily gingerol, terpenes and ginger oil resin (17).

Lyophilised beet root
Beetroot contains nitrates, which means that it increases the level of nitric oxide in our body. Nitric oxide—a gas that already occurs naturally in the body—tells our blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow and lowering blood pressure. Nitrates improve exercise performance because they increase oxygen flow to the muscles, increasing endurance. Betalain from beets is a plant antioxidant that delays the signs of aging and beautifies the skin through its detoxifying role (18, 19).

Betalain is extremely sensitive to high temperature and is lost with every treatment of the beet root - except for lyophilization. Betalains are a class of water-soluble, nitrogen-containing pigments, synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine, and fall into two structural groups, red-violet (betacyanins – from beets) or yellow (betaxanthins – from cacti). Due to the B vitamins, beets help reduce the effects of dementia and memory loss by increasing blood flow to the brain.

Acerola natural fruit extract
Acerola (Malpighia Glabra) is one of the richest natural sources of ascorbic acid and contains many phytonutrients such as carotenoids, phenols, anthocyanins and flavonoids (24). Over the past few years, there has been an increase in interest in this fruit among the scientific community and pharmaceutical companies. The fruit contains a huge amount of ascorbic acid in the range of 1500 – 4500 mg/100 g, which is about 50 – 100 times more than an orange or a lemon (24). Acerola powder extract is rich in both vitamin C and its unique anti-aging factor (SOD) – superoxide dismutase. It is not only one of the most abundant natural sources of vitamin C, but also provides vitamins A, E, P, B group vitamins, proteins and a number of trace mineral elements that the human body needs. In the fruit world, acerola is the richest source of vitamin C complex, because it contains vitamin P - bioflavonoids that stimulate activity and bioavailability in the body. Therefore, its absorption and effectiveness is much higher than that of other sources of vitamin C. High doses of vitamin C are especially recommended for pregnant women, nursing mothers, smokers, bleeding gums, collagen deficiency, women taking contraceptives and anemic people.

Apple fruit powder
Dried apples are the best and most optimal source of soluble and insoluble fiber. These dietary fibers prevent blood sugar spikes, flush toxins and harmful bacteria from the intestines, soften stools and prevent constipation. Soluble fiber is responsible for controlling blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol, while insoluble fiber keeps the intestines clean (25). Dried apples contain two essential B vitamins that stimulate energy metabolism, improve hormonal balance and nourish the brain. These are pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and pyridoxine (vitamin B6). Dried apples contain polyphenols-quercetin, and again, their content is increased by drying compared to fresh apple fruit (25). With polyphenols, your body's cells will be nourished and equipped to heal faster, leading to increased energy, a visible glow to your skin, and improved mood and mental function (26).

Dried turmeric root
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) taken as a mono-preparation is extremely difficult to absorb into the bloodstream, and as such is an almost useless dietary supplement. The maximum benefit of turmeric is when we combine it with fruits and vegetables so that it can be successfully absorbed. The bright yellow color of turmeric mainly comes from its constituents known as curcuminoids, of which curcumin is the most active. We also know that turmeric, especially its active ingredient curcumin, is poorly absorbed by the body. The reason for this is that curcumin dissolves in fat, not water, and since the digestive system is a fairly watery environment, most of it is simply expelled by the body. We also know that the small amount that is absorbed is then rapidly metabolized (broken down). These factors result in low bioavailability, meaning very little curcumin is available for the body to use. Quercetin from dried apple helps preserve curcumin - inhibiting the enzyme that deactivates it in the body, but together they exhibit a strong synergistic effect. Curcumin is widely known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so it plays an important role in the fight against inflammation, arthritis, stomach and skin problems.