Moringa - Seeds of Life

00:00:00: Yes, hello, and welcome to a new episode of my podcast, Dr.

00:00:03: Biller Knows Everything Differently.

00:00:05: And today I have Dr.

00:00:07: Stefan Siebrecht sitting with me again.

00:00:09: We sit together here in the conference room of Taiyoji MBH.

00:00:13: Good morning, Stefan.

00:00:14: Good morning.

00:00:15: Yes, we have a beautiful view of the forest here.

00:00:17: If you ignore the factory hall in front of it, but wonderful.

00:00:21: We already have recorded several podcasts which worked very well so that we said we would like to continue this, right?

00:00:27: Exactly.

00:00:28: We had good response from the audience.

00:00:30: And there are many people that have probably noticed that you are also someone who doesn't accept things so easily, who wants to understand and who thinks also differently from time to time.

00:00:42: And well, that's why it fits very, very well with my podcast.

00:00:46: Dr.

00:00:46: Biller knows everything differently.

00:00:48: We can actually say that you, Dr.

00:00:50: Siebrecht, also knows everything differently too.

00:00:52: That fits very nicely.

00:00:54: I am very happy that you are here.

00:00:56: You are working for the company Taiyo GMBH, as we said already last time.

00:01:02: We have to mention this hint again now.

00:01:03: This means if you talk about your products, then of course it's also a kind of advertisement.

00:01:08: And we mention this here very openly so that no one can be bothered by it.

00:01:12: We already said last time that you are also a scientist.

00:01:16: And a scientist, it is your duty to approach ingredients objectively and very scientifically based only on facts and studies.

00:01:23: We have so many topics to discuss, Stefan.

00:01:26: As an example of your different ways of thinking, we could discuss why you believe that olive oil is not healthy at all.

00:01:33: Or why you say that all water soluble magnesium salts are basically the same.

00:01:38: We will do that in future podcasts.

00:01:40: Today we want to take a look at a new extract from a plant called moringa, exactly the moringa tree.

00:01:46: Moringa is a staple food for many people in the world, but Moringa is not yet so well known in Europe.

00:01:52: But Moringa extracts especially the one that Taiyo produces has a lot of positive effects on human health.

00:01:58: Some people say that Moringa extract is exercise in a pill or that it is an exercise mimetic.

00:02:05: Other people say that Moringa extract is good against pain, that it helps for longevity, which means to leave longer and to stay healthy.

00:02:14: But one thing at a time.

00:02:15: Let's get started.

00:02:16: Why did Taiyo start with the idea to develop a moringa extract in the first place?

00:02:22: Yes.

00:02:22: The story started

00:02:23: in two thousand twelve when there was a shortage of a plant that is called marker, which is kind of ginseng that grows especially in Peru at high

00:02:32: altitude.

00:02:33: Maka is a root and it is used

00:02:35: by the local people

00:02:36: in Peru like a kind of vegetable, kind of a kind of radish.

00:02:40: The Makka route is known to contain several substances that seem to increase

00:02:43: the libido

00:02:45: and that of course is something that millions of people around the world would

00:02:48: like to

00:02:48: use to enhance their libido.

00:02:50: We know that many products and substances are used globally to enhance the libido and most of them are completely ineffective.

00:02:56: Definitely more effective is Makka and also Moringa extract.

00:03:00: In two thousand twelve

00:03:01: there was a global

00:03:02: shortage in Makka.

00:03:04: There was not as much Makka as the world demanded.

00:03:07: And whenever something is scarce, it becomes very, very expensive,

00:03:10: or it is also faked or adulterated.

00:03:13: So Tayo's idea was to find a substance in another plant that is similar to makka.

00:03:18: Then we started looking, and interestingly, we found moringa that contains a similar essence as makka.

00:03:25: I have to go now back a bit.

00:03:27: As you know, vegetables and fruits are

00:03:29: regarded as healthy, especially because

00:03:31: they contain vitamins or minerals.

00:03:33: That is the boring side,

00:03:34: so to speak.

00:03:37: Do not misunderstand me vitamins or minerals are essential,

00:03:41: but they are just a very

00:03:42: limited and restricted number of substances.

00:03:44: Much more important and unexplored are the many secondary plant substances.

00:03:48: We have tens of thousands of different secondary plant substances, of which we know only a few thousand.

00:03:53: But many substances we do not even know till today and we also do not know exactly

00:03:58: how they work.

00:03:59: But these secondary plant substances are actually

00:04:01: the secret

00:04:02: essences.

00:04:02: These

00:04:03: are the real superstars

00:04:04: in fruits and vegetables.

00:04:05: And they are the real reason why vegetables

00:04:07: are actually so healthy

00:04:09: and have such great and many health benefits.

00:04:11: Not the vitamins, but these other substances.

00:04:13: Scientists call them secondary substances because they are very different from the primary nutrients that are all essential for metabolism.

00:04:21: Secondary plant substances are not classified as part of the group of essential nutrients.

00:04:26: They are not the ones that really keeps us essentially alive every day.

00:04:30: On the other hand, these secondary substances are a precious treasure, so to speak, and they are very diverse, and they especially make every the plant valuable in a different way.

00:04:42: Yes, of course, you are right.

00:04:44: How

00:04:44: are plants composed?

00:04:45: Most of it is

00:04:46: fiber, our carbohydrates,

00:04:47: protein and fats inside.

00:04:50: These are the main energy sources or the primary nutrients as

00:04:54: you have already said.

00:04:55: All the secondary plant substances are made by the plant makes for different reason.

00:05:00: For reproduction, for coloring, smell and to defend against predators, enemies and diseases.

00:05:05: There are many many fifty-sixty different classes of substances and among each class

00:05:10: you have

00:05:10: hundreds of single substances.

00:05:13: One of these secret substances that

00:05:15: appears especially

00:05:16: in maca is a so-called glucosinolate called glucotropiolin.

00:05:20: Glucotropiolin is a benzyl glucosinolate which is metabolized in the body

00:05:24: to isothiocyanates.

00:05:26: Isothiocyanates have many health benefits such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

00:05:33: They can modulate the expression of enzymes involved in detoxification and protect against oxidative

00:05:39: stress.

00:05:39: Additionally, some esothiokinates have shown potential in treating neurological

00:05:43: disorders

00:05:44: and supporting cardiovascular

00:05:45: health.

00:05:46: Some glycosynolates also have hormonal effects and they can inhibit pain.

00:05:52: Usually glycosynolates

00:05:53: are found in cruciferous vegetables

00:05:55: like broccoli

00:05:56: and kale, but also in maca, moringa and mustard.

00:06:00: They only occur in very small quantities,

00:06:02: like a few percent

00:06:03: to three percent.

00:06:05: And that is why they are called secondary plant substances because they are not main primary parts and substances of plants.

00:06:11: Yes, as I said, Taiyo

00:06:13: then searched for a long, long time and found a specific glycosinolate, which

00:06:16: is also

00:06:17: a very similar Benzyl glycosinolate as found in Makka, namely the so-called Glucomoringan in moringa seeds.

00:06:23: Glucomoringan is very, very similar to

00:06:25: the glycotropiolin,

00:06:26: the glycosinolate found in Makka.

00:06:29: And then we found out that moringa seeds contain ten times more of this substance than the moringa leaves.

00:06:35: Moringa leaf extracts and moringa leaf powders are very common products in the supplement market but contain very low to none of in this substance.

00:06:46: Glucomoringan.

00:06:47: Then we also found out that the glucomoring in content in the Moringa seeds differs from region to region.

00:06:52: We looked at different Moringa seeds from all regions all

00:06:55: over the world

00:06:56: to find which ones have the

00:06:57: highest

00:06:58: glucomoring in content.

00:07:00: This was also very difficult.

00:07:01: Moringa is cultivated often in regions that have huge hygienic problems.

00:07:06: Important is how the

00:07:07: seeds are dried

00:07:08: and stored.

00:07:09: Often the seeds

00:07:10: are dried by spreading

00:07:11: them down all over the ground and then they start to mold on the bottom or when the moisture is too high during storage.

00:07:17: the seeds also

00:07:17: start to mold as well.

00:07:19: Mold and yeast then produce microtoxins which would accumulate in our extract and therefore we cannot use such seeds anymore.

00:07:26: So we had to search for

00:07:27: a long time until we found a source that contains very high levels of glucomorring in and that were also clean enough

00:07:33: so that we could use the seeds for our extraction

00:07:35: process.

00:07:36: process.

00:07:38: After we produced

00:07:39: that moringa

00:07:40: seed extract we tested

00:07:41: it in clinical

00:07:42: studies.

00:07:43: First we tested it

00:07:44: in animals such as

00:07:45: rats

00:07:46: and later also in humans.

00:07:48: The whole entire process took nearly ten years of development.

00:07:51: It is easy to decide

00:07:52: let's make a new product

00:07:54: but it's a different

00:07:54: point when you invest ten years of time and money to develop a new product from the beginning to the end.

00:08:00: Japanese people

00:08:01: are very, very precise, but also

00:08:03: very anxious.

00:08:04: And before they bring a new product to the market,

00:08:06: it is first tested

00:08:07: up and down.

00:08:08: Yes.

00:08:09: So now, nowadays,

00:08:10: we have

00:08:10: this new moringa seed extract.

00:08:12: We call

00:08:12: it more active.

00:08:13: That is our

00:08:14: brand name for the product.

00:08:15: And more active is actually a very nice name because you can equate it with moringa active

00:08:20: i.e.

00:08:20: active ingredient from moringa or an English expression for get more active

00:08:25: i.e.

00:08:25: more activity.

00:08:26: Yes.

00:08:27: We have now two

00:08:28: qualities

00:08:28: standardized on different Glucomoringan contents with ten percent Glucomoringan and with twenty percent Glucomoringan.

00:08:34: Glucomoringan is actually a great substance because

00:08:37: it is very stable

00:08:38: as powder and in solution.

00:08:39: It is

00:08:40: quite good water soluble.

00:08:41: So more active can be used in tablets, capsules

00:08:43: but

00:08:44: also in gummies and drinks such as energy drinks or cola drinks as a replacement for caffeine.

00:08:49: It also has no taste.

00:08:51: So it's actually a miraculous substance for all kinds of applications and the dosage and it is

00:08:55: very effective.

00:08:56: You really only need a hundred milligrams to achieve a resounding effect.

00:09:01: The first study

00:09:01: we did with more active was in rats.

00:09:04: After

00:09:04: rats received more active,

00:09:06: we saw that the rat

00:09:07: cells in the body are stimulated to produce more energy.

00:09:10: This happens also at

00:09:11: rest, so the rats

00:09:12: burned more calories

00:09:13: without really

00:09:13: moving or exercising.

00:09:15: So as we say,

00:09:16: we stimulate the cells

00:09:17: to exercise without

00:09:18: physically moving the body.

00:09:19: This is the principle of an exercise mimetic.

00:09:22: Let your cells exercise while you rest.

00:09:25: If we let rats receiving

00:09:26: more active swim in a water basin,

00:09:28: they actually were able

00:09:29: to swim thirty to forty percent longer as rats who did not receive more active.

00:09:34: Insanity.

00:09:36: So to speak.

00:09:36: for athletes, it is a cellular

00:09:38: performance booster and it's not on the doping list because

00:09:41: it has legal

00:09:42: plant-based food ingredient.

00:09:44: But if you say,

00:09:45: I am not an athlete and I don't do any sports at all, we are just sitting here in front of each

00:09:50: other like

00:09:50: the two of us now and while our cells are exercising.

00:09:53: Yes.

00:09:54: This works

00:09:55: because more active

00:09:55: is able to do

00:09:56: a kind of switch in our cells, so to

00:09:58: speak.

00:09:59: It switches on the exercise metabolism to exercise mode and then cells produce more energy.

00:10:04: More active

00:10:05: activates peroxisomal

00:10:06: factors

00:10:06: so-called PPARS,

00:10:09: which active an enzyme called AMPK and this enzymes produces then more energy.

00:10:15: If we turn on this switch,

00:10:16: the cells start exercising

00:10:17: and producing more energy.

00:10:19: burn more calories

00:10:20: while as we

00:10:20: sit here in chairs.

00:10:21: That sounds fantastic.

00:10:22: So we

00:10:22: practically let our cells work for us.

00:10:24: Yes,

00:10:25: that is very nice.

00:10:26: We all have so little time.

00:10:27: Imagine if we might do sports for half an hour in the morning and in comparison to this more active has the effect on the cells as if you walk around for an hour.

00:10:36: Exactly.

00:10:37: And that's why it's called exercising memetics or sports imitating substances.

00:10:44: And through these so-called sports imitating substances, you can mimic some of the health benefits effects

00:10:49: that physical exercise has.

00:10:51: For example, on our metabolism, on our calorie turnover, on our energy system, nerves, brain, you can practically imitate without really moving and straining yourself.

00:11:00: Yes.

00:11:01: And does that have any negative consequences?

00:11:03: So Glucomoringan is a very safe substance.

00:11:05: It metabolized in our body and then excreted.

00:11:08: And with the low concentrations of only one hundred milligrams, there is

00:11:12: actually

00:11:12: no danger of any side effects.

00:11:14: Yes.

00:11:15: Now, as a scientist, you would first say, man, that sounds way too good to be true.

00:11:21: What does the study situation look like?

00:11:22: Is there any research that you did this experiment with rats?

00:11:26: Exactly.

00:11:26: So of

00:11:27: course we need to do more studies.

00:11:28: Rats are nice animals which swim longer with more active, but that doesn't help us humans for the time being.

00:11:33: We then transferred that

00:11:34: to people

00:11:35: and looked for

00:11:35: people who had

00:11:36: a problem with their energy.

00:11:38: So we found people that were very tired, often exhausted, and then we performed placebo-controlled double-blind study where we gave them either more active or a maltodextrin as ineffective placebo.

00:11:56: We found that people receiving more active

00:11:58: actually

00:11:58: felt more energy and were

00:12:00: less tired

00:12:01: and as a side effect it turned out

00:12:02: that they also had less back

00:12:04: pain.

00:12:04: That brought us then to the next

00:12:06: study because we asked why do they have less back

00:12:08: pain.

00:12:09: There

00:12:09: are studies

00:12:10: showing that Glucomoringan interacts

00:12:11: with a special

00:12:12: pain receptor

00:12:13: called TRPA-I

00:12:15: in our body

00:12:15: that is specifically

00:12:16: responsible for back pain.

00:12:18: We found that Glucomoringan actually inhibits this receptor and that this could be the reason why back pain can possibly be reduced.

00:12:25: That's fabulous.

00:12:26: And could this also be combined with conventional painkillers with NSAids?

00:12:31: Yes, if you are already

00:12:32: taking NSAids, then you might not need more active anymore because painkillers are very strong.

00:12:38: On the other hand, if NSAids do not work anymore or if they are not efficient enough, could possibly use more active in combination.

00:12:47: or when you start to treat pain, start with more active

00:12:49: as a healthier

00:12:50: alternative.

00:12:51: At best, we might be able to avoid

00:12:53: or replace

00:12:53: some of the conventional pain medication.

00:12:55: Yes?

00:12:56: or maybe lower their dosages.

00:12:58: I mean, in recent years, of course, smoking cannabis has been a very effective

00:13:02: way to reduce

00:13:02: pain.

00:13:05: But there was always the

00:13:06: question, is it

00:13:07: the THC

00:13:08: in the cannabis that lowers the pain, what

00:13:10: it actually does, or

00:13:11: is the cannabidiol

00:13:12: CBD also effective?

00:13:14: Both substances are illegal now, although smoking cannabis is now allowed for pain treatment under medical supervision.

00:13:20: But of course, cannabis helps with pain reduction, but it is a drug.

00:13:23: And of course, it is also dangerous.

00:13:25: Glucomoringan from more active but also other substances such as curcumin or theanine or magnesium can actually be taken as a natural alternative even in combination to reduce pain in a more natural and safer way.

00:13:37: Yes.

00:13:38: When I look around the market, no.

00:13:41: Then I find on the internet when I enter moringa, I usually find some leaf powder in bags.

00:13:47: And why do you make an extract?

00:13:49: Why do you make it from seeds and not from leaves?

00:13:51: Yes, because the seeds

00:13:52: contain much more glucomoring than the leaves.

00:13:55: The moringa seeds contain five to ten times more glucomoring and few other substances that are water

00:14:00: soluble.

00:14:01: So most of the time seeds are

00:14:03: fat carriers, fat sources.

00:14:04: Also the moringa seeds,

00:14:06: which are also used to press

00:14:07: out the moringa oil.

00:14:08: Moringa oil is used in the cosmetics industry,

00:14:11: while the leaf powder

00:14:11: can be used and brewed like tea leaves to get a moringa tea.

00:14:14: You can also use moringa leaf

00:14:16: powder to prepare

00:14:17: smoothies.

00:14:18: Moringa leaf powder

00:14:19: is a very

00:14:19: complex matrix that contains all plant parts such as

00:14:22: fiber, carbohydrates,

00:14:24: protein and chlorophyll, mineral salts etc.

00:14:27: and but unfortunately very little to no glucomoringan.

00:14:30: That means it would be incredibly time-consuming to extract Moringa leaves and to remove all

00:14:34: the color,

00:14:35: taste and smell and such a glucomoringan leaf extract would be then maybe ten times more expensive.

00:14:41: Yes, yes.

00:14:42: And that's why the seeds are simply the better source.

00:14:44: It's easier to get to this glucomoringan,

00:14:47: this mysterious substance, which,

00:14:49: let's call it, the essence

00:14:50: of moringa.

00:14:51: Yes,

00:14:52: by the way,

00:14:52: moringa is also eaten in every form in the world.

00:14:55: The roots are eaten, the leaves are eaten, or brewed

00:14:58: like tea,

00:14:58: the beans, the pots,

00:14:59: the seeds are cooked like vegetables.

00:15:02: Would moringa be suitable for ensuring a healthier and longer life?

00:15:06: There are several studies

00:15:07: showing that moringa activates certain cellular anti-aging factors such as

00:15:12: SIRT-I,

00:15:13: which indicates a potential of supporting a longer lifespan.

00:15:17: However, many of these studies targeting longevity

00:15:19: are so far

00:15:20: only in vitro

00:15:20: studies besides a

00:15:21: few animal studies.

00:15:23: The reason is that it is almost impossible to prove in humans that a substance can let us live longer.

00:15:28: In such study,

00:15:29: people would have

00:15:29: to take moringa for twenty or more years at a certain age and then compare the lifespan versus a control group.

00:15:37: Do they humans really live longer with moringa or do they

00:15:40: live healthier

00:15:41: with moringa?

00:15:42: That would be a huge study

00:15:44: and it would be really difficult to prove in humans.

00:15:46: Yes,

00:15:47: but the chance that more active has some positive effects on longevity is certainly there.

00:15:51: Twin research is quite popular because if the twins live and grow up separately you can observe if the effects of their different lifestyles because they are they are at least genetically the same.

00:16:03: Yes.

00:16:04: Right, but most of these

00:16:05: life studies

00:16:06: show the same results

00:16:07: that the way of life

00:16:08: influences our

00:16:08: health

00:16:09: and our lifespan much more than our genes.

00:16:12: Absolutely correct.

00:16:13: What else can you say more active?

00:16:14: that is important to know?

00:16:16: Yes,

00:16:16: I think it is important to know that more active, this special form of Moringa seed extract

00:16:21: is also globally

00:16:22: patent protected because ten years of work and investment have to pay off somewhere.

00:16:26: And we also have registered the word more active as trademark because we do not want to be confused and mixed up with

00:16:32: other existing

00:16:33: and conventional moringa extracts.

00:16:36: This means we can discuss and give exclusivities

00:16:39: either locally or by

00:16:40: application to special companies if the will.

00:16:42: We also can grant special licenses to use the trademark moractive, which is an important part of the business model.

00:16:48: Many people say,

00:16:49: yes,

00:16:50: I know moringa extract.

00:16:51: I've heard about it before.

00:16:52: No, that's not the same.

00:16:53: This is moractive, a very special and unique moringa extract.

00:16:56: Moractive is a special

00:16:57: moringa extract

00:16:58: because It has the highest

00:17:00: and standardized content of glucomorringin of all moringa extracts in the world.

00:17:05: We have this in its purest form.

00:17:07: Free from toxins and research studies for ten years.

00:17:10: Is this an outstanding extract other than the one that could normally be obtained from leaves?

00:17:15: You don't sell to the end customer yourself and let's hope that some manufacturers hear this podcast now and thinks about it.

00:17:22: Yes, important to know is

00:17:23: also that

00:17:24: more active is not a novel food and it's allowed in Europe for dietary supplements but also for foods and beverages.

00:17:32: You can use more active

00:17:33: to create

00:17:34: alternative energy drinks or a moringa cola, for example, both free from caffeine.

00:17:38: We once had a project

00:17:39: where we

00:17:40: created a moringa cola and we called it the first African cola.

00:17:43: Yes.

00:17:44: This was a great concept for

00:17:46: Africa

00:17:46: because moringa is extremely well known and accepted in Africa.

00:17:50: Now we work on other projects such as moringa latte

00:17:53: products

00:17:54: or moring milk where we add more active either to milk or milk powders.

00:17:58: We also created more active energy gummies.

00:18:00: Also, Many liquid supplements are possible,

00:18:03: such

00:18:03: as drinking ampules or shots.

00:18:06: In the supplement sector, we use more active in tablets and capsules,

00:18:09: but also sachets

00:18:10: and instant drinks as well.

00:18:12: And how much of it do you have to take from the more active?

00:18:15: One hundred milligrams.

00:18:16: One hundred milligrams is enough.

00:18:18: That's relatively manageable.

00:18:19: Exactly.

00:18:20: It fits in any tablet, capsule or liquid form.

00:18:22: Yes.

00:18:23: Exactly.

00:18:24: Super.

00:18:24: I think we've covered everything we wanted so far.

00:18:27: We had started that we said about twenty minutes so quick and dirty and I think we succeeded again.

00:18:33: Or have we forgotten something?

00:18:34: We still have many other potential applications such as hormonal balance or many diseases such as cancer.

00:18:40: That's what people ask for

00:18:41: again and again.

00:18:42: Of course, that's a difficult topic to talk about,

00:18:44: but we know that

00:18:45: vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables,

00:18:47: are known to

00:18:48: reduce the risk of

00:18:49: getting against cancer because

00:18:50: the

00:18:50: glucosinolates, for example, in broccoli protect

00:18:53: us against

00:18:53: cancer.

00:18:55: And these glucosinolates,

00:18:56: by the way, are also

00:18:56: called anti-nutritional factors

00:18:58: because

00:18:58: they can also kill

00:18:59: cells.

00:19:00: And if they kill cancer cells,

00:19:01: that is good for us.

00:19:04: And especially cancer cells, they don't like glucosinolates at all.

00:19:08: And that's why they can be killed and die.

00:19:11: if we eat

00:19:12: a lot of glycosinolates.

00:19:14: And broccoli extract, for example, is also used for cancer therapy.

00:19:17: There is a Canadian doctor, Professor

00:19:19: Bellivo, who wrote the book,

00:19:20: cancer cells don't like raspberries.

00:19:23: Yes.

00:19:23: And exactly, and he used

00:19:25: strawberry extract, raspberry extract, but also broccoli extract

00:19:29: for support cancer patients.

00:19:31: And this is one of those topics

00:19:32: that is always

00:19:33: in great demand.

00:19:34: Yes.

00:19:35: I am often asked that if more active

00:19:37: it could

00:19:37: help against cancer.

00:19:39: My answer is I can't say anything about that because we do not have sufficient clinical evidence.

00:19:43: In any case, it cannot harm us or cause or increase the risk of cancer, but it may be a remedy,

00:19:49: together with other vegetables, vegetable extracts, fruit extracts,

00:19:53: in order to possibly have an effect

00:19:54: there to prevent

00:19:55: and maybe even help to treat cancer, the chance is there.

00:19:58: What counts here is to eat a large variety of healthy foods, especially a variety of fruits and vegetables, which contain many different health-supporting secondary plant substances.

00:20:09: And there we are, where we started.

00:20:11: Exactly.

00:20:12: Good.

00:20:12: Thank you, Stefan.

00:20:13: Yes, thank you very much.

00:20:14: That was a very nice contribution from you.

00:20:17: It's fun and I think we'll produce a few more and I'm really looking forward to it.

00:20:21: Okay.

00:20:21: All the best to you.

00:20:22: Take care.

00:20:23: Bye.