Your company is third-generation owned, and you became president in 2009. Could you explain how your leadership has shaped its direction?
The company traces back to 1932 when my grandfather started it, focusing on human nutrition and supplementation—well ahead of its time. He worked with citrus, alfalfa, and tomato science, even starting the first MLM in the U.S., teaching the “ABCs of Nutrition” and how supplements could enhance diets. By the 1970s and 1980s, my father, a biochemist, transitioned the company from finished products to raw ingredients, focusing on research and extraction. He established us as one of the first suppliers of natural ingredients to the industry.
When I joined in the early 2000s, I brought a background in finance and marketing. My initial goal was to expand our human-grade ingredients into the pet food industry. Today, 40% of our business is in animal health and nutrition. Beyond that, I focused on developing branded, science-based ingredients with clinical backing, which set us apart in the market. We’ve explored the condition-specific applications of citrus compounds, identifying healthy aging, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, including inflammaging (age-related inflammation). This approach has allowed us to patent and launch innovative products like our citrus-derived branded ingredient, Eriomin®, which has been shown to support healthy blood sugar levels and aid the body’s natural production of GLP-1.
How do you justify your grandfather's intuition in focusing on citrus? At the time, he didn’t have the scientific tools we have now. Was it simply foresight?
I think it was a combination of intuition and a keen understanding of nutrition. My grandfather was ahead of his time, recognizing that the American diet would fall short of people’s nutritional needs. His work with bioflavonoids and his teaching of nutritional basics reflected a visionary approach. He focused on isolating beneficial compounds in citrus, and his dedication transmitted to my father and later to me.
We’ve stayed true to our core focus on citrus and alfalfa while expanding into probiotics, saponin-based products, and other areas. My father and I took the foundation he built and elevated it by focusing on targeted science-backed ingredients for specific health needs like cognition, cholesterol support, and blood sugar management. This continuity and evolution are what have kept the company relevant nearly 100 years later.
Your Eriomin product addresses major wellness trends like blood glucose management, GLP-1 support, and gut health. How are you capitalizing on these trends, and do you think they are here to stay?
We capitalize on these trends by investing in clinical science. Eriomin® already has four completed human clinical trials, and each one uncovers additional benefits. GLP-1 is widely recognized for its role in weight management and satiety, but it also impacts brain health, cardioprotective effects, and other critical areas of health. We’re exploring these broader applications to position Eriomin® as a multi-faceted solution for metabolic health.
Regarding GLP-1, it's not going away—it’s a game-changer that many in the industry recently discovered.
By partnering with brands that share our vision for quality and science, we ensure Eriomin® is marketed responsibly. We carefully select collaborators who align with our mission and work together to advance science. This approach is helping us establish Eriomin® as a trusted, evidence-backed product.
How are you planning to extend Eriomin's reach beyond the U.S., where trends like obesity and diabetes are growing globally?
Being overweight and having metabolic syndrome are worldwide issues, and natural products are gaining traction internationally. For instance, Eriomin® is available in markets including China, New Zealand, Europe, and Australia, addressing global concerns like blood sugar management. What sets Eriomin® apart is its holistic approach—it doesn’t just support the natural secretion GLP-1 but also provides antioxidant benefits while supporting healthy blood sugar levels.
This makes Eriomin® particularly impactful in countries like China and India, where difficulties with blood glucose management control have been rampant despite lower obesity rates. The product’s versatility allows it to address metabolic syndrome as a whole rather than just one condition. By targeting international markets, we’re working to create a global impact on health and nutrition.
How does Ingredients by Nature differentiate itself in a crowded market of wellness products?
Our differentiation comes from our positioning and mechanism-of-action-based science. Unlike others that market themselves as “nature’s Ozempic,” we focus on offering natural solutions that support overall metabolic health. Eriomin® does not act like a GLP-1 agonist. Rather, Eriomin® is a plant-based, citrus-derived ingredient that has been shown in four published human clinical trials to aid in the natural secretion of your own GLP-1 levels from baseline, support multiple facets of inflammation associated with normal aging and blood sugar management, and is also backed by three U.S. patents: two for its role in blood sugar management and one for its ability to boost GLP-1 levels.
Our commitment to clinical research sets us apart. Many competitors claim benefits without sufficient evidence, but we prioritize transparency and rigor. We educate our customers and their consumers about what they’re getting, ensuring they understand the science behind the products. We collaborate closely with innovative brands such as Glucose Revolution® (International influencer, Glucose Goddess), Modere, and multiple retail channels. This emphasis on positioning, education, and science reinforces our credibility and distinguishes us in a competitive market.
As a third-generation company, do you see a tension between the wellness and pharmaceutical industries, given the holistic health approach of your products?
There’s always some tension, but I see it as complementary rather than adversarial. Pharma has been very successful with blockbuster drugs that mimic GLP-1, but those come with side effects and aren’t suitable for everyone. Natural solutions which work on boosting the body’s own innate ability to increase GLP-1 offer an alternative, especially for people seeking holistic approaches.
We’ve even explored synergies with established therapeutic solutions prescribed by doctors. For example, in a recent clinical trial, Eriomin® was tested alongside metformin, which is sometimes prescribed as a prophylactic by doctors due to its inexpensive costs and efficacy, prior to their patients developing more severe issues with blood glucose control. We found that there were synergistic benefits when it came to reported side-effects. This type of collaboration shows that natural ingredients and standard therapies can work together to improve overall health, opening doors for future partnerships, under physician supervision.
What is your long-term vision for the company, and how do current efforts reflect that vision?
Our vision is to continue expanding our portfolio of clinically backed, patented ingredients. While we have over 300 ingredient types, including custom bioflavonoid complexes and probiotics, we aim to develop several more branded ingredients like Eriomin® in the next five years.
We’re exploring applications for brain health, cognition, circulatory issues, and immune health. For instance, I’m particularly interested in researching age-related cognitive decline due to its personal impact on my family. We’re also studying citrus compounds for sports recovery. The ultimate goal is to remain at the forefront of innovation in natural health, delivering science-backed solutions that address global health challenges.
Additionally, we provide a wide range of essential nutrients and ingredients for pet food, feed, and aquaculture industries. Our ingredients undergo rigorous quality checks for authenticity, consistency, potency, and purity. Our most recent and exciting partnership in this category is with PetNutra, who will launch the first daily GLP-1 boosting supplement for pets in April 2025. Ingredients by Nature gave PetNutra worldwide exclusivity to bring Eriomin® to support overall pet health.
What obstacles do you anticipate in achieving this vision?
The biggest obstacle is time. Conducting human clinical trials takes time, but we’ve structured Ingredients by Nature to reinvest profits into science and intellectual property. We have the funding and infrastructure to support our goals; it’s just a matter of bringing products to market as efficiently as possible.
Beyond timing, we don’t foresee significant challenges. Our history and expertise position us well to lead in the industry. By staying committed to rigorous science and maintaining our focus on quality, we’re confident in our ability to continue making an impact.
