Freeze-drying (also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation) is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable material, like fruits or vegetables. Freeze-drying works by freezing the material and then reducing the surrounding pressure and adding enough heat to allow the frozen water in the material to sublime directly from the solid phase to the gas phase. There are some major advantages of freeze-drying over spray drying. Freeze-drying causes less damage to fruits and/or vegetables because it uses much lower temperatures than spray drying. As a result, flavors, smells and nutritional content generally remain unchanged. In addition, unlike spray drying, freeze-drying does not require the use of a carrier so that the final product is 100% fruit or vegetable, whereas spray-dried products usually contain at least 20% carrier.

An antioxidant is a substance capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. In the body, oxidation reactions produce free radicals that damage cells, DNA, proteins and other sensitive biological molecules. Free radicals are extremely reactive chemical compounds—often containing oxygen—that are naturally produced in the body during metabolism of foods, but are also produced in connection with exposure to air pollution, smoke, sunlight and even exercise. By snatching unpaired electrons from other compounds, free radicals become chemically stable but may at the same time convert or oxidize the compounds that lost electrons to new free radicals, thus starting a chain reaction. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by quenching free radicals and inhibiting other oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves.

It is well known that damage by oxygen free radicals is behind many of the maladies that come with aging, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Diets high in antioxidants have the potential to protect our bodies from this free radical damage. These attacks by free radicals are collectively known as oxidative stress. Overall, free radicals have been implicated in the development of at least 50 diseases. The amount of antioxidants included in one’s diet appears to have a significant impact on quenching free radicals.

Anthocyanins (from Greek: ἀνθός (anthos) = flower + κυανός (kyanos) = blue) are water-soluble pigments found in many red, blue and purple fruits and vegetables. Anthocyanins are thought to play a major role in the high antioxidant activity levels observed in red, blue and purple fruits and vegetables. Antioxidant activity, measured as oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC), has been positively correlated with anthocyanin content.

Polyphenols are a group of chemical substances found in plants, characterized by the presence of more than one phenol unit or building block per molecule. Polyphenols are important nutritional antioxidants and are bodies main source of polyphenols is from a wide array of phytochemical-bearing foods, such as fruits, vegetables, spices, chocolate, red wine, green tea, chocolate, and many cereal grains. A variety of other beneficial health effects have been attributed to consumption of foods rich in polyphenols including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids), are a class of plant secondary metabolites and a subcategory of polyphenols. Flavonoids are the most common group of polyphenolic compounds in the human diet and are found ubiquitously in plants. Flavonoids have been referred to as “nature’s biological response modifiers” because of strong experimental evidence of their inherent ability to modify the body’s reaction to allergens, viruses, and carcinogens. They show anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer activity.

Free radicals are extremely reactive chemical compounds—often containing oxygen—that are naturally produced in the body during the metabolism of foods, but are also produced in connection with exposure to air pollution, smoke, sunlight and even exercise. By snatching unpaired electrons from other compounds, free radicals become chemically stable but may at the same time convert or oxidize the compounds that lost electrons to new free radicals, thus starting a chain reaction. Free radical attack is collectively known as oxidative stress. Overall, oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of at least 50 diseases.

An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within our body that protects it against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism’s own healthy cells and tissues in order to function properly. The inflammatory response is part of our body’s immune system and is a complex biological response to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, irritants or other foreign bodies. The inflammatory response is a protective attempt by our body to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue. In the absence of the inflammatory response, wounds and infections would never heal. However, chronic inflammation can also lead to a host of diseases, such as hay fever, atherosclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. It is for that reason that the body normally closely regulates inflammation.

Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules. The dietary focus on dietary minerals derives from an interest in supporting biochemical reactions with the required elemental components. Appropriate intake levels of certain chemical elements are thus required to maintain optimal health.

Omega fatty acids are straight chain hydrocarbons possessing a carboxyl group at one end. Since biological fatty acids can be of different lengths, the last position is labeled as a “ω” (omega), the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are omega fatty acids that cannot be constructed within our bodies from other components by any known chemical pathways, and therefore must be obtained from the diet, these include Omega-3’s and Omega-6’s. Omega 9 fatty acid is a monounsaturated fat and is not technically an EFA because the body can produce a limited amount, provided the essential fatty acids, omega 3 and omega 6, are present. If your diet is low in these essential fatty acids, then your body can’t produce enough omega 9. In that instance, omega 9 becomes an essential fatty acid because your body will need to get it from your diet. The omega fatty acids are important in several human body systems, including the immune system and in blood pressure regulation. Omega fatty acids are important for all systems of the body to function normally, including your skin, respiratory, circulatory and immune systems. Omega fatty acids are also necessary for optimal brain and heart health.

Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side chain that varies between different amino acids. Amino acids are critical to life, and have many functions in metabolism. One particularly important function is as the building blocks of proteins.

A nucleic acid is a macromolecule composed of chains of monomeric nucleotides. In biochemistry, these molecules carry genetic information or form structures within cells. The most common nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Nucleic acids are universal in living things, as they are found in all cells and viruses.

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Nutritionally, chlorophyll has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. It has also been seen to help in the growth and repair of tissues and can help detoxify our bodies.

Phytochemicals or Phytonutrients are chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants. The term is generally used to refer to those chemicals that may affect health, but are not yet established as essential nutrients. Fruits and vegetables are rich in beneficial phytochemicals such as antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids.

Detoxification is the removal of toxic substances from the body for optimal health.

Satiation means feeling satisfied. When referring to food, satiation means feeling full without being stuffed. Those on a weight loss or weight maintenance program can benefit from foods or supplements that provide satiation or that keep hunger away for the longest period of time.

Bioavailability is a quantity or percentage of a nutrient that is ingested that will be absorbed by the body.

Cap-e assay is a comprehensive test that evaluates the antioxidant potential of SoTru Pink’s ingredients ability to cross the lipid bilayer cell membrane. Our testing concludes that our ingredients have a cellular bioavailability and prevents oxidation within the cell.

A craving is a strong desire to consume a particular food. Food cravings mean that the body has its signals mixed up. Low blood sugar and/or low serotonin can signal the brain to crave sugar or carbohydrates. Satisfying the cravings leads to a short burst of serotonin, which makes us fell better for a short time until our bodies crave sugar and simple carbohydrates again and the process is repeated. Dieting, depression, stress or hormonal imbalances can lead to food cravings. Controlling cravings requires a healthy diet. Certain nutritional supplements as well as moderate exercise can help control cravings.

Probiotics are live microorganisms (usually bacteria) which when administered in adequate amounts confer health benefits. They are also called “friendly bacteria” or “good bacteria” because they are the same microflora normally found in the gut that is required for proper digestion and absorption of food. These friendly bacteria are also vital to proper development of the immune system and to protect against microorganisms that could cause disease. Having an adequate supply of probiotics will keep the disease-causing organisms in check.

The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) measures the ability of a substance to disarm oxygen free radicals. The assay compares a sample to Trolox (a non-commercial water-soluble derivative of tocopherol). Results are reported as μmoles Trolox Equivalents (TE)/g. ORAC has become a standard method for measuring antioxidant capacity in dietary supplements. Single servings of fresh or freshly cooked fruits supply an average ORAC value of 3000-3400, while vegetables supply an average of 800-1000 ORAC units. The estimated ORAC intake following the USDA-recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables is 11,000 to 20,000 ORAC units per day.

Carotenoids are organic pigments that are naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae. People consuming diets rich in carotenoids from natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier and have lower mortality from a number of chronic illnesses.

Phycocyanin is the natural blue pigment derived from algae. Phycocyanin has antioxidant activity and support the body’s natural inflammatory response.

GMP refers to the Good Manufacturing Practice regulations promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. These regulations, which have the force of law, require that manufacturers, processors, and packagers of drugs, medical devices, foods, and dietary supplements take proactive steps to ensure that their products are safe, pure, and effective. GMP regulations require a quality approach to manufacturing, enabling companies to minimize or eliminate instances of contamination, mix-ups, and errors. This in turn, protects the consumer from purchasing a product that is not effective, or that is even dangerous. GMP-certification of a manufacturing facility is completed by a rigorous inspection and ongoing monitoring to confirm the facility is following GMP regulations.

Bioactive compounds are extra-nutritional constituents that typically occur in small quantities in foods that potentially have positive effects on health.

Photo-aging is a term used for the characteristic changes induced by chronic UVA and UVB exposure from sunlight.

Chocamine® is a proprietary, patented bioactive based on a potent cocoa (Theobroma cacao) extract that has the taste, smell and proven health benefits of chocolate, without the sugar, fat and dairy of chocolate candy. Chocamine® is used for normalizing the diet and controlling cravings as well as promoting energy, cognitive function, and enhancing mood. While Chocamine® retains the aroma and taste of chocolate, it contains several important constituents. These include proteins (a broad spectrum of amino acids), xanthine alkaloids (theobromine, caffeine and theophylline), biogenic amines (phenethylamine, tyramine, octopamine and others), anandamides, dietary minerals (magnesium and copper), and polyphenols. The beneficial effects of chocolate are thought to come from more than one component, and Chocamine® delivers a synergistic blend of these ingredients.