Korean-made health functional food shines globally

Famed obstetrician mentions 'Menoelle' at German exhibition

By Sah Dong-seok

A health functional food produced by a Korean company is gaining popularity around the world as a cure-all that can alleviate middle-aged women's menopausal symptoms. The health functional food is Menoelle, which is being produced by Naturalendo Tech, a biotech company world-renowned for natural pharmaceuticals. Menoelle is primarily sourced from EstroG-100, a health functional food ingredient for menopausal women developed on the basis of “baeksuo,” a mixture of standardized extracts of Cynanchum wilfordii, Phlomis umbrosa and Angelica gigas, which is also widely known in Korea.

EstroG-100 was registered in the New Dietary Ingredients (NDI) list of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and obtained the Natural Health Product Number (NPN) license of Canada's health ministry.

In the United States, the world's largest health functional food market, Naturalendo Tech has joined forces with iHerb, the world's top e-commerce retailer dedicated to vitamins, minerals and supplements, to launch products. Since then, there have been business deals with large customers, and the company is gearing up to accelerate its forays into the American market.

Naturalendo Tech also has been exporting EstroG-100 to Iran since 2017 through Behestan Pharmed, Iran's biggest pharmaceutical company. In early 2021, the company completed its first order to Minapharm Pharmaceuticals, Egypt's leading pharmaceutical company, increasing its reputation in the Middle East.

Naturalendo Tech is supplying its products to Southeast Asia, an emerging new market for health functional foods, through the largest multi-level marketing company in the Philippines, under the Angel E brand. In addition, it is also exporting products to Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and India in its ultimate bid to expand sales around the world.

Last week, EstroG-100 was registered as an ingredient for food in Japan, paving the way for selling products sourced from EstroG-100 there. This means that the day will come soon when Japanese women, who are considered to be very picky in selecting health goods, will be able to access Naturalendo Tech's health functional foods.

The market response to Menoelle in Europe is even hotter. Menoelle has been in great demand, ranking first in sales among the health functional foods sold in Europe's top three drugstore chains including dm and Rossmann.

In September during Expopharm 2022, Europe's leading trade fair for the pharmacy market held in Munich, Germany, the booth of PN, the exclusive distributor of Menoelle in Germany, was flooded with middle-aged women worrying about their menopausal symptoms as well as representatives from pharmaceutical and health functional food companies.

Dr. Jalid Sehouli, one of Germany's famed obstetricians, delivered a lecture on women's menopause during the event, and Menoelle stood out definitely. In his lecture, Sehouli, the director of gynecology at Charite Berlin who is famous for presenting proper treatments for various menopausal symptoms, expressed confidence that many pharmaceutical companies will take note of ExtroG-100. Previously, he had just mentioned some trivial information concerning common menopause treatments. He went so far as to say that “you don't need to take anything if there is no symptom.”

Dr. Sehouli advised caution against hormone replacement therapies and some health functional foods alleged to relieve menopausal symptoms in Europe, saying it would be necessary to fully consider possible side effects. On the contrary, he made a positive comment on ExtroG-100.

Dr. Sehouli said EstroG-100 has proven its efficacy in 12 menopausal symptoms, especially without side effects, through extensive clinical studies. He emphatically mentioned the correlation between EstroG-100 and estrogen, noting that EstroG-100 would have no direct impact on the estrogen receptors in the body.

When a participant in the lecture asked Dr. Sehouli whether he would recommend Monoelle to patients, he answered in the affirmative. In Germany, it's very rare for a doctor to directly introduce health functional foods to patients.