Bio Frères adventure was born out of a family desire to shake up the world of food supplements. The three brothers wanted to create a sustainable and ethical brand that would serve the specific needs of vegetarians and vegans. It was launched in 2019 with their first reference: The Bédouze. This food supplement provides vitamin B12 to naturally occurring active forms.
Supplementation with vitamin B12
Why this supplementation?
Especially among vegans, a healthy and varied diet is not always enough to be in good health. Vitamin B12 supplementation is strongly recommended. Vitamin B12 deficiency is mainly manifested by an anemic state. This is equivalent to a decrease of red blood cells used to carry oxygen in the blood. This oxygen helps to convert nutrients into energy. Under normal circumstances, the cell can convert a glucose molecule into 36 energy units compared to only 2 in the absence of oxygen. In addition, vitamin B12 is a cofactor in the manufacture of these energy molecule. A deficiency in this vitamin can cause general fatigue.
In addition, B12 plays an essential role as a cofactor in the synthesis of methionine. This methionine is an essential amino acid in protein biosynthesis. It acts on several mechanisms such as DNA synthesis
How to ensure a good supply?
The human body is not able to synthesize vitamin B12. It is mainly provided by products of animal origin. Animals have the ability to develop symbioses with B12-producing bacteria.
Some plants can produce a small amount of vitamin B12 (nori, spirulina…) but slightly bioactive.
Several possible supplements:
– Cyanocobalamin: synthetic vitamin B12 obtained by bacterial fermentation in the laboratory. This form is not found in nature. In addition, the body cannot use it as such. It must undergo 4 stages of transformation to become active, which can reduce its effectiveness.
– Methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin are two forms of natural origin and bioactive directly without transformation. It plays a role in many biological processes (DNA, brain, energy…).
– Hydroxycobalamin is a natural form but is not bioactive in its current state. It must undergo 3 stages of transformation. However, it has interesting detoxification functions for cyanide and nitric oxide, which can be found in the bodies of people living in polluted cities.
The Bedouze contains the three forms that are found in nature. These are the same molecules as in animal food, namely Hydroxocobalamin (OHCbl), Methylcobalamin (MeCbl) and Adenosylcobalamin (AdCbl). The synergy of these three forms allows an optimal effect of vitamin B12.
The Bedouze of Bio Frères
They have developed a patented culture method consisting of seeding a Shiitake culture substrate with B12-producing bacteria. The vitamin produced by the bacteria accumulates in the fungus to a sufficient concentration to allow supplementation. This makes it possible to obtain a food supplement of natural origin but not of vegetable origin. Only the substrate is vegetable.
Bio Frères offer a galenic to chew or suck on allowing a better assimilation. During chewing, vitamin B12 is protected from gastric acid by salivary proteins. Ingestion at the mucosal level will be more effective than on some products in the form of pills or sachets that will not be protected from acidity. To make it easier for the whole family to take. Bédouze is available in 3 flavours: raspberry, pear, passion fruit and can complement a family of 4 people for 1 month.
In order to offer responsible products, they also worked on packaging. They offer recycled cardboard jars closed with a natural cork stopper. The whole is covered with an easily removable label to allow recycling of the box for various uses. Smart no!
A young and dynamic brand
The strategy chosen by Bio frères is in line with the trend of modern food supplements aimed at a young audience. They offer a strong universe to which the consumer can adhere and identify. They emphasize the personality of their founders and the history of their product’s creation. Finally, they adopt a light tone combining jokes and scientific information. The young consumer of food supplements is looking for a fun customer experience without ignoring quality. With this B12-based product, the company brings an educational aspect to its communication by explaining in a precise way the interest of this vitamin and each of the ingredients used.
This article was written with Mathilde Mauzé, we thank her !
