Leigh Reynolds and her daughter, Taylor, had more reason than most to start a company focused on nutritional supplements for those who can’t or don’t eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Taylor discovered in her early 30s that like three million other Americans, she has celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive disorder […]
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Leigh Reynolds and her daughter, Taylor, had more reason than most to start a company focused on nutritional supplements for those who can't or don't eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Taylor discovered in her early 30s that like three million other Americans, she has celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive disorder that damages the small intestine's lining and interferes with nutrient absorption.
Together, the two women devised supplements to fill the nutrient deficiencies for celiacs and for people who have latched onto the current trend of a gluten-free lifestyle. Their company, Gluten Free Therapeutics of Kennebunkport, was incorporated in February 2013 and recently launched the Celi-Vites supplement capsules for blood health and for body health.
A third product for bone health, a powder added to water, is to be launched in the first quarter of 2014 and likely will be sold to a broader market. The products address a $2.6 billion market for gluten-free products that is expected to top $5 billion by 2015, according to the Packaged Facts website.
Leigh, who spent more than two decades as a manager in the pharmaceutical and retail sectors, serves as principal and president, while Taylor, a veterinary pathologist and scientist focused on the immune system, serves as vice president of research and development.
Leigh recently spoke with Mainebiz about the new business and the need for gluten-free nutritional supplements. The edited transcript follows.
Mainebiz: What are the current treatments for celiac disease?
Leigh Reynolds: The only treatment is following a strict diet, so we needed to understand what they [celiacs] were lacking nutritionally. There are a lot of side effects and consequences that come out of having to follow a gluten-free diet. Most people find they have the disease when they have bone loss, anemia and other nutritional deficiencies because they have absorption issues. The disease destroys the lining of the intestinal wall when the absorption takes place. We also wanted to understand what the other nutrient supplements on the market were lacking. It's hard to not eat gluten because it is in a lot of other sources. Also, many gluten-free products are not fortified with vitamins and minerals.
MB: Why are nutritional supplements needed?
LR: For people with celiac disease, food doesn't absorb at the same rate as with other people. The vitamins lacking in gluten-free patients are A, D, E, K, iron, B12, folic acid and calcium.
MB: What makes your supplements different than ones that can be bought now?
LR: The supplement business has a huge range of quality control. You need to be aware of what ingredients are in them. Also for the celiac patient, it's important what form they're in because [that dictates] their effectiveness and how they're absorbed into the body. We use the chelated form. It's more expensive, but it's more absorbable so you can get a more accurate dose. It's gentler and doesn't have a lot of side effects. The supplements are released in the stomach before they hit the lining [of the intestine], so they are dispersing into the bloodstream, and patients can absorb the whole dose. We don't dilute our premium ingredients. For example, calcium citrate tablets can have 50% calcium citrate and 50% calcium carbonate, which is much less expensive. Ours are all calcium citrate, which is a superior form of calcium over calcium carbonate. We have [scientific] studies to back up most of our ingredients. We've used the most recent and best forms of all ingredients and we use 100% of them.
MB: Are you making the supplements in Kennebunkport, or do you have a partner?
LR: We have manufacturing outside the state because it wasn't possible to manufacture here. But most of the things I do, I try to do inside the state.
MB: What are your expected sales?
LR: We're just starting to sell now through ourselves and Amazon.com. We're still working on a distribution plan. We've projected around $800,000 in sales for 2014.