Next time you peel an orange, eager to get to the middle, think about this: What’s on the outside is just as—if not more—important. Because we don’t generally eat the peel unless it’s zested into desserts or dishes, we don’t think about it. But, it’s not the juicy, segmented flesh inside that’s the powerhouse of this ubiquitous fruit. It’s the waxy, fragrant skin. Just ask Jon Brewster, Chief Sales Officer at Ingredients by Nature, a family-run supplier to AG1 and the world’s largest manufacturer of citrus bioflavonoids. People are so ready to throw out the peel, he says. “[But] the peel is actually the most nutritious part of the citrus fruit.” How so? It contains far more enzymes and flavonoids (naturally occurring compounds found in fruits, vegetables, herbs, and legumes) than the fruit itself.
A question Brewster gets pretty much every single day when asked what he does for a living: What are citrus bioflavonoids? Citrus bioflavonoids are natural plant compounds found in the skin and peels of oranges and lemons. They’re part of the polyphenol family—one of the largest groups of beneficial plant nutrients. Polyphenols are produced by plants as a natural defense against detrimental factors like UV radiation, harmful pathogens, and oxidative stress caused by photosynthesis. These antioxidants support immune defense in plants.
So, why are citrus bioflavonoids in AG1? These days, our bodies face a variety of daily challenges, from busy schedules and insufficient sleep to environmental factors and less-than-perfect diets. We know how beneficial citrus peel can be from an immune-support perspective, but getting it into our diet is another matter. So, AG1 features a concentrated, potent, and bioavailable extract of citrus bioflavonoids isolated from the most powerful part of the fruit. And, there’s another element: citrus bioflavonoids work synergistically with other whole food-sourced ingredients and nutrients like acerola cherry, rosehips, vitamin C, and zinc to support immune defenses.*
In our quest to celebrate the incredible ingredient partners we work with, we visited Ingredients by Nature’s (IBN) headquarters in Central Valley, California. It’s a 90-year-old company run by Jon and his brother, Rob and the ideal place to learn about how citrus bioflavonoids are created. As it turns out, it’s a many step process that includes carefully selected external partners who, like us, share IBN’s obsessive commitment to quality. So, how do we go from citrus groves to AG1?
After being picked, the fruit is washed, waxed, and graded at a state-of-the-art facility owned by an external partner. Then it’s transformed into products like juice and oils. Afterwards, the peels are sent to another partner’s facility, where they’re dried. The only ingredients there? Hot air and time, to preserve as many nutrients as possible. Once Ingredients by Nature receives the dried peels, they’re tested and then ground into various specifications of powder. As Brewster puts it: “This is where we make magic.” Mere decades ago, the peel was cast aside, but now it’s embraced in a sustainable, nutrient-focused way with little going to waste.
Quality and innovation are at the heart of everything we do at AG1 and it all starts at the ingredient level. Trusting the product means trusting every single component and we’re lucky to be able to share that with our partners and our customers.
Watch the full video here.
