Kyowa Hakko launches paraprobiotic eye health ingredient

Photo © iStockphoto.com/fotoadrenalina

Kyowa Hakko (New York, NY) has launched a novel eye health ingredient called Eyemuse, which is a heat-killed probiotic referred to as paraprobiotic. The proprietary paraprobiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei KW3110 was discovered by Kyowa Hakko’s parent company Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd. to support eye health by reducing fatigue through its ability to support a balanced immune response. There are immune cells in the eye, the retina in particular is made up of millions of immune cells, that respond to stressors.

“We are at a point in society where more and more adults are likely to face eye strain and fatigue from increasing reliance on technology and spending prolonged hours of the day staring at digital devices,” comments Karen Todd, MBA, RD, vice president of global brand marketing at Kyowa Hakko U.S.A Inc., in a press release. “This poses a real health and quality of life issue, so we are thrilled to be at the forefront of this scientific breakthrough that utilizes a novel mechanism of action that may help reduce digital stress related eye fatigue and other ocular discomforts.”

The new ingredient can target a wide range of consumers, including the everyday profession and gamers, all of which spend a lot of time in front of a screen. “We envision Eyemuse to be geared toward the screen-glued multitaskers, young professionals who are always ‘on,’ and gamers, who are spending 14 hours a week playing video games, up from 12 hours a week in 2018,” says Todd. In vitro studies also suggest that the paraprobiotic may also filter blue light.

Eyemuse is non-GMO, vegetarian, and generally recognized as safe (GRAS).