Eight years ago, Sam Stout, a 67-year old resident of Hartford’s West End, learned he had Parkinson’s Disease, a progressive disorder that affects movement and muscle control.
“My right arm and hand [over time] became shot,” Stout said. “I could not beat an egg, grate cheese or do anything that required repetitive motions.”
These days he can, and he credits a coconut oil-rich beverage he’s been taking daily for two years — Fuel for Thought — with helping ease the disease’s symptoms.
“My neurologist said I seem to be getting a little better or at least not digressing as most Parkinson’s sufferers do,” Stout said.
Bob Firger, president & CEO of Bloomfield-based Cognate Nutritionals, which has been making Fuel for Thought for the past couple of years, is not surprised by Stout’s experience. While quick to note his company’s beverage isn’t a cure — or even a treatment — for brain-related diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, Firger, a former lawyer turned businessman, said his product does offer cognitive health benefits.
“Fuel for Thought is a fortified coconut oil beverage that is high in medium chain triglycerides (MTC) that convert to ketones in the body,” Firger said. “Ketones are the only alternative fuel source for the brain.” Ketones are especially important for people who suffer from neurological decline, Firger explained, because as their brains become less able to utilize glucose produced in the body, brain cells begin to die.
“It’s a quality of life product,” Firger said. One serving of Fuel for Thought, he noted, provides two and a half times the benefits of 3 tablespoons of coconut oil — at one-third the calories. “It’s a very functional product,” he said.
The functional food market — foods with potentially positive health effects beyond nutrition — is booming. With up to $30 billion in annual sales, functional foods and beverages comprise nearly 5 percent of the U.S. food market, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. And, with an aging Baby Boomer population, the sector is expected to grow as much as 20 percent per year ahead of the overall food industry.
To break into this growing market, Cognate Nutritionals has employed a direct-to-consumer approach using web-based sales.
“We sell our product in one month supplies,” Firger said. “Each bottle provides two servings per day.” The company is also supported by a five-member scientific advisory board, including Cognate Nutritionals’ co-founder, Dr. Theodore VanItallie, a professor emeritus at Columbia University Medical School, and one of the world’s leading experts on the health benefits of ketones.
“We’re seeing a variety of people consuming our product — from those with health problems to those who just want to maintain brain health,” Firger said.
As a privately-held company, Firger wouldn’t disclose sales figures, but noted several thousand orders of Fuel for Thought have been purchased since its 2012 initial release. And as sales have increased, Firger said his company has continued product development: In June 2014 the company introduced a fully-refined version.
“We now offer an all-natural wild-berry flavor that is more potent,” he said, noting the company is exploring additional flavors and potentially new non-beverage products to provide a ketone boost. They’re also considering international distribution channels.
The biggest challenge to expansion is capital, Firger said.
“Our financing to date has come exclusively from individuals, not from institutional investors,” he said.
But that may change due to a clinical trial being conducted at the Byrd Institute at the University of South Florida. Fuel for Thought is being studied in a six-month clinical setting with moderate Alzheimer’s patients, Firger said.
For now, Firger said his company is focused on growing organically, including — he hopes — onto the shelves of local grocers. “Our product is preservative-free and stays fresh and effective for up to 18 months,” he said. “It took us a couple of years to make the product that robust.”
And the company has taken to social media channels to not only promote the product, but the benefits. “We have three blog posts per week and are active on Facebook and Twitter,” said Cecilia Calhoun, the company’s chief marketing officer. “We [try to] appeal to a broad range of individuals to build engagement and conversation.”
In particular, she notes, the company has targeted aging populations, caregivers and health-conscious consumers. “We hear stories from consumers about real improvements in quality of life,” Calhoun said. “And our customers are incredibly grateful.”
