Tel-Aviv-headquartered Nutritional Growth Solutions Ltd (NGS) has introduced to the Asia-Pacific market its pediatrician-developed and tested Healthy Height® protein shake, clinically shown to improve children’s height.

Last October, NGS completed a successful IPO on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:NGS), securing A$7M. The company has seen its share price soar as high as 75 per cent since its initial listing. After establishing Healthy Height sales in the US, and on the heels of a recent launch in China, the company is now reaching out to other Asia-Pacific markets. 

The NGS China launch occurred through collaboration with a local state-owned entity, distributing primarily in ‘mother and baby’ stores. The company is now gearing up for expansion into South Korea, Japan, Australia, and the rest of the region.

“In the past three years, Healthy Height established itself in the US as a leading complementary solution supporting growth for kids,” asserted Liron Fendell, CEO of NGS, adding that his firm is now poised to extend its products’ nutritional benefits to young population in Asia Pacific.

A holistic solution to nourish growing children

Healthy Height was developed and tested by pediatricians to give a holistic solution to nourish growing children predominantly in the 3 to 9-years age group, including those children who lack nutrition due to health issues that may impair eating. It also helps support nutrition in picky eaters, a universal problem that causes a lot of stress to families.

Healthy Height is now the company’s premier product. It contains 12g of whey protein per serving, with high-quality ingredients – and no fillers, corn syrup, or other additives. The product is gluten-free, soy-free, with no GMOs, and includes 350mg of the vital amino acid arginine per serving. It also is low in sugar and sodium. 

‘Picky-eater approved’, Healthy Height can be mixed into ice cream or pancake batters as well as in shakes or smoothies.

Developed by renowned pediatric experts 

Two top medical professionals in pediatric endocrinology, gastroenterology, and nutrition were behind the research and development of the Healthy Height formulation: Professor Moshe Phillip, Director of the Institute for Endocrinology at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, and Professor Raanan Shamir, Director of the Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition, and Liver Diseases at Schneider. Professor Shamir also served as the President of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN).

“There is no doubt that genetics plays the most significant role in an individual’s height, with studies showing this accounts for up to 80 per cent of final height,” informed Mr Fendell. But what about the remaining percentage? Researchers believe that environmental factors fill that gap, with nutrition being the most dominant factor.

“There is a window of opportunity where we can influence the potential height of an individual,” explained Mr Fendell. “Parents are seeking natural solutions to help their kids grow, and Healthy Height certainly fills this gap.” 

Unlike other nutritional products, Healthy Height is not a meal replacement, as the protein drink takes a more supplemental role, therefore still leaving room for a focus on developing healthier eating habits. A clinical trial for Healthy Height showed that children who included it in their diet for a one-year period added 13.8 to 34 per cent to their annual growth in height. The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was published in the prestigious Journal of Pediatrics.  

Some of the countries showing the most significant gains from nutritional knowledge are in Asia. According to NPR, women in South Korea gained an average of 20.32cm in height in the past century — a bigger jump than that experienced by any other population, globally. In Japan, the average increase has been 16.03cm. Americans, on the other hand, are shrinking. 

“The data are clear: Nutritional value plays a key role in growth,” said NGS, whose innovative product, Healthy Height, can be sold through retail channels or medical channels (via health professionals), “offering a true recipe for growth”.