NNB Nutrition brought new concepts, fresh preclinical data, and a clear beverage thesis to Booth #2201 in Anaheim, leaving with more than a few formulator conversations started.
NNB Nutrition had a standout Expo West 2026. PeptiClear™ protein soda offers whey-level anabolic signaling without whey, three RTD brands are already on shelves with GeniusPure® Alpha-GPC, and MitoBurn® preclinical data at higher doses is pointing toward glycogen supercompensation.
Natural Products Expo West 2026 draws an organic and natural products crowd, and NNB Nutrition used the show to advance a thesis that's been building for two years: functional beverages need better ingredients, and NNB has them.
At Booth #2201, the team debuted PeptiClear™, a clear protein soda concept that pairs hydrolyzed pea protein with their DL185® dileucine peptide. Meanwhile, three high-profile RTD brands had just landed on shelves running GeniusPure® Alpha-GPC, validating the whole "Rethink the Drink" approach in real product launches. Add in fresh preclinical data behind MitoBurn® L-BAIBA, a sharper positioning story for GlucoVantage®, and two new 2026 ingredients actively seeking launch partners, and Expo West 2026 shaped up as NNB's most consequential show appearance yet.
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PeptiClear: The Clear Protein Answer to Whey's Supply Problem
Whey prices are climbing and clear protein sodas can't stay on shelves. NNB Nutrition's PeptiClear™ may be the answer -- 10g hydrolyzed pea protein plus 2g DL185® dileucine in a 60-cal mango-pineapple RTD, with early pre-clinical data suggesting mTOR activation on par with 25g of whey. See it at Expo West 2026 Booth #2201.
The centerpiece of NNB's Expo West presence was PeptiClear™, a 16oz, 60-calorie mango-pineapple protein soda concept launched under NNB's new Clean & Clear Series banner. We've published a full breakdown at the link above, but the one-line pitch is hard to ignore: all the anabolic signaling of whey, no whey required -- and no pea taste, either.
PeptiClear gets there through two technologies working together. The base is a hydrolyzed pea protein isolate that NNB's clarification process strips of the earthy, chalky aftertaste that's killed plant protein drinks before. Taste testers at the booth were genuinely surprised. The muscle-signaling piece comes from DL185®, 2g of dileucine per can, which absorbs 185% faster than free leucine and drives 60% greater muscle protein synthesis activation. Early pre-clinical data suggests mTOR activation on par with 25g of whey from just 10g of hydrolyzed pea protein plus 2g DL185.
The formula uses SweetVantage® steviol glycosides for sweetening, produced in collaboration with SIP Manufacturing, Zion Packaging, and McCormick Flavor Solutions. NNB is looking for commercialization partners, and their message to Expo West's natural products audience was direct: brands don't have to fight over tight whey supply to build a winning protein soda.
Get the full story at our dedicated PeptiClear™ article.
GeniusPure Momentum: Three RTD Launches, One Ingredient
Three RTD launches -- UPDATE Energy, Bucked Up Drive Hydration, and Life Cider X -- all chose GeniusPure Alpha-GPC. Stable in liquid, high yield, and backed by clinical data showing 108% better cognitive performance at the low dose.
If PeptiClear was the concept story, GeniusPure® in beverages was the proof-of-execution story. Three significant RTD launches have hit shelves with GeniusPure Alpha-GPC in recent months: UPDATE Energy, Bucked Up Drive Hydration (developed with Bryson DeChambeau and formulation input from Team PricePlow), and Life Cider X with Shawn Wells as Chief Science Officer. Each brand independently landed on the same ingredient for the same reasons: beverage stability, cleaner yields versus generic alpha-GPC, and clinical data showing a single 315mg dose produces a 108% improvement in cognitive performance versus placebo.
Alpha-GPC in RTD form has historically been tricky because the ingredient is hygroscopic and degrades in liquid. GeniusPure solves that at the manufacturing level. Three separate brands arriving at the same solution, independently, is about as strong a market validation signal as the trade show floor offers. Read the full product breakdown for all three launches at the article linked above, or learn more about the ingredient in our original GeniusPure® launch announcement. You will also enjoy reading about the full "double your focus" study in our article titled "NNB Nutrition's GeniusPure Alpha-GPC Acutely Boosts Cognitive Performance in New Clinical Study".
MitoBurn: New Dosing, New Data, New Applications
MitoBurn® L-BAIBA had a substantial showing at Expo West, with NNB sharing updated details from fresh preclinical research behind a higher active dose range.
New NNB Nutrition preclinical data on MitoBurn (L-BAIBA) shows 22% endurance and 20% strength gains at ~1,500mg/day HED. Three independent 2025 papers deepen the exercise mimetic story further -- bone health, aging, and muscle protection all in the mix.
Earlier guidance put MitoBurn at 250mg to 500mg per serving for brown fat activation. New preclinical work at 1,000mg to 1,500mg human equivalent doses is pointing toward a different conversation entirely. At those levels, NNB's animal model data is showing glycogen supercompensation (muscles storing more glycogen post-exercise), alongside meaningful improvements in grip strength and endurance. L-BAIBA's exceptional water solubility (737g per liter) means these higher doses are entirely workable in beverage formats, which NNB already demonstrated with the OnSwitch concept drink at SupplySide Global 2025.
The natural products crowd at Expo West got a specific use-case pitched to them: a mocktail stack pairing 20mg of SalidroPure® (equivalent in salidroside content to 2g of rhodiola) with 50mg of MitoPrime® L-ergothioneine. That's 70mg total, low enough not to create flavor headaches, and it gives beverage brands legitimate adaptogen and cellular energy statements in a format that addresses the ongoing Gen Z shift away from alcohol. As retailers increasingly slot functional mocktails into the same set as alcohol to protect year-over-year category numbers, this kind of low-dose, high-potency stack is exactly what NNB's fermentation platform was built for.
The latest preclinical data on MitoBurn can be found in our coverage, "MitoBurn Delivers on Performance: New Preclinical Data and the Expanding Exercise Mimetic Case", and good article discussing the MitoPrime / SalidroPure pair is at "MitoPrime & SalidroPure: The Perfect Pairing for Energy and Nootropics", and we're excited that it's just been launched in the new Jocko Fuel GO energy drink!
GlucoVantage and the Post-GLP-1 Window
New 14-week preclinical data on GlucoVantage® dihydroberberine shows 165% GLP-1 increase at week 14 and 33.3% body weight reduction by week 13. Benefits intensified over time rather than plateauing. Natural metabolic support for the post-GLP-1 window.
GlucoVantage® (dihydroberberine) is heading into 2026 with a sharper positioning story: the post-GLP-1 window. The framing addresses a real and growing need -- roughly 78% of GLP-1 medication users discontinue within a year, and many of them struggle to maintain their progress once they stop. The "post-GLP-1 window" claim positions GlucoVantage as the natural follow-on for blood sugar and weight management, without touching the regulatory gray area of calling it a GLP-1 alternative.
Two new clinical studies are currently running. One is a 12-week weight management trial tracking blood sugar and appetite control. The other uses continuous glucose monitors to map real-time blood sugar dynamics throughout the day, including after meals. Both will build on NNB's existing pharmacokinetics data, which showed a 200mg dose of dihydroberberine raising blood berberine levels 20 times higher than a 500mg dose of standard berberine. Once the human data lands, GlucoVantage's story gets considerably more actionable for formulators in the weight management and metabolic health space.
Some of the forthcoming preclinical data has been teased in our article, 14 Weeks of GlucoVantage Dihydroberberine Extends GLP-1 and Weight Loss Results in Preclinical Trial.
New Ingredients on the Horizon in 2026
NNB Nutrition announced three precision-fermented ingredients launching in 2026: Icariin D2 for sexual health, 4-Hydroxy-L-Isoleucine for glucose metabolism, and 6-Paradol as a clean thermogenic. Pure molecules replacing inconsistent botanical extracts.
NNB used Expo West to update their roadmap on two new 2026 ingredient launches, both currently seeking exclusive commercialization partners. Both follow the same playbook: isolate the active molecule from a botanical, ferment or synthesize it to 99% purity, and leave the "noise" of the whole extract behind.
Icariin D2 takes the PDE5-inhibiting active from horny goat weed and produces it pure, targeting libido and erectile function research. 4-Hydroxy-L-Isoleucine isolates the insulinotropic amino acid derivative from fenugreek (the active behind Phenogreek), with NNB's research interest extending into creatine enhancement without the need for carbohydrate co-ingestion.
We covered both alongside a third upcoming ingredient in our earlier piece: NNB Nutrition Announces New 2026 Ingredient Launches.
The Bigger Picture: They Solve Problems
What came through clearly at Expo West is how NNB has sharpened its identity as an ingredient creator that stays in the process with its customers. Beyond the catalog of pure molecular actives, the pitch is simple: 40-plus scientists on staff means any formula challenge (hygroscopic ingredients, off-taste at dose, poor liquid stability, etc.) gets a tailored answer, not just a spec sheet. That message resonates in a room full of natural product brands trying to get functional ingredients into beverages without sacrificing taste or label integrity.
NNB Nutrition is an innovative ingredient development company with an elite team of over 100 scientists from over 10 countries.
If Expo West 2026 confirmed anything, it's that NNB's beverage strategy has moved decisively from concept to execution. PeptiClear is the clearest example, but GeniusPure on shelves at three brands and MitoBurn approaching a meaningful dose refresh both point the same direction.
For the longer-form backstory on NNB's philosophy and where the company is heading, our podcast conversation with Shawn Wells and Dustin Elliott from SupplySide Global 2025 covers it in depth: NNB Nutrition's Pure, Potent, Precise Revolution | Episode #192.
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