In Episode #165 of the PricePlow Podcast, Mike and Ben welcome Cody Flynn of OmniActive Health Technologies to discuss the company’s impressive botanical ingredient portfolio and manufacturing processes. Recorded at Natural Products Expo West 2025, this enlightening conversation covers OmniActive’s journey from its roots in the spice trade to becoming a leader in standardized botanical extracts for both the dietary supplement and sports nutrition industries.
From Marigold Fields to Dopamine Boosters: Inside OmniActive’s Botanical Empire
Cody Flynn of OmniActive Health Technologies discusses enXtra, sustainable botanical sourcing, and innovative ingredient applications at Natural Products Expo West 2025 on Episode #165 of the PricePlow Podcast
Cody, Business Development Manager for OmniActive, shares his journey through the supplement industry and his experiences visiting OmniActive’s extensive agricultural operations in India, where they partner with over 10,000 local farmers. The discussion explores the company’s vertically integrated approach – from their 14-acre seed research facility near Bangalore where they develop hybridized botanical seeds, to their sustainable manufacturing plants powered by steam energy.
An Introduction to enXtra (Alpinia Galanga Extract)
The conversation dives deep into signature ingredients like enXtra (alpinia galanga extract), examining its mechanism of action through dopamine pathways and real-world application as a caffeine companion or alternative for sustained focus without sleep disruption.
Beyond their flagship ingredients Lutemax and enXtra, Mike, Ben, and Cody discuss OmniActive’s evolution from solid dose formats into powders and beverages, addressing flavor challenges with botanical extracts and exploring innovative delivery systems like freeze-dried fruit applications.
The episode also reveals upcoming innovations in women’s health ingredients and new clinical research set to be unveiled at Supply Side West. For anyone interested in botanical ingredients, sustainable manufacturing, or the science behind cognitive enhancers, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into one of the industry’s most innovative ingredient suppliers.
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https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/omniactive-botanical-innovations-165
Video: Learn about OmniActive Health with Cody Flynn
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:49 — 50.1MB)
Detailed Show Notes: OmniActive’s Botanical Innovations
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0:00 – Introductions
OmniActive Health Technologies: Excellence Through Innovation
Mike and Ben welcome Cody Flynn, Business Development Manager for OmniActive Health Technologies, to the PricePlow Podcast at Natural Products Expo West 2025. The team reminisces about first meeting at an NPA event in DC, setting the stage for this in-depth conversation about OmniActive’s ingredient portfolio and Cody’s background in the supplement industry.
Cody shares that he’s been with OmniActive for about 18 months, but his industry experience extends much further. Prior to OmniActive, he worked with Glanbia on the brand side handling commercial operations for their contract manufacturing business, focusing on their bar division with brands like ThinkThin and SlimFast. Before that, he was with Nellson, working primarily on powders, giving him a comprehensive background across multiple delivery formats including capsules, tablets, bars, functional foods, and powders.
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2:15 – OmniActive’s Transition from Solid Dose to Sports Nutrition
Mike asks Cody to explain what “solid dose format” means for listeners who might not be familiar with industry terminology. Cody clarifies that solid dosage refers to capsules and tablets, which formed the foundation of OmniActive’s business for many years, particularly with their flagship ingredient Lutemax targeting an older demographic.
Mike poses an interesting question about why a company successful in the mass market would want to enter the more niche sports nutrition space. Cody explains that while sports nutrition may be smaller, it’s more dynamic and features early adopters who are quicker to embrace innovation. He notes that the lines between categories are blurring as mainstream consumers become more educated about supplements, with the “biohacking” trend making formerly niche products more accessible to average consumers.
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4:15 – Application Science: The Challenge of Botanical Flavoring
enXtra: OmniActive’s dopamine-boosting Alpinia galanga extract
Ben brings up the topic of “application science”, noting that when most people hear this term, they think of bars, foods, and drinks, but rarely consider powders since they seem straightforward. Cody clarifies that powders actually represent the first significant hurdle in application science for companies traditionally focused on capsules and tablets, where flavor isn’t a concern.
Cody explains that when he first started having meetings about enXtra and Lutemax, the initial questions from R&D teams weren’t about clinical science or potential claims, but about taste profiles. He shares how OmniActive has evolved to address this challenge, moving from simply offering samples in capsule form to partnering with flavor houses to develop comprehensive flavor systems that work with their botanical ingredients. This approach acknowledges that while botanicals may not be as bitter as amino acids, each has a unique flavor profile that must be considered during formulation.
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7:40 – Agricultural Roots: OmniActive’s Farming Heritage
Cody reveals that OmniActive has deep agricultural roots, founded by Sanjay, who comes from the spice trade. The company contracts with approximately 10,000 local farmers in India, making botanical extraction their core competency and a key differentiator in the market. This agricultural foundation provides OmniActive with complete supply chain control from seed to finished ingredient.
Cody Visits India with OmniActive
After spending 18 months learning the products and industry landscape, Cody had the opportunity to visit India to see the company’s operations firsthand. He describes spending two weeks in India, with one week dedicated to visiting the agricultural side of the business. These field visits took him to remote parts of India that tourists would never see, often requiring five-hour drives from Bangalore to reach farming operations with spotty cell service and limited infrastructure.
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10:35 – Seed Research and Botanical Standardization
Cody describes OmniActive’s impressive 14-acre seed research facility south of Bangalore, where their team conducts cross-breeding and hybridization of marigold flowers (the source material for Lutemax), paprika, and other botanicals. This scientific approach to agriculture allows them to optimize and standardize the compounds derived from these plants.
The company identifies specific plant varieties with desirable characteristics, then sells these optimized seeds to their contracted farmers. OmniActive provides education, fertilizer, and resources to help farmers successfully grow these crops. After harvest, the plants return to OmniActive for extraction, creating a closed-loop system that ensures quality and standardization throughout the supply chain.
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14:25 – Vertical Integration: From Farm to Finished Ingredient
Cody explains that all of OmniActive’s processing occurs in India, with extraction facilities in Pune and Hosur. He notes that Lutemax and Capsimax are produced in one specialized plant using proprietary microencapsulation technology to improve stability, while enXtra and other standard botanical extracts are manufactured at their other facility.
When Mike asks about intellectual property protection, Cody confirms that OmniActive has patents around some of their technologies, particularly for stabilizing oxidation-prone ingredients like Lutemax. Their specialized spray drying technology allows them to protect these sensitive compounds from degradation, ensuring consistency and efficacy in the final product.
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16:45 – Sustainable Manufacturing: The Steam-Powered Plant
One of the most fascinating revelations comes when Cody describes visiting OmniActive’s manufacturing plant in Hosur. He explains how the facility is powered by steam generated from burning sawdust and other materials, creating a sustainable energy source for their extraction processes. This eco-friendly approach is so effective that the plant tracks carbon savings on a whiteboard in the boiler room.
Capsimax Beadlets
Cody admits this sustainability story surprised him when he witnessed it firsthand, noting it wasn’t prominently featured in the company’s marketing materials despite being a compelling narrative about their environmental commitment. When asked about water resources, he mentions that the region experiences a monsoon season that provides significant rainfall, though he’s unsure about specific water conservation efforts at the facility.
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18:30 – enXtra: Mechanism and Benefits
Shifting focus to specific ingredients, the conversation turns to enXtra, OmniActive’s alpinia galanga extract that has gained popularity in sports nutrition formulas. Cody explains that like many botanical ingredients, alpinia has traditional roots in herbal teas and supplements, but OmniActive has isolated specific active compounds and conducted research to understand their effects.
Their research includes an MRI mechanism of action study that revealed enXtra works as a dopamine uptake inhibitor, affecting the dopamine pathway in the brain. This mechanism explains its benefits for alertness, attention, and focus. Cody positions the ingredient not as a caffeine replacement but as a complementary tool that pairs well with caffeine or can stand alone. When combined with caffeine, enXtra helps sustain effects for up to five hours and mitigates the crash typically experienced with caffeine alone.
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22:15 – Sleep-Friendly Focus: enXtra’s Versatility
Cody highlights one of enXtra’s key advantages: unlike stimulants, it doesn’t negatively impact sleep quality when taken later in the day. This makes it ideal for non-stimulant pre-workout formulas targeting evening exercisers who want focus and performance benefits without sleep disruption. OmniActive has conducted specific studies confirming enXtra doesn’t affect sleep or increase blood pressure.
enXtra use over 28 days led to incredible nootropic benefits in numerous tests.[1]
The clinical dose for enXtra is 300mg, but Cody mentions they’ve tested safety up to 900mg for those using multiple servings throughout the day. He personally takes 600mg when using the ingredient and finds it particularly effective in non-stimulant pump products that need a focus component to deliver an experiential effect. The team discusses how consumers want to “feel something” even from non-stimulant products, and enXtra provides that noticeable cognitive effect within 30-60 minutes.
Note: A full write-up on enXtra will be coming shortly on the PricePlow Blog.
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25:00 – Portfolio Expansion: The Innovate Acquisition
Mike asks about other ingredients in OmniActive’s portfolio, which leads Cody to reveal that enXtra actually originated from a company called ENovate Biolife. OmniActive initially purchased just the enXtra ingredient from Innovate but has now acquired the entire company, adding new ingredients to their portfolio including Muvs and Oxyjun.
These newly acquired ingredients are currently being evaluated to ensure they meet OmniActive’s scientific standards before being fully integrated into their offerings. Cody mentions they’re still working through the legal process and scientific validation, but is excited about expanding their ingredient lineup and potentially discussing these new additions in future conversations.
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26:30 – Sleeproot: Concentrated Valerian for Recovery
Cody introduces Sleeproot, OmniActive’s valerian extract, which exemplifies their approach to botanical ingredients. While standard valerian extracts contain around 0.8% valerinic acid (the active compound), OmniActive’s version is concentrated to 2%, allowing for a much smaller effective dose of just 200mg compared to the 800-900mg typically required with conventional extracts.
This concentration makes Sleeproot more practical for formulations, as it’s easier to flavor a smaller amount of this notoriously unpleasant-tasting botanical. Cody shares that at Supply Side, they boldly showcased Sleeproot in a liquid format with flavoring and received positive feedback. He positions sleep as the next frontier in the recovery category, noting that optimizing sleep is the most fundamental recovery tool available.
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30:00 – Clinical Validation: Sleep Research
The conversation turns to clinical research behind Sleeproot, with Cody sharing that they have two published clinical studies using the gold standard Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Their research included objective biomarkers beyond just subjective questionnaires, reinforcing the scientific rigor behind their ingredients.
Most impressively, their second study demonstrated day-one efficacy, a rare achievement in sleep supplements that typically require buildup periods before showing results. This immediate effect gives Sleeproot a significant advantage in the competitive sleep aid market, where consumer satisfaction often hinges on noticeable benefits from the first use.
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31:00 – Personal Background: Wrestling and Fitness
The conversation shifts to Cody’s personal background as a competitive wrestler. He reveals he started wrestling at age six or seven and continued through college, though he humorously notes his ears remained undamaged despite the sport’s reputation for causing cauliflower ear. Today, he still stays connected to the sport by coaching a youth wrestling program at St. Simon’s Catholic School in Indianapolis.
Cody shares that he was a late bloomer physically, weighing just 100 pounds in eighth grade before growing to about 200 pounds by his sophomore year of high school. This transformation changed his wrestling trajectory, turning early struggles against physically mature opponents into later success as his body caught up, teaching him valuable lessons about perseverance.
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33:15 – From Athlete to Model: Dymatize Connection
After his wrestling career, Cody worked at a GNC while attending the University of Illinois, which led to an unexpected opportunity when a friend suggested he enter Dymatize Nutrition’s “Best Bodies” model search. To his surprise, he was selected and signed with Dymatize as an athlete, traveling to industry trade shows like the LA Fit Expo around 2015-2016, giving him his first introduction to the supplement industry from the brand side.
When Mike asks if these fitness modeling photos still exist online, Cody reveals he gave up social media for Lent about five years ago and never returned, though he does maintain a LinkedIn profile for professional purposes. He confirms that his bodybuilding photos still exist on his dormant Instagram account, though he doesn’t actively use the platform anymore.
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34:15 – Personal Supplement Regimen: enXtra Usage
Mike asks Cody about his personal supplement regimen, particularly how he incorporates enXtra into his routine. Cody shares that he was formerly “quite a caffeine junkie” with morning and afternoon doses, but now limits caffeine to mornings only and uses enXtra in the afternoon to maintain focus without disrupting sleep.
Depending on his schedule, which sometimes includes early morning calls with India, Cody either takes enXtra capsules with his pre-workout at lunchtime or takes his pre-workout in the morning and then supplements with enXtra alone in the afternoon, usually with a protein shake after his workout. This strategy allows him to maintain productivity throughout the day without the sleep disturbances that come with afternoon caffeine consumption.
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36:10 – Caffeine and enXtra Timing Strategies
Cody mentions that he’s experimented with delaying his first caffeine dose by 60-90 minutes after waking, allowing cortisol levels to naturally decrease before introducing caffeine. He finds this approach, followed by afternoon enXtra without caffeine, creates a smooth energy curve throughout the day, though he acknowledges it may not work for everyone.
The team discusses caffeine dependence, with Mike sharing his experience doing a month-long caffeine detox. While he eventually returned to caffeine use, finding its benefits outweighed the drawbacks for his specific situation, he recognizes that enXtra could have been a valuable tool during the detox process to mitigate withdrawal symptoms.
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41:10 – Future Innovations: Women’s Health and Supply Side West
As the conversation winds down, Mike asks what messaging OmniActive is highlighting at Expo West. Cody reveals they’re preparing to launch a women’s health ingredient at Supply Side West later in the year. While he can’t share specific details yet due to confidentiality, he hints at a blended botanical extract targeting this growing market segment.
Cody also mentions an upcoming clinical publication on enXtra that will be released shortly, along with innovations for Capsimax that reduce production costs while improving performance. By removing the inert sugar core previously used in their microencapsulation process, they’ve created a more robust bead that lowers cost-in-use for their customers while maintaining functionality.
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44:00 – Novel Delivery Systems: Freeze-Dried Applications
Ben asks about the freeze-dried applications of enXtra that OmniActive showcased at Supply Side the previous year. Cody enthusiastically describes their partnership with a company called Melt & Jet to create innovative freeze-dried fruit delivery systems loaded with botanical actives.
This application ties into OmniActive’s Lutemax story, as they have clinical studies supporting its use for children ages 5-12. The freeze-dried fruit format offers a cleaner alternative to traditional puffed snacks that often contain processed starches, using only freeze-dried fruit as the carrier for active ingredients. While this novel delivery system received excellent feedback at Supply Side, Cody notes that like most innovative formats, cost considerations remain a challenge to widespread adoption.
The gentlemen say thank you and close it down.
Where to Follow and Learn More
- OmniActive Health Technologies: omniactives.com
- OmniActive on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/omniactive-health-technologies
- Cody Flynn: LinkedIn
- PricePlow’s OmniActive News Coverage: PricePlow.com/omniactive-health-technologies#news
Thank you to Cody Flynn for joining us at Expo West 2025 to discuss OmniActive’s ingredients and sustainable approach to botanical extraction. Stay tuned for more episodes of the PricePlow Podcast featuring industry leaders and scientific innovators, and sign up for PricePlow’s OmniActive News so you don’t miss new research and product launches!
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