U.S.-based global aloe vera supplement brand Desert Harvest has teamed up with Helaina Biotech, makers of effera, to bring a first-of-its-kind milk protein to the burgeoning menopause market.
The formulation is designed to address hormonal fluctuations and vaginal dryness, iron deficiency and fatigue, gut and microbiome changes, as well as inflammation and immune stress.
“This product was developed in response to consistent feedback from clinicians and women in midlife who wanted non-hormonal options for fatigue and iron imbalance, vaginal dryness, gut shifts and immune stress,” said Heather Florio, CEO of Desert Harvest. “Effera Human-Identical Lactoferrin is well suited to these needs.”
As estrogen declines, iron balance, bone metabolism and microbiome stability are disrupted, Florio explained.
“Human lactoferrin is estrogen responsive and plays roles in iron transport and homeostasis, immune modulation and support of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Effera matches native human lactoferrin at the amino-acid level and shows similar digestion profiles, which helps preserve these bioactivities.”
Available in the US, the menopause product also includes a small amount of Desert Harvest’s patented high strength aloe vera which has a “long track record for mucosal friendliness”, according to Florio, and is included in the product to help protect lactoferrin in the upper gut and support delivery.
“Together, this pairing creates a hormone-free option grounded in consumer demand and scientific rationale,” she added.
To strengthen the scientific support for its product, Desert Harvest is initiating a prospective, IRB-approved post-market study in peri- and post-menopausal women. Endpoints will include iron status, fatigue and energy, GI tolerance, vaginal comfort and immune-related symptom tracking, with safety and adherence monitored over eight to 12 weeks.
The brand is best known for its aloe vera supplements to support bladder comfort but sells a range of mushroom-based supplements, skincare solutions and sexual health tools as well.
Grand View Research data suggests the product launch is well-timed: The global menopause market alone was valued at $17.79 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $24.35 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2025 to 2030.
Scaling-up breast milk proteins
Founded by food scientist Laura Katz in 2019, Helaina uses precision fermentation to recreate immune-equivalent proteins previously only available in breast milk, bridging the gap between traditional formula and breastfeeding.
Its flagship ingredient, effera, is the first human-identical lactoferrin approved for use in food and supplements, made via precision fermentation.
Other lactoferrin ingredients on the market come from cows, in extremely limited amounts, or are a replica of bovine lactoferrin made via precision fermentation.
Helaina’s research indicates that human lactoferrin and bovine lactoferrin behave differently in people.
“What we saw in the clinical study was pretty staggering to me,” Katz previously told NutraIngredients.
“We saw that folks who consumed the cow’s milk version of the protein produced antibodies against the protein. So, basically, their body is recognizing that the protein is foreign, because we are not cows, and it tries to quickly get it out of the system. We also saw different digestion patterns between effera and cow’s lactoferrin.”
