Wild Nutrition supports food-based formulas for all of its supplements.
Not all supplements are created equal, says Henrietta Norton. More than ten years ago, she came up with the idea of a nutritional supplement company, Wild food. She started it in her garden shed; today it sells in the UK and Europe and now hopes to make more of an impact in the US market.
Norton, trained as a nutritionist, formulated supplements for UK and European brands in 2010. While working for commercial supplement companies, she also counseled individuals in a one-on-one setting with their specific concerns. Seeing hundreds of women in her private clinic, she began to focus on women’s health, especially hormonal health. Meanwhile, Norton had started writing a book on endometriosis. When her editors asked her to make recommendations for readers about which supplements might help, she was stuck. “I just couldn’t make recommendations with integrity. That’s when I knew I had to make them.”
Henrietta Norton, founder of Wild Nutrition.
Food-based was not an easy road, however, Norton admits. “It’s a slower, more expensive way to make supplements because of the sourcing involved. It’s less commercially viable, you might say. But it is a better addition.”
She knew from working with clients who were taking a diet-based approach to improve their hormonal health that this was the right way forward, even if it was more expensive and challenging.
“Most of the synthetic ingredients used are of petrochemical origin. Not only are they less effective in the body because our DNA is set up to absorb nutrients through food, but they have broader implications. I strongly feel that human health is linked to planetary health.”
Vitamin C, she explains, is a well-known example. Vitamin C in a plant contains about 50 different compounds. “Yet the supplement industry focuses on one. However, our bodies are incredibly advanced and know how to use, and even benefit from, the other 49 fractions. The reason I chose food is not just because the evidence is there, but because it is a very respectful way to replenish the body. I believe that to create healing, you have to support the body as a whole.”
Norton started the company with her husband Charlie in 2013. Within three months they were in Whole Foods in the UK. Thanks to a consultant friend who helped them structure the business, they were able to handle the rapid scaling required, Norton says.
Currently, with approximately 48 employees, most of whom are based in Lewes, East Sussex in the UK, Norton is looking for new markets. Although they ship internationally, Norton targets specific regions, such as the US, where interest in natural supplements is growing.
However, doing nutritional supplements has its challenges, Norton points out: It was difficult to get manufacturers on board in the beginning, as they were less eager to deviate from their typical ways. The cost of dietary supplements can be 100% higher than their counterparts. And ingredient sourcing requires careful research: “There are many options on the market, but not all are created equal,” she says, referring to ingredients such as turmeric, mushrooms, and other herbs and spices found in their formulations. In addition, more product is needed per capsule to pack the required dosage: that could mean a heavier pill, which some consumers may not prefer.
But despite the bumps in the road, Norton has managed to steadily build the business and help shape the natural supplement story in the UK over the past decade.
“There has been a seismic shift in the supplement industry. Supplements are now in the mainstream. They used to be ignored. Plus, we’ve learned that soil deficiency is high. Food is sourced worldwide, so we don’t get all the nutrients our bodies need And I see that more people are looking for natural supplements to remedy all of this, our rationale for starting a business was to help educate and change the way the industry works, and I’m glad that it happens.”
Part of the educational component is achieved through a free 15 minute consultation that all customers are entitled to before purchasing any of their products. Trained nutritionists provide one-on-one advice to ensure customers get the right products. “It’s not just about bringing products to market,” she reiterates.
For Norton, building a business that reflected its values was integral. Therefore, four years after launching the company, she started considering becoming a B Corp. In 2018, the company started the process and was certified in 2021. “Sustainability is not just about maintaining what we’ve done in the past, but surpassing it. What I like about B Corp is that we have to be reviewed every three years.”
Environmentally speaking, the company has strived to be plastic-free. In addition, they chose to bring their fulfillment in-house, so that they could further reduce packaging material. Now they are looking at reducing or compensating for their carbon footprint. But there’s also the social component of the business that Norton wants to refine.
“Sustainability in the broader sense of the word is also about how we can take care of our people sustainably.” Aside from hiring locally and creating employment opportunities, Norton says the company has recently made some changes to its employee handbook and provided a slew of free services to their staff: yoga, counseling, financial advice, just to name a few. .
“People’s health is just as important as the health of the planet,” she reiterates.
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