
Putting bone health in focus: Seen Nutrition joins Rev
Seen Nutrition, founded by Dr. Adrienne Bitar Ph.D. and Dr. Jennifer Han PharmD, makes calcium chews to help women live healthier lives. Because of their involvement with the Cornell Dairy runway program, they have used milk protein sourced from Finger Lakes area dairy farms to create a calcium chew to help prevent osteoporosis in women who are going through menopause. Seen Nutrition is also a member of the Cornell Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture, and received a $20,000 grant in 2024 from The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Council.
What is the “origin story” behind your company?
Jenny was diagnosed with osteoporosis at age 29 and I watched my mother struggle with her own osteoporosis since her early 40s, breaking bone after bone and compromising her quality of life. When Jenny and I started talking about our shared concern for bone health, we quickly realized that we had complementary skills: she is a clinical pharmacist and I am a food studies researcher. Together, we joined our professional expertise and personal concern and spent the following year formulating the first dietary calcium chew, designed for women 40+. We are proud of our product and deeply committed to osteoporosis prevention and awareness.
What customer need is your company attempting to address?
Current synthetic calcium supplements are rife with problems. Despite its status as the second most commonly supplemented vitamin or mineral in the US, synthetic calcium is infamous for causing GI discomfort in nearly 1/4 of patients. In addition to the bloating, nausea, and discomfort, synthetic calcium is a bulky ingredient and come packaged either as huge “horse pills” or in chalky, saccharine chews made with corn syrup. Doctors regularly advise patients to get calcium from their diet first. We found a way to use dietary minerals from milk, including 500 mg of calcium, and create a palatable, small, shelf-stable chew that does not have the side effects of synthetics.
Where do you envision your company a year from now?
In one year, we hope that our calcium chew complete will be reaching the women who need it most: the 8 million American women with diagnosed osteoporosis and the additional millions with osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis. We are committed to our mission of improving bone health and ensuring that women and their unique nutritional needs are truly seen.