Curcumin, a substance in the turmeric root, is becoming popular in the United States as more research becomes available about its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. But brothers Qasim and Asim Khan, who grew up consuming turmeric, are familiar with this gift from nature’s medicine cabinet and want to make it accessible to today’s consumers. Through SUR Natural Health Brands, LLC, Qasim’s and Asim’s Milwaukee-based business, they launched ZYN curcumin-infused beverages.
The Khans grew up in Pakistan and emigrated to the U.S. in the mid-1980s. Ayurvedic medicine was always part of their lives, but what Qasim describes as the “ah-ha moment” came while traveling with their father, a Type 2 diabetic. During the trip, their father experienced painful inflammation in his toe. Qasim and Asim’s aunt made a paste with ground turmeric and olive oil and applied it to the inflamed toe. Within an hour, their father’s pain was gone and he was able to resume their planned activities.
Qasim and Asim had both spent 20 years working in the financial world, and they got to the point where they no longer enjoyed what they were doing. Inspired by the incident with their father, they decided to change direction. “Since we were familiar with turmeric, we thought, ‘Let’s start there and reach into why turmeric has the benefits that it does,’” Qasim said. They researched turmeric and talked to physicians in Western and Eastern medicine, and they discovered that curcumin is one of the main bioactive ingredients in turmeric.
“We narrowed down the healing powers of turmeric and began crafting a curcumin drink in our kitchens. We ruined a lot of pots,” Qasim recalled, “but once we got a base formula down, we took it to firms to take it to the next level in food safety and shelf stability, and ZYN was born.”
ZYN is short for the word “zyndagi,” which means life. There are four flavors—mango lychee, pomegranate cranberry, mixed berry and lemon ginger, the latter having a tangy zing of lemon complemented with a pop of warming ginger. ZYN is low in sugar, and the drink is gluten-free. Although ZYN isn’t Non-GMO Project verified, Qasim said their products are made with non-genetically modified ingredients.
“We connect with the right farmers and right supply chain to meet our standards,” he said. Their curcumin comes from turmeric grown on solar-powered farms in India. The piperine, or black pepper fruit, which helps the body better absorb curcumin, is ethically sourced from farms in India. Other ingredients come from United States farms.
Qasim said ZYN has been well received at Outpost Natural Foods, where they first launched the product this past November. It’s now available at more than 150 locations, including Sendik’s, Health Hut and Beans & Barley, and in many corporate cafeterias. Although ZYN is doing well on the market, Qasim said it’s just the first of their products. “Our vision is more than just a curcumin beverage,” he said. “Our mission as a company is to bring ancient wisdom from around the world to the modern consumer.”
SUR Natural Health Brands, LLC is a certified B Corporation, Qasim said, which means they met rigorous standards of social and environmental performance and transparency. They give back to causes they are passionate about—health care, fighting hunger and education. They are sponsoring a diabetes walk in Minneapolis, and they’re working with Aurora Health Care to sponsor cancer walks.
For more information, visit drinkzyn.com.
