The i-flex™ story began in the early 1990s, when Erik Hansen, a farmer from Langeland, Denmark, discovered, quite by chance, that rosehips from the Rosa Canina plant appeared to help soothe his aching joints.

Encouraged by this realisation, he developed the first of his rosehip powders. Made from rosehips grown on his own farm, he sold the powder to friends and neighbours after telling them of his own positive experiences.

The response from these early customers was so positive that Erik, and his son Torbjorn, decided to seek scientific verification of what they had found. They contacted scientists at the local hospital to see if they could find what it was in the rosehip that was producing the positive joint-health benefits being reported.

At first, the scientists were sceptical about the claimed benefits of the rosehip fruit – more commonly associated with teas and marmalades than with potential joint-health benefits. They did however agree to begin some scientific studies.

As the results of the testing began to emerge, the researchers became more and more convinced about the Langeland rosehip powder. Since then, several well designed scientific studies involving a couple of hundred people have been undertaken and published in recognised scientific journals. The study results are discussed in more detail in Scientific Research