Big news to share today! We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Arik Armstead, NFL defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers, who has joined Oobli as an advisory board member and our first ever athlete ambassador.
Why Arik? He's the perfect embodiment of our mission here at Oobli, to bend the global health curve around sugar and create healthy, no-compromise sweet foods that remove the guilt around our collective sweet tooth. Arik's focus on nutrition, sugar reduction and whole-body health is in direct alignment with our philosophy at Oobli.
Arik is also from Sacramento, just a short drive from Oobli's headquarters in Davis, CA, and he'll advise on future product innovation and educating consumers about the game-changing potential of Oobli sweet proteins.
Oobli x Arik Armstead
Arik has experienced how too much sugar can impact his performance on the field, as well as his general wellbeing. The devastating effects of America’s sugar addiction also hits home for Arik as several of his family members were recently diagnosed with diabetes. Fed up with unhealthy sugar alternatives that negatively impact our gut microbiome, Arik discovered the world-changing potential of sweet proteins and wanted to support Oobli’s quest for revolutionizing the future of sweet foods.
Oobli sweet proteins are derived from small, rare fruits and berries that grow near the equator that are unsustainable to grow at scale. Leveraging precision fermentation, our sweet proteins are brewed (similar to beer or cheese) rather than grown, making them a sustainable sugar solution. Sugarcane accounts for more than 65 million acres globally, causing both negative environmental and health impacts. Fermentation enables us to replicate nature’s candy but without the adverse environmental impact.
“As a father of two young children and a professional athlete, I am passionate about eating healthy and reducing our sugar intake,” said Arik Armstead, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman and founder of the Armstead Academic Project. “Until I discovered Oobli, I had been frustrated with other sugar alternatives on the market. I believe sweet proteins have the potential to disrupt our global sugar habit.”
“Our goal is to reduce the sugar in a variety of heavily sweetened foods and beverages within the next several years,” said Ali Wing, CEO, Oobli. “As a Sacramento native, Arik was a natural addition to our Bay Area-based Oobli team. Leveraging his expertise on and off the field will help us not only spread awareness about sweet proteins to a mass audience, but also help accelerate the endless possibilities for how sweet proteins can be incorporated into food and beverages, especially for athletes.”
Catch some awesome Arik content over on our Instagram coming soon, including giveaways with signed memorabilia from Arik and more!
