Researchers at the University of Swansea in the UK have received
funding to embark on a human study into the effects of curcumin on
cancers of the gastro-intestinal tract.
Leiner Health Products is propelling a convenient new dosage form
into the consumer marketplace through an agreement it has signed
with drug deliver company MonoSol Rx.
Increasing intake of the carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin, found in
citrus fruits, may reduce the risk of developing inflammatory
disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, report UK researchers.
A chemically produced folate, said to be several times more
bioavailable than folic acid and recently approved for food use in
Europe, gives premium supplement makers a chance to differentiate
from the commonly marketed form of the...
Frontier Scientific claims to have become the first supplier of
CoQ10 outside of Japan with multi-ton capacity, through a deal
signed last week with Taiwan's PharmaEssentia. The agreement could
solve the problems of supplement...
NeutraHealth, a UK shell company created to buy up nutraceutical
businesses, said today that it has made its first acquisition, the
probiotic supplement maker BioCare.
New regulations on the export of wild ginseng root aim to help
preserve the plant from extinction but could cause problems for the
herbals industry, at least over the next five years.
Researchers at Brigham & Women's Hospital found that DHEA
delivered no benefits for fibromyalgia sufferers - a finding that
does not help the industry's fight to preserve the hormone
precursor's status as a dietary...
UK doctors, struggling to give advice to women on alternatives to
hormone replacement therapy (HRT), are launching a study to find
out how effective red clover is at preventing the hot flushes
experienced during menopause.
Nutritional oils maker Martek Biosciences has held off another
challenge to the intellectual property on its key product, the
omega-3 fatty acid DHA, although it is still locked up in further
court cases to protect patent rights.
Women planning to have a baby should increase their folate intake
if they want their child to reach optimal weight, finds new
research that links the vitamin for the first time to birth weight.
Multivitamin and mineral supplements do not appear to prevent
infections in older people living at home, report researchers in
Scotland today, raising questions for a significant segment of the
supplement-taking population.
The introduction of a bill that would enable Americans receiving
food stamps to spend them on vitamins and minerals has met with
applause from supplements industry associations on the grounds that
it would help low-income families...
Consumer attitudes to health and the role of food in achieving it
are changing, according to a new report, and food marketers should
reconsider how they go about wooing the American consumer.
Supplements manufacturer and network marketer Reliv International
has delivered another strong set of quarterly results, but beneath
the glossy overall picture sales have slipped in some of its
international markets.
The European Union is reportedly considering lowering the legal
levels of alkaline phosphates (ALP) in the dairy pasteurisation
process, presenting an opportunity for lab tech firms such as
Advanced Instruments.
Australia's food regulator, one of the toughest on fortification,
looks set to open up the market for calcium and vitamin-enriched
cereal beverages, and is also looking at sterols in juices,
writes Dominique Patton.
As the most dynamic specialty tea, green tea is helping to fuel a
rapidly expanding market as consumers look for healthier
alternatives to coffee and soda, according to a new market report.
A high-fat diet may lead to over-consumption of tasty snacks, say
researchers involved in a rat study. They believe that regular
eating habits could affect sensitivity to a hormone that tells us
when to stop eating.
With the publication of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans
and MyPyramid, the US government is taking the nation's eating
habits seriously. Now the USDA's Agricultural Research Service
(ARS) has launched a free web-based...
Fortifying milk with folic acid offers an accessible source of the
vitamin, report Dutch researchers who tested bioavailability of the
nutrient in a clinical trial.
Plummeting prices for the animal feed ingredient lysine and the
costs of restructuring pressurized vitamin C production virtually
eliminated profits at BASF's fine chemicals division this year,
reports Dominique Patton.
Since Vioxx was withdrawn from the market last September, consumers
have been casting about for dietary supplements for joint health
and inflammation. Jess Halliday looks at a market that seems
ready to step into a void created by...
Orafti is positioning its Raftilose Synergy1 oligofructose-enriched
inulin to take advantage of growing interest in the digestive
health market in the US, reports Jess Halliday.
Supplement makers will need more innovative products and more
effective marketing to capitalize on a surge in demand for bone
health care in coming years, writes Dominique Patton.
Raisio's Benecol products are emerging as the major driver of
profits at the firm, following many years as a loss-making
activity, reports Dominique Patton.
UK functional food developer Provexis said today that it has
entered into an initial three-year agreement with the registered
heart health charity, Heart UK to endorse its new juice drink
Sirco.
NBTY is feeling the chill of an adverse specialty retail climate in
the US, as the $11 million devaluing of its Vitamin World chain
casts a long shadow over the manufacturer's 3Q operating income.
Omega-6 fatty acids promote the growth of prostate tumour cells in
the laboratory, according to US researchers, who say they have also
identified a mechanism for this action.
The rising success of low-GI foods may be down to their promise of
longer lasting satisfaction compared with the deprivation
associated with low-calorie or reduced fat foods, reports
Dominique Patton.
More acquisitions may be on the cards for Balchem, the company that
last month bought Loders Croklaan's encapsulation and agglomeration
business, reports Jess Halliday.
Consuming a protein hydrolysate and amino acid mixture with
carbohydrates increases insulin production in type 2 diabetics, and
could therefore help control their blood sugar levels after a meal,
reports Dominique Patton.
Business is looking bleak for Atkins Nutritionals. As the
once-celebrated pioneer of a diet regime that took the world by
storm files for bankruptcy protection, Jess Halliday asks:
What went wrong?
The American Herbal Products Association is endeavoring to quell
fears that the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA),
passed on Thursday, will have an impact on US dietary supplements
regulations, writes Jess Halliday.
European mistrust of GM ingredients is creating strong demand for
Chinese plant sterols and natural vitamin E, increasingly backed by
third-party certification, writes Dominique Patton.
Compounds from the vegetable broccoli, already shown to halt the
growth of breast, prostate, colon and stomach cancer cells, also
appear to slow the progress of bladder cancer, writes Dominique
Patton.
Increasing vitamin C intake could help people with severe asthma,
report researchers today, who call for further investigation of the
vitamin's role in protecting against the disease, writes
Dominique Patton.
Increasing consumer concern about high blood pressure will increase
demand for foods with active ingredients to control BP levels,
according to the market development manager at dairy ingredients
firm DMV, Daniella Witte.
Echinacea's reputation for chasing off the common cold has made it
one of the most widely used herbal products on the market, but a
study published today casts doubt on its efficacy. Jess
Halliday discusses the merits and shortfalls...
Swiss fine chemicals group Lonza said yesterday that it saw strong
demand for its nutrition products during the first half but high
raw material and energy costs continued to erode margins, writes
Dominique Patton.
New milk drinks fortified with vitamins are to be sold by Britain's
third biggest supermarket, Sainsbury's, as functional dairy
continues to break into the UK's mainstream food sector, writes
Chris Mercer.
A new report that shows that whole grain consumption can slow the
progression of heart disease has strengthened interest in
whole-grain products that do not compromise taste, writes
Anthony Fletcher.
Nutratech is reassuring the industry that its bitter-orange based
ingredient Advantra Z does not contain meta-synephrine, an isomer
that has the potential to raise blood pressure, following testing
at an independent laboratory.
NuSkin Enterprises has reported record revenues of $310.1 million
in 2Q 2005, a 9 percent increase on the prior year period, thanks
to its Pharmanex supplements brand, writes Jess Halliday.