Cognitive function

Neptune gets partly favorable krill oil patent ruling, but royalty payouts await appeal

24-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

In what one side is billing as the final act in the krill wars in North America, the US Patent and Trademark Office has ruled to uphold certain claims of a longstanding patent held by Neptune Technologies and Bioressources. But the handle of the buried...

Kyowa Hakko research underpins notion that cognitive decline now No.1 concern about aging

20-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

New research commissioned by ingredient supplier Kyowa Hakko confirms what other recent surveys have shown: The specter of cognitive decline now looms largest in consumers minds when they consider the slings and arrows of aging.  And cognitive hiccups...

Nestlé files whey world patent: Lactoferrin for infant memory and learning

20-Mar-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Nestlé has filed an international patent for the whey fraction lactoferrin to improve memory, learning speed and promote brain maturation in children.

Three-year project to turn olive nutrients into functional foods

20-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

Polyphenols and antioxidants from olives are to be transformed into functional foods used to fight Alzheimer’s and brain ageing as part of a three-year German research project.

GOED launches national omega-3s campaign based on successful test market trial

17-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

Building on a successful test run in North Carolina, the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) has launched a nationwide ad campaign to boost the profile of omega-3s.

Qualitas says drawbacks of open pond algae cultivation easily dealt with

17-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

Qualitas Health, a supplier of a unique polar-lipid structured algal omega-3 ingredient, is now at full scale production and is participating in what an executive calls “the future of omega-3s.”

Newly available oilseed species features 'game changing' SDA content

16-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

A new, more efficient form of plant-based omega-3s is coming to market in the form of Ahiflower, the branded name of a special strain of an oilseed species that has been developed by British firm Technology Crops International to contain high levels of...

High cholesterol may limit vitamin E absorption

16-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

High cholesterol triglycerides may prevent a-tocopherol, or vitamin E, from being absorbed into body tissue, scientists have found.

Agave prebiotic significantly increases some faecal friendly bacteria, say researchers

16-Mar-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The prebiotic agave fructan significantly increases the faecal count of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli compared to maltodextrin, according to research backed by industry.

The increasingly youthful face of the ‘older’ consumer

12-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

‘Older consumers’ are not old age pensioners anymore. In fact, there is a growing market for supplements tailored to the specific needs of people as young as thirty, say experts.

Latin America

Collapse of Peru fishery less significant than first feared, omega-3s suppliers say

11-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

The spike sent through the supply market for omega-3s by the closure of the anchovy fishing season in Peru has stimulated new sources of oil to come to the fore and has been mitigated by inventory built into the system, experts said.

Vertical integration positions Marine Ingredients to reap benefits of omega-3s turnaround

09-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

Marine Ingredients is poised to reap the benefits of the expected rebound in the market for omega-3s with the opening of a new extraction facility in Alaska and the integration of its newly acquired factory in Norway, which it bought from BASF.

Warning letters to CBD companies hinge on disease claims, sidestep issue of ingredient's legality

04-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

Four companies marketing dietary supplement products containing cannabidiol (CBD), a non-narcotic fraction of Cannabis sativa, received warning letters recently from the Food and Drug Administration.  But the letters said nothing about the status of CBD...

Vitamin D and omega-3 together may help mental illness

27-Feb-2015 By Niamh Michail

Vitamin D and omega-3 could work together to improve cognitive function and social behaviour with particular relevance for battling ADHD, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, say researchers.

BlueOcean targets tablet form of omega-3 delivery via latest joint venture

23-Feb-2015 By Hank Schultz

BlueOcean NutraSciences has signed a joint venture agreement with a Canadian technology firm to bring a slow release tablet form of omega-3s to market using its algal and shrimp oils, the company announced last week. The technology could also be used...

Proven ingredients, omega-3s for cross sell key to success in cognitive health space, marketing experts say

20-Feb-2015 By Hank Schultz

Marketers of cognitive support products experience some common pitfalls, according to experts at NutraScience Labs, the newly constituted marketing arm of Twinlab. Failure to rely on proven ingredients and lack of an omega-3 in the product lineup to provide...

Neptune’s new CEO: ‘Science will drive the next wave of change in the omega-3 market’

18-Feb-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Jim Hamilton is expecting an ‘incredibly intriguing future’ for omega-3 and krill, with Neptune Technologies & Bioressources’ new CEO looking to the science to drive future development in the sector.

Yakult at Probiota 2015: “We want to be clear that before we invest we need to have some dialogue with EFSA...”

6 years of hurt: Probiotic heavyweights debate the EU’s health claim blockade

17-Feb-2015 By Shane STARLING

Yakult and leading academics expressed frustration at what they see as unfair and opaque scientific requirements around probiotic health claims in the European Union – but how much is industry to blame and could social media be a data-sharing saviour?

New flavours for omega-3 aimed at children and pregnant women

13-Feb-2015 By Niamh Michail

Croda has added two new flavours to its omega-3 syrup range that are easier to swallow than capsules for pregnant women and children.

Giant confronting omega-3, vitamin E challenges

DSM nutrition profits dip 7% in 2014

11-Feb-2015 By Shane STARLING

Pricing and sector market challenges, currency fluctuations and some stiff economic headwinds have contributed to 2014 full-year EBITDA profits sliding 7% for the world’s biggest nutrient player, DSM.

Supplement manufacturer slapped with permanent injunction after series of warning letters

10-Feb-2015 By Hank Schultz

An Oregon-based marketer of dietary supplements has been slapped with a permanent injuction for distributing prodcts that the Food and Drug Administration alleged were adulterated and were unapproved new drugs.

Energy drinks increase hyperactivity in children: Study

10-Feb-2015 By Rachel Arthur

Children who drink sweetened energy drinks are 66% more likely to be at risk from hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, according to a study in the journal Academic Pediatrics. 

Measuring the immeasurable? The challenges of researching mood and nutrition

04-Feb-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Mood is often assessed in nutrition research but it is ‘hard to define’ and ‘inherently subjective’, according to the researchers behind a review of mood-measuring methodology.

Sleep: Consumers are looking for natural alternatives, but what's holding the category back?

30-Jan-2015 By Stephen Daniells

The overall sleep aid category is growing at an eye-watering 27% and is expected to hit $732 million in 2018, but natural products and dietary supplements only occupy a small portion of the market. NutraIngredients-USA explores the challenges and opportunities...

CRN encourages prenatal supplement makers to add iodine for healthy brain development

30-Jan-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Supplement makers have one year to ensure their multivitamins/minerals for pregnant and lactating women in the U.S. contain at least 150 mcg of iodine per daily serving to comply with new guidelines the Council for Responsible Nutrition issued Jan. 27.

Pine bark extract shows memory, focus and decision making benefits

21-Jan-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of extracts from French maritime pine bark may boost a range of cognitive measures and mood in healthy professionals, says a new pilot study from Italy.

Supplement shows promising results in cognition, mood in large scale study

19-Jan-2015 By Hank Schultz

A recent large scale study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease confirms earlier results for a nutraceutical formulation branded as Perceptiv in showing improved performance on standardized tests and improved mood for subjects diagnosed with...

Kyowa Hakko’s Sustamine may boost reaction time post-exercise: Study

19-Jan-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Taking L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine after endurance exercise may increase an athletes’ reaction times and cognitive function when compared to no hydration, says a new study using Kyowa Hakko’s Sustamine ingredient.

Science and IP builds around health benefits of citrus limonin glucoside

13-Jan-2015 By Stephen Daniells

A citrus extract called limonin glucoside may decrease select markers of inflammation by as much as 40%, according to results of a double-blind placebo-controlled study in overweight/obese people.

Company agrees to FTC demand to stop making claims on supplements aimed at kids with speech disorders

12-Jan-2015 By Hank Schultz

A company that markets supplements aimed at children with speech disorders associated with autism has agreed to stop making what the Federal Trade Commission deemed were deceptive claims on its products and to pay a substantial fine in a settlement, the...

GRAS status opens up market for Ahiflower, a plant-based omega 3-6-9 oil with high SDA levels

07-Jan-2015 By Hank Schultz

A new competitor has arrived on the plant-based omega-3s scene with the announcement of FDA no-objection GRAS status for Ahiflower oil, an ingredient from Technology Crops International.  The oil offers a balance of omega-3, -6 and -9, according to the...

Cocoa flavanols may fend off age-related cognitive dysfunction, says Mars-backed study

07-Jan-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A Mars-backed study has provided further evidence that high cocoa flavanol consumption may help improve cognitive function, possibly through changes to insulin sensitivity.

Glycolipid-rich algal oil efficiently delivers omega-3s to tissues, study shows

06-Jan-2015 By Hank Schultz

Qualitas Health continues to build the scientific backing for its algal omega 3 oil ingredient with the recent release of a study on omega-3s uptake that shows the company’s Almega PL performs similarly to krill oil in a rat model. 

GOED: Planting positive messages in consumers' minds only way to quell overheated media climate that fosters sensational headlines

06-Jan-2015 By Adam Ismail, Executive director, Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3

Inflammation defines the era we live in today. I do not mean inflammation as it relates to health, instead I am referring to the inflammation of information and how consumers devour it. 

Outsourcing, bone & joint health, LATAM, functional foods: lessons from 2014's special editions part 2

23-Dec-2014 By Hank Schultz

From polyphenols and prebiotics to a focus on Latin America, healthy aging and functional foods, NutraIngredients-USA’s special editions have set traffic records because of their in-depth coverage and exclusive content.  Today we feature part two of our...

PLMI 2014 Thought Leaders Consortium

The dietary supplement industry and 21st Century healthcare

17-Dec-2014 By Jeffrey Bland, PhD, President, Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute

We are witnessing a revolution in healthcare comparable in impact to that which occurred at the turn of the last century with the discovery of the origin of infectious disease.

Nutritional Armor: Dietary Supplements in the Military

17-Dec-2014 By Wayne B. Jonas, MD, President & CEO, Samueli Institute

A recent special issue to in the medical journal Military Medicine marks a shift in attitude and approach to dietary supplements by the U.S. military. 

PLMI 2014 Thought Leaders Consortium

Strategic product development for a personalized, practitioner-driven approach to cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive health

17-Dec-2014 By Barry W. Ritz, PhD, VP Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Atrium Innovations Inc

Developing innovative dietary supplement products for nutrition-trained or functional medicine practitioners who engage in a personalized approach to patient management presents interesting challenges and opportunities. How do you develop, manufacture...

Neptune launches NKO Focus backed by clinical data

16-Dec-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources has launched a blend of krill and lutein for brain and vision health, with clinical data  showing the absorption of lutein being improved by as much as eight times.

Did the Institute of Medicine miscalculate the RDA for vitamin D?

04-Dec-2014 By Stephen Daniells

The RDA for vitamin D is based on a miscalculation and should actually be higher than the tolerable upper level for the nutrient, say academics.

‘An important contribution to the clinical evidence’: Second generation prebiotic shows anti-anxiety potential

03-Dec-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Supplements of the second generation prebiotic Bimuno containing a novel mixture of galacto-oligosaccharides may lower measures of anxiety, says a new study from the UK.

ChromaDex bolsters IP protection around pTeroPure with memory, sun damage patents

26-Nov-2014 By Hank Schultz

ChromaDex has bolstered the IP protection around pTeroPure, one of its branded ingredients, with the announcement of two patents relating to pterostilbene, which are the second and third patents granted to the company on the ingredient.

BASF sells Norwegian omega-3 business to US firm

21-Nov-2014 By Shane STARLING

BASF has sold its Norwegian, “natural fish oils, medium-concentrated omega-3s, and customised bottled fish oil” plant to Pennsylvania firm Marine Ingredients for an undisclosed sum as the German ingredients and chemicals giant switches its focus to high-end...

Always Omega-3s consumer campaign doubles sales in test market

20-Nov-2014 By Stephen Daniells

An integrated marketing campaign to change the conversation on omega-3s and reverse declining sales has increased sales by almost 6% in four weeks in the test market in Charlotte, NC, says GOED.

Special edition: Functional Foods

What's driving functional food and beverage growth? Snacking, convenience, and consumer behavior

20-Nov-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

With sales of $176.7 billion this year functional foods are a hot growth sector. But which ingredients, sectors and countries are the best bets for product launches?

Vitamin E may boost IQ for low birth weight infants, says study

14-Nov-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Long term supplementation of extremely low birth weight infants with vitamin E may improve mental development, according to a new study from Japan.

Huge influx of Chinese capital coupled with threat of violence seriously destabilizes maca trade in Peru, expert says

13-Nov-2014 By Hank Schultz

Soaring demand from China and an extremely steep rise in prices has distorted the market for the Peruvian botanical maca to the point where non Chinese buyers have been all but priced out of the trade. The influx of cash has brought violence, too, with...

Fish oil group warns of lower omega-3 levels in salmon

13-Nov-2014 By Shane Starling

Omega-3 levels in farmed salmon - one of the major contributors of dietary fatty acids – are dropping due to changes in fish feed, a global industry group has warned.

Folic acid & vitamin B12 may not improve cognitive performance, says 2-year study

13-Nov-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Vitamin B9 (folic acid) and vitamin B12 (cobalamin) do not benefit thinking and memory in elderly people despite lowering levels of an Alzheimer's-linked protein, according to the largest study of its kind.

Academic: "Anybody who thinks the world’s malnutrition problems are going to be solved without industry is dreaming."

Time for a vitamin E intake rethink? Emerging data builds argument

12-Nov-2014 By Shane Starling from the 3rd World Congress of Public Health Nutrition in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria

Emerging research linking vitamin E deficiency with increased risk of Alzheimer’s, miscarriages and fatty liver disease can contribute to an ongoing debate around recommended intakes, a nutrition congress was told yesterday.