Cognitive function

You’ll regret it in the morning: Review suggests alcohol-caffeine combo does not ‘mask’ intoxication

01-Aug-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks or other caffeinated beverages across different doses may not alter the awareness of intoxication as previously suggested, according to a meta-analysis.

DSM reads 'fini' in green tea and leaves it to Japanese

30-Jul-2014 By Shane STARLING

Dutch-Swiss ingredients giant DSM Nutritional Products (DNP) has called ‘time’ on Teavigo, a decade after launching the proprietary, weight management-focused green tea extract.

Resveratrol supplements may improve memory performance in older adults: Study

30-Jul-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplements containing resveratrol may boost memory performance in association with improved glucose metabolism in older adults, says a new study from Germany.

Irish firm moves on omega-3, omega-6 encapsulation

29-Jul-2014 By Anne Bruce

Irish encapsulation specialist AnaBio has lodged a patent for encapsulation of long-chain fatty acids for use in infant formula and elsewhere.

Is Danone feeling the need for Mead?

28-Jul-2014 By Shane STARLING

 Danone shares rose today as rumours strengthened the French dairy giant would sell its medical and paediatric nutrition business (Nutricia), but is the firm streamlining its activities around its core foods businesses or just shifting infant-medical...

Special edition: Cognitive Health

Evidence of gut/brain connection piles up, but actual products are a ways off, researcher says

24-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

The gut is teeming with bacteria, good and bad, and these organisms and their cousins living elsewhere on and in the body outnumber the body’s own cells by an order of magnitude.  It is only recently that the notion has come to the fore that these microorganisms...

Special edition: Cognitive Health

‘The eye and the brain are connected, so it’s no surprise lutein is important for brain health,’ says Kemin

24-Jul-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Lutein and zeaxanthin are well-established in the realm of eye health, but ever emerging science shows the importance of the carotenoids in brain health. And that comes as no surprise to Kemin, with ‘eye health and brain health are coming together as...

Supplement line launches based on phospholipid nano sphere delivery system

22-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

NanoSphere Health Sciences has formally launched its line of liquid dietary supplements called Evolve Nutrients that employs its lipid-based delivery technology promising more rapid absorption and better bioavailability.

Special edition: Cognitive Health

Botanical ingredients step up to battle cognitive decline

21-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

Botanical ingredients for cognitive health indications abound, and the scientific backing for these ingredients is abundant, too, if you are willing to look, experts said.

Special edition: Cognitive health

Cognitive health claims range from sublime to ridiculous, experts say

18-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

When it comes to what’s an allowable claim in the realm of cognitive health, ignorance and confusion abound, experts say.

Neptune's losses steepen as company nears end of recovery phase

17-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

Neptune Technologies and Bioressources absorbed a steep loss in the first quarter of its fiscal year as the company nears the end of its recovery from an explosion and fire that destroyed its lone production plant. Net loss for the quarter was $5.3 million,...

Mitochondria & aging: ‘Remarkable’ effects for nicotinamide riboside in mice, says new study

15-Jul-2014 By Stephen Daniells

The science to support the potential benefits of nicotinamide riboside for age-related conditions continues to grow, with a new study from Europe indicating the compound may boost the number and size of mitochondria.

Fish oil linked to structural changes in the brain: Human data

15-Jul-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Fish oil supplements may produce beneficial structural changes in the brain, according to a new study from Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital.

Lift of German kava ban, detailed in ABC article, expected to boost botanical in US market

10-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

An article published this week by the American Botanical Council lays out the story underlying a German court’s recent decision to lift a ban on kava, including the ways in which the legal goalposts moved around during the process.  Kava’s reinstatement,...

Melon extract eases stress: Study

07-Jul-2014 By Anne Bruce

A new 12-week clinical study has strengthened evidence that melon-derived superoxide dismutase (Sod) supplements can help reduce stress and fatigue and improve cognitive performance.

Ashwagandha root and leaf extract shows cognitive benefits for people with bipolar disorder

26-Jun-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily consumption of a standardized Ashwagandha root and leaf extract may improve several areas of cognitive effect in subjects with bipolar disorder, says a new study.

French omega-3 player scores in Brazil

24-Jun-2014 By Shane STARLING

Ambitious French omega-3 supplier Polaris has won approval to market its branded omega-3s in South America’s biggest nutraceutical market, Brazil.

EPA, DHA for the masses? Cargill unveils cost-effective ‘drop-in’ solution for F&B omega-3 fortification

17-Jun-2014 By Elaine Watson

Cargill has unveiled IngreVita, a proprietary blend of high oleic canola oil, antioxidants and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) from fish oil that it claims will take omega-3 food and beverage fortification from the niche to the mainstream.

Energy supplement hangs hat on dopamine-boosting properties

16-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

A new energy supplement is betting on the benefits of Ayurvedic herb Mucuna pruriens, which provides a precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine, to stand out in a crowed category.

FTC settlement with DSM division sets precedent for future memory claims

13-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

DSM’s consumer products division i-Health has settled a claim with the Federal Trade Commission on the company’s use of an adult memory-enhancement claim for its algal DHA product. 

New plant, new products, and changes at the top: Neptune bullish over brighter future after challenging times

13-Jun-2014 By Stephen Daniells

With a newly constructed plant in Sherbrooke, Québec, now open, three new products launching, and the IP wars behind it, krill oil pioneer Neptune Technologies & Bioressources is in a ‘strong position’ moving forward, the company’s senior vice president...

Abbott Nutrition study: Maternal lutein supplementation passes to child

12-Jun-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Supplementing lactating women with lutein is an effective way of raising the lutein status of the breast-feeding infant, says a new study from Abbott Nutrition with potential implications for eye and cognitive health of children.

ISAPP consensus: Gut, yes. Immunity, no (for now)

Time to recognise ‘core benefits of certain probiotics’: ISAPP

11-Jun-2014 By Shane STARLING

The evidence has grown so strong for the best-documented probiotic strains that a generic digestive health claim should exist, according to a consensus statement from leading international researchers published this week in Nature Reviews: Gastroenterology...

DRIs for bioactives? Start with lutein, set the template, and work out the kinks, says academic

10-Jun-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Efforts to establish a framework for dietary reference intakes for bioactives should start with lutein, says a leading researcher, with ‘different kinds of data saying the same thing’.

DSM flexing its acquisition muscles at IFT

10-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

DSM will highlight all the recent additions to its royal crest at IFT. The multinational food, beverage and supplement ingredient supplier will in particular be featuring its life’s DHA ingredient at the Institute of Food Technologists show in New Orleans...

Dispatches from the IPA World Congress in Athens, Greece

Psychobiotics can feed gut-brain health axis: 'It’s really an exciting frontier,' says professor

05-Jun-2014 By Shane STARLING

Evidence is building that links the gut microbiome and brain function and ‘psychobiotics’ are at the heart of that, says a leading Irish researcher working in the field for more than five years.

Foods and supplements aimed at autism must walk fine regulatory line, attorney says

04-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

Parents of autistic children can have a certain desperation to find ways to help their kids overcome the isolating deficits of the condition. Recent research has focused on potential nutritional and digestive anomalies exhibited by these children, and...

‘One of the most exciting ingredients we’ve seen in the omega-3 category’: Xsto welcomes Qualitas’ algae-derived ingredient to its portfolio

29-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Finished products containing Qualitas Health’s Almega PL omega-3 ingredient will hit the shelves this summer, with a new partnership with Xsto Solutions designed to increase sales reach within the US.

CRN urges manufacturers to revisit formulas in wake of call for more iodine for pregnant women

28-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

The recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizing the vital role of iodine in the development of infants’ nervous systems is encouraging news, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition.  

NIU's Cognitive Health Forum: 'The key is to not have ingredients that stimulate other areas of the body that are not needed for performance'

27-May-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Cognitive health formulations must be driven by mechanisms of action, and with cognition being a lifelong issue with many aspects to consider the possibilities are impressive and continually developing, according to experts at the NutraIngredients-USA...

Meso-zeaxanthin is pharma and needs holistic research beyond eye health, says expert

26-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The meso-zeaxanthin cartenoid is a synthetic, quasi pharmaceutical that needs holistic research on whole body affects, says an eye health researcher.

Low glycaemic carbohydrate enhances mood and memory in older adults: Study

26-May-2014 By Lynda Searby

Lower glycaemic load (GL) meals have been shown to benefit cognition and mood in young people, and now a new study has found that Beneo’s low glycaemic carbohydrate Palatinose (isomaltulose) can improve mood and memory in over-45s with good glucose tolerance.

NutraIngredients-USA Cognitive Health Forum: Today!

22-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Experts from Abbott Nutrition, Standard Process, Nawgan, and Euromonitor will join NutraIngredients-USA for a discussion of the cognitive health sector, from science and claim substantiation, to market sizing and key consumer demographics.

ADM enters into omega-3 market with partnership on algal DHA ingredient

21-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

Archer Daniels Midland Company has announced a move into the omega-3s space with a deal with privately-held Synthetic Genomics to develop and commercialize an algal DHA ingredient. The deal will make itself felt first in the animal feed markets, but will...

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2014

End of krill wars is good news for entire omega-3s sector, Aker VP says

20-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

The end of the krill wars is the begining of a new chapter in the history of the omega 3s market, said Tim De Haas, of krill supplier Aker Biomarine.  It’s good news not just for the krill oil suppliers themselves, but for the category as a whole.

Singapore

Scientists make brain breakthrough with long-term omega-3 potential

20-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

While research suggests the DHA omega-3 fatty acid is good for the brain, little has been understood about how it is absorbed. But now a new study by researchers in Singapore seems to have identified a transporter protein that is used to carry DHA from...

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2014

Omega-3’s newest big fish reveals sector ambitions

15-May-2014 By Shane STARLING

Mid-last year the chief of Norwegian omega-3 player EPAX told us, “We are the last of the big omega-3 independents.” Soon after US agri-food company FMC had snapped it up for $350m. Here FMC Nutraceuticals general manager Daniel H. Rosenbaum talks through...

DISPATCHES FROM VITAFOODS EUROPE 2014

Emotional brain food for madam, and the caffeine source for you sir

15-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

When it comes to cognitive health products, women look for emotional ‘brain food’, while men look for caffeine sources, according to a survey of German students.

DISPATCHES FROM VITAFOODS EUROPE 2014

Old age and HEALTHY old age, there’s a difference industry should address: Euromonitor

13-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

In 2012 there were over 577 million people aged over 65 globally, but there remains a 7-year gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, according to a Euromonitor analyst.

DISPATCHES FROM VITAFOODS Europe 2014

Sustainability? Not so focal for supplements, says palm oil firm

13-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Sustainability is not such an important issue for the supplements industry, because of the relatively low ingredient volumes involved and a difference in industry priorities, Malaysia-based Carotech has said.

Spearmint extract shows potential cognitive health and performance benefits

08-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

A new patent-pending polyphenol-rich extract from spearmint may boost memory, reasoning, attention, and planning in older adults, according to results of a pilot study.

Standard Process supplements show ‘modest’ benefits for cognitive functioning in healthy older adults

01-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplements of a Ginkgo biloba plus choline-based formula may produce modest improvements in executive functioning, according to a new study from Standard Process using its Ginkgo Synergy plus Choline products.

Exclusive documentary preview: MicroWarriors Special edition

MicroWarriors: Exploring probiotic power (and the powers that be)

25-Apr-2014 By Shane STARLING

NutraIngredients went to LA recently to question two leading probiotic academics about probiotics and the microbiome and which we present exclusively here. The interviews form part of a new documentary to be narrated by Leonard Nimoy, better known as...

Ashwagandha interest spilling into mainstream market

16-Apr-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

The so-called flagship herb of Ayurveda, ashwagandha is gaining traction in the mainstream US market as consumers embrace its wide-ranging body of health benefits on the heels of strong clinical support and a few celebrity health practitioner endorsements.

Largest ever human clinical study using tocotrienols for neuroprotection

Vitamin E tocotrienols show brain health benefits

14-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of a natural full spectrum palm mixed tocotrienol complex may protect against the progression of white matter lesions in human brains, says a new study from Malaysia and the UK.

Researchers find pomegranate juice exacerbates Parkinson's in rat model

07-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

A study using POM Wonderful’s pomegranate juice has found it exacerbated neurodegeneration in a rat/rotenone model of Parkinson’s disease.  The finding ran counter to the researchers’ expectations.

Responsible supply: IFFO changes fish oil and fishmeal sourcing rules

04-Apr-2014 By Shane STARLING

Non-members of the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO) are able to apply for ‘responsible supply’ (RS) certification, after the body altered its criteria recently.

Omega-3s science is rock solid, but you don't win every game, expert says

01-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

When scientists seek to counteract bad press for omega-3s it is a matter of taking two steps forward while taking one back, said Bruce Holub, professor emeritus at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

Boomer retirees present continued huge opportunity, report says

28-Mar-2014 By Hank Schultz

Baby Boomers, who have driven the growth of the natural products and dietary supplements space in recent decades aren’t done yet. A recent report from the Natural Marketing Institute says the impending retirement of millions of boomers will present a...

EuroPharma founder: Nobody has given curcumin the attention that we have

28-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Booming consumer demand for curcumin is driving an innovative but highly competitive supplier landscape, but Terry Lemerond, founder & president of EuroPharma,Inc., says his company has never talked down the competition, preferring to talk up their...