Cognitive function

Olive oil compound may help in Alzheimer's battle: Study

22-Mar-2013 By Nathan Gray

A natural phenolic compound found in olive oil may be the key to its reported ability to protect against the development of Alzeimer's disease, say researchers.

Omega-3 supply crisis is not just about Peru: DSM

21-Mar-2013 By Shane Starling

DSM says the supply bottleneck in fish-sourced omega-3 that recently forced its own prices up 15%, is not confined to the dominant source – Peruvian anchovies.

PS supplements show ADHD benefits in children: RCT data

20-Mar-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit from daily supplements of phosphatidylserine (PS), according to a new study from an international team of researchers.

Krill player launches sustainability scheme: 'You have to do more than is required'

18-Mar-2013 By Shane Starling

Olympic Seafoods-owned krill player, Rimfrost, is trumpeting a new scheme that raises traceability levels in a sector that continues to suffer sustainability attacks despite independent sources calling the fishery one of the world’s best managed.

Special edition: Antioxidants and carotenoids

Astaxanthin: Still red hot or cooling off? The Dr Oz effect… two years on

15-Mar-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Rewind two years, and astaxanthin was the hottest nutraceutical in town, with sales “skyrocketing” following a slot on Dr Oz in which Dr Joseph Mercola described the potent red antioxidant as the “number one supplement you’ve never heard of that you should...

Prof Blumberg: We need reference intakes for phytochemicals (and we’re not calling them antioxidants)

15-Mar-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Establishing some kind of intake recommendations for polyphenols and carotenoids will spur innovation and allow for rational synergies of phytochemicals with specific health outcomes, says Prof Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University.

AHP moves ahead with cannabis monograph

14-Mar-2013 By Hank Schultz

As questions swirl around the nutraceutical potential of cannabis products (and their regulatory status), the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia is moving ahead with the production of a cannabis monograph with support from a nascent cannabis company.

'A big step forward': Probiotics may alter brain activity in healthy people, says Danone/UCLA data

14-Mar-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of a fermented milk product containing five different probiotic strains may affect the parts of the brain linked to emotion and sensation, says a new study from UCLA and Danone.

Folate and vitamin B12 backed to help battle schizophrenia symptoms

07-Mar-2013 By Nathan Gray

Adding vitamin supplements to antipsychotic medication may help to alleviate certain negative symptoms in people who suffer from schizophrenia, researchers suggest.

Green tea EGCG may help prevent plaque formation in Alzheimer's disease

06-Mar-2013 By Nathan Gray

Extracts from green tea may block the formation of beta-amyloid plaques that have been linked to the onset ofAlzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, according to new laboratory data.

Choice Organic Teas teams with Bastyr University on line of wellness teas

05-Mar-2013 By Hank Schultz

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Choice Organic Teas has joined forces with Bastyr Univesity to formulate and launch a co-branded line of functional teas.

Former homeopathic remedies find success as dietary supplements

28-Feb-2013 By Hank Schultz

Rebranding products from homeopathic remedies to dietary supplements has helped one California entrepreneur boost sales by more than 80%.

Dispatches from the 6th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition

Should vegans and vegetarians take supplements of EPA and DHA omega-3s?

28-Feb-2013 By Elaine WATSON

If they don’t eat fish, vegans and vegetarians get very little EPA and DHA, the long chain omega-3 fatty acids we are told are key for maintaining cardiovascular and cognitive health. But is this a problem that needs to be fixed? And are algal omega-3...

Nestlé buys Louisiana depression food firm

27-Feb-2013 By Shane STARLING

Nestlé has bought its second brain health-focused medical foods start-up in eight months after snaffling Red River Pharma-owned Pamlab which makes high-dose vitamin supplements targeting depression, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Chromadex sells BluScience retail supplement line to Canadian marketing firm

26-Feb-2013 By Hank Schultz

Chromadex has announced the sale of its BluScience retail line of supplements to NeutriSci International, a private nutraceutical and cosmetic product marketing and brand development firm based in Calgary, Alberta.

Maternal omega-3 supplements reduce preterm birth risk: Study

26-Feb-2013 By Nathan Gray

Prenatal supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acid DHA may help to cut the risk of preterm and low birth weight babies, says new study data.

Fish oil supply crisis forces omega-3 price hike at DSM

22-Feb-2013 By Shane Starling

DSM’s bulging lipid business has bumped fish-sourced omega-3 oil prices 15% as crude fish oil stock prices skyrocket in the face of increasing demands on global fisheries.

Special edition: Omega-3 (Editor's blog)

How high can high-end omega-3 go?

21-Feb-2013 By Shane STARLING

Just got off the phone to Ola Snove, the new(ish) CEO of Aker part-owned Norwegian omega-3 specialist Epax. Wanted to know his view on high-end omega-3 prospects that have attracted BASF and DSM to the sector. His word: “Stellar”.

Special edition: Omega-3s

Marine omega-3 sources are clearing sustainability bar - so far

21-Feb-2013 By Hank Schultz

Fish oil, an ingredient with a 150-year plus history as a nutraceutical, continues to be the mainstay of the world’s supply of omega-3s.  But, with all of the questions hovering over the health of the oceans, how much longer can suppliers and manufacturers...

Battle of the omega-3 forms: Triglycerides, ethyl esters, or phospholipids?

21-Feb-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

As the number of omega-3 sources in the market increases, including fish, krill, squid, algae, and plant, suppliers are increasingly using the omega-3 form to differentiate their products. But where does the science currently stand, which questions remain,...

Special edition: Omega-3

Finding the sweet spot in the algal omega-3 market

21-Feb-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Most experts say we have barely scratched the surface when it comes to exploring the commercial potential of microalgae. But who is best-placed to translate this promise into hard cash in the food and dietary supplement market?

Is curcumin the next omega-3? Sabinsa expects so with ‘game changing’ Curcumin C3 Reduct

19-Feb-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

The final stumbling blocks for the wide use of curcumin have been removed, claims Sabinsa as it launches its ‘next generation’ of curcuminoids offering ‘greater potency, stability and much better bioavailability’.

Could multivitamins boost well-being and energy levels?

19-Feb-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily consumption of a multivitamin may boost consumers’ perception of mood and energy levels, says a new study from Australia.

'Provocative': Prenatal folic acid supplements linked to lower risk of autism for kids

13-Feb-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Maternal use of supplemental folic acid from 4 weeks before to 8 weeks after the start of pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of autistic disorder in children, says a new study.

Omega-3 and vitamin D may help clear Alzheimer's plaques

12-Feb-2013 By Nathan Gray

Researchers have pinpointed the mechanism behind vitamin D3 and omega-3’s ability to enhance the immune system's ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques that are associated with Alzheimer's Disease.

EU fisheries 'discard ban' can help meet booming omega-3 oil demand: IFFO

11-Feb-2013 By Sha

Banning European fisherman from throwing away unintended catches and fillet waste can provide a significant boost to fish oil and fish meal supplies, says a global marine ingredients group.

Yeast beta-glucan shows benefits for stressed women

08-Feb-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplements of the beta-glucan based ingredient Wellmune WGP may help stressed women stay healthy by reducing coughs and colds, says a new study.

AHPA, ABC oppose call for change of regulatory status for St. John's wort

04-Feb-2013 By Hank Schultz

A pharmacists’ group has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to limit consumers’ access to St. John’s wort, a move opposed by the American Herbal Products Association and the American Botanical Council.

Formula-specific science helps product gain entry to practitioner channel

04-Feb-2013 By Hank Schultz

Emerson Ecologics, which markets a wide range of dietary supplements in the health practitioner channel, has taken on a new cognitive support product,  Perceptiv by Sevo Nutraceuticals, attracted, a Sevo official says, by the product’s long list of formula-specific...

Ashwagandha ayurvedic herb shows stress-busting potential: Study

04-Feb-2013 By Stephen Daniells

Supplements containing extract of the Indian herb Ashwagandha may help manage stress, according to new findings of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Packaging helps drive success in point-of-purchase marketplace

31-Jan-2013 By Hank Schultz

When entrepreneur Tyler Johansen was launching a supplement designed to help boost students’ concentration, he decided to play in a sphere where snap decisions are made, at the edge of the counter in the point-of-purchase marketplace.

Omega-3 rich diet can boost children’s IQ, says meta-analysis

28-Jan-2013 By Nathan Gray

Supplementing children's diets with fish oil is one of several effective ways to raise a young child’s IQ levels, according to a new report.

Special edition: Innovations in minerals

Zinc benefitting from EU health claims game

24-Jan-2013 By Shane Starling

Used in cigarette filters, as a corrosive, pigment and in the manufacture of rubber and concrete, zinc forms like zinc oxide and zinc suphate are also important nutrients for physiological wellbeing. And 18 new European Union health claims – the most...

Special edition: Innovations in minerals

Ironing out the issues: Can new research solutions help beat global iron deficiency?

24-Jan-2013 By Nathan Gray

The health issues associated with low levels of iron are many and varied. In this special edition article NutraIngredients looks at the current state of the market and looks at some of the potential solutions to this truly global problem.

Special Edition: Innovations in Minerals

Magnesium – ‘Sky is the limit’ for the ‘hottest ingredient in the mineral category’

24-Jan-2013 By Stephen Daniells

Growing consumer awareness of their own deficiencies, its health benefits, and the emergence of innovative forms are making magnesium the ‘the hottest ingredient in the mineral category’.

Are vitamin D levels linked to mental health?

23-Jan-2013 By Stephen Daniells

Low levels of vitamin D may be associated with an increased risk of depression in mid-life, says a new study from University College London in the UK.

Resveratrol researcher files $35 Million defamation claim, but U Conn Health Center stands firm

23-Jan-2013 By Stephen Daniells

The researcher at the center of a highly publicized resveratrol research scandal has hit back against his former employers with a $35 million defamation claim against the University of Connecticut (U Conn) Health Center.

Resveratrol may help to protect against alcohol induced nerve damage, suggest researchers

21-Jan-2013

Resveratrol could help to battle diseases characterised by damaged to nerve cells from alcohol, according to new lab findings.

Choline supplementation may aid schizophrenia prevention

18-Jan-2013 By Nathan Gray

Consumption of choline supplements during pregnancy could be a new approach to the prevention of schizophrenia, suggest researchers.

Ayurvedic workhorses poised for market breakthrough, expert predicts

17-Jan-2013 By Hank Schultz

If you are looking for what’s hot on the botanical front in 2013, here’s the skinny from a longtime observer of the herbal arena: Open your lesson book to the first two pages, and follow after me: A is for Ayurveda and ashwagandha and B is for bacopa.

Milk drinkers win Nobel Prizes, researchers claim

15-Jan-2013

Nations that consume a lot of milk also tend to produce a lot of Nobel Prize winners, a letter published in Practical Neurology has suggested.

Probiotic plus aloe shows cholesterol-lowering potential: Animal data

14-Jan-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Combining probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG supplements with aloe vera may slash cholesterol levels by over 40%, suggests a new study with lab rats.

Coffee fruit extract shows potential brain benefits: FutureCeuticals study

14-Jan-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

A proprietary extract from the coffee fruit may boost levels of a protein known to influence and support neurons and the central nervous system, suggest new findings from a small pilot study.

Brain ingredient Magtein covered by new patent for foods and food composition

10-Jan-2013

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a patent to Magceutics for its Magnesium L-Threonate ingredient for food and all food compositions.

BDNF-boosting coffee fruit concentrate could have applications in sports recovery as well as cognitive health

20-Dec-2012 By Elaine WATSON

Illinois-based nutraceuticals expert VDF Futureceuticals has embarked on a larger human trial of its whole coffee fruit concentrate NeuroFactor after a pilot study showed it increased plasma levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) by an average...

Vitamin D in the US: ‘Those with greatest need of dietary sources of vitamin D have the lowest intakes’

18-Dec-2012 By Stephen DANIELLS

Alternative foods may offer fortification potential for vitamin D to help boost intakes of the sunshine vitamin among sections of the population that need it most, says a new review from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the University of Saskatchewan.

Iron supplements may reduce ADHD in low birth weight infants, say researchers

12-Dec-2012 By Nathan Gray

Giving iron supplements to low birth weight infants may reduce the risk of developing behavioural problems such as ADHD later in life, say researchers.

Fish oil, glucosamine and chondroitin lead the way for anti-inflammatory potential: Study

11-Dec-2012 By Stephen DANIELLS

Regular use of dietary supplements containing fish oil, or glucosamine and chondroitin may reduce markers of inflammation by up to 22%, says a new study.

Omega-3 may delay metabolic malady and block mental declines: Study

03-Dec-2012 By Nathan Gray

Supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) could postpone the onset of metabolic disorders and associated declines in cognitive functioning, according to new research.

Krill wars

Neptune and Aker facing off in court yet again

30-Nov-2012 By RJ Whitehead

Australia is the site of the latest battle between Neptune and Aker Biomarine. In addition to patent strife between the two krill majors in American courts, Canadian Neptune has now announced that it filed opposition to an Aker patent application earlier...