Biomarkers may hold the key for nutrition and health claims

Biomarkers to measure the state of our health may hold the key to establishing the benefits of a dietary compound or ingredient, but more efforts are needed to produce a list of biomarkers with a validated end point, says a key industry figure.

Dr Andrew Shao, VP of scientific and regulatory affairs, tells NutraIngredients that a paradigm shift in nutritional research would not make it easier for health claims - a rigorous scientific approach to health claims is still needed. The 'powers that be' in the US have recognised the problem and now looking at establishing a scientific framework on how to validate biomarkers as surrogate end points for disease.

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