Vitamins & premixes

‘Vitamin E helps preserve and protect our fat heads!’: NIH funded study shows role of vitamin E for brain health

17-Apr-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Vitamin E may help maintain levels of DHA in the brain, says a new study with zebrafish funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Research points to stable encapsulation of fish oil with multiple vitamins and bioactives

17-Apr-2015 By Nathan Gray

An encapsulation complex made up of gelatin and sodium hexametaphosphate could enable stable microencapsulation of fish oil with multiple lipophilic bioactive compounds, say researchers.

What impact will mid-life vitamin D levels have on cognitive health 13 years later?

15-Apr-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Higher vitamin D levels at middle age may pre-determine better cognitive outcomes later in life, according to a 13-year follow-up study.

Vitamin D during pregnancy may improve newborn outcomes: Meta-analysis

15-Apr-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplements of vitamin D during pregnancy may increase birth weight and length of newborns, says a new systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials.

Vitamin K1 may improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels for pre-diabetics

14-Apr-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplements containing vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) may improve glycemic status and insulin sensitivity for premenopausal and pre-diabetic women, says a new study.

Vitamin D2 vs D3: Same for boosting D levels but D3 superior for sustaining levels?

13-Apr-2015 By Stephen Daniells

There is no difference between vitamin D2 and D3 for raising blood levels of the vitamin, but D3 is superior for sustaining those levels, says a new study from Argentina.

Vitamin D may offer pain and movement support for obese people with joint health issues

10-Apr-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Ensuring adequate levels of vitamin D may boost the movement of obese individuals with osteoarthritis compared with obese people with insufficient D levels, says a new study from the University of Florida.

Omega-3 supplementation could offer MCI benefits: Pilot study

09-Apr-2015 By Nathan Gray

Supplementation with a drink containing 2000 mg of omega-3 and mixed botanicals could have ‘significant’ immune and biochemical effects in people that have minor cognitive impairment (MCI), new research suggests.

US web retailer pumps EU distribution as gym community swells

09-Apr-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

US site Bodybuilding.com has opened its first UK distribution centre to better cater to its customer base in Europe - part of a community that includes 25 million unique visitors to its websites each month.

AFI: 'This is a complement to breast feeding, not a replacement'

Arla's plans to fight malnutrition come under fire

02-Apr-2015 By Niamh Michail

As Danish dairy giant Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI) announces plans to combat malnutrition in Ethiopia by selling ingredients for milk formula, campaigners warn that companies may be profiting from hunger by promoting their products.

Folic supplements could help elderly fight heat problems: Study

02-Apr-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Folic acid supplements could help prevent heat-induced cardiovascular events in elderly people by improving blood vessel dilation, say researchers.

Not just for hippies: Hemp's rising superfood status

01-Apr-2015 By RJ Whitehead

Bursting with nutrients and boasting an impressive growth rate, the future of hemp seed is bright– but what’s the best way for manufacturers to cash in on a product that is connected – mistakenly but understandably – with an illegal drug?

Leaf colour determines lettuce's antioxidant effect

30-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

Antioxidants in red-leaf lettuce are fast-moving while green-leaf antioxidants are slow - but this does not affect the benefits of the nutrients, say researchers. 

$5.9 bn US sports nutrition market unlocking mass appeal: Euromonitor

27-Mar-2015 By Maggie Hennessy

Buoyed by the continued rise of protein as a super-nutrient and a growing urgency around better fitness to stave off lifestyle diseases, sports nutrition is attracting a wider audience of consumers, according to “Trends and Developments in Sports Nutrition”...

ChromaDex succeeds in boosting ingredient sales by 182% in face of continuing losses

26-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

ChromaDex Corp. continued to make progress on its transformation from a company based solely on testing services to a branded ingredient supplier, registering a 182% increase in ingredient sales in its 2014 fiscal year.

Digitek is creeping onto the nutrition scene - and it's bringing big potential with it

26-Mar-2015 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn at the University Medical Centre Groningen, the Netherlands

Health apps, home tests and other digitek are the future of nutrition research and public health strategies, according to top researchers in the field. 

Equivocal study on Finnish women doesn't dim Vitamin D's role in lessening falls among elderly, experts say

25-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

A new vitamin D/exercise study on falls among older women has confirmed the vitamin’s role in bone health but falls short of a ringing endorsement for supplementation. But it’s one data point among the many that still point to the importance of getting...

Is it worth buying nutrient-poor packaged fruit 'n' veg?

25-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

Fresh-cut fruit and veg are sold as an instant vitamin boost. But chlorine disinfection, refrigeration and up to three weeks on the shelf mean their vitamin content is often low – so is there any point in buying them?

High-dose vitamin diets reduce sugar cravings: Rat study

23-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

Baby rats whose mothers are given high levels of vitamins A, D, E, and K while pregnant have a reduced preference for sugar, say Canadian scientists.

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.

Vitamin D may prevent inflammation behind type 2 diabetes and clogged arteries

20-Mar-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Vitamin D may play an important role in preventing the inflammation that leads to the development of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis, according to research in mice.

Nutritional supplement shown to be effective in reducing female hair loss

19-Mar-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Hair loss is a distressing thing for anyone, and is particularly so for women, but scientists have found that taking a nutritional supplement can improve the overall scalp coverage and hair condition.

Special edition: Beauty from within

Beauty From Within turns ugly for L’Oréal and Nestlé

17-Mar-2015 By Shane STARLING

It promised so much – the globe’s biggest cosmetic and food players L’Oréal and Nestlé applying serious marketing, research and NPD clout to drive a nascent category into the mainstream public consciousness. It was going to make beauty from within (BFW)...

Zinc lozenges help common cold - but the required doses aren't available: Meta-analysis

17-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

High dose zinc lozenges may be beneficial in reducing the duration of common cold symptoms – but a lack of high dose lozenges on the market mean these benefits remain out of consumers’ reach, according to a new meta-analysis.

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.

Folic acid may help reduce stroke risk: 5-year study

16-Mar-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A combination of folic acid and the medication enalapril may be more effective in reducing the risk of stroke in adults with hypertension than the medication alone, according to large-scale research from China.

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.

CoQ10 benefits questioned: Mouse study

11-Mar-2015 By Shane STARLING

The antioxidant mechanism of action of Ubiquinone (UQ), a form of the CoEnzymeQ10 that has shown cell energy and heart benefits, has been questioned in a mouse study published in Nature Communications.

Could prebiotics help iron-deficient anaemics?

11-Mar-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Prebiotic supplementation may help increase the expression of proteins that regulate iron absorption, according to research in anaemic rats.

FitLife Brands takes hit on unit prices but boosts profits by switching to captive GNC distribution

04-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

Switching to a captive distribution mode within the GNC network has helped dietary supplements marketer FitLife Brands realize higher profits on flat revenue, the company announced recently.

Mannatech announces award of 100th patent

04-Mar-2015 By Hank Schultz

Texas-based network marketing firm Mannatech announced recently that the company received its 100th patent, the latest in Korea on its PhytoMatrix all natural multivitamin and mineral dietary supplement formulation. 

We shouldn’t recommend vitamin D supplements for chronic diseases: Researchers

03-Mar-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Vitamin D should not be recommended to prevent chronic disease because such benefits have not been confirmed and adverse effects of over-consumption can’t be ruled out, according to a review.

Researchers delve into nutrition solutions for illness–prone athletes

27-Feb-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

There is a need for greater research into nutrition solutions for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) that are common in athletes, according to the researcher behind a study on the impact of omega-3, vitamin D and protein supplementation.

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.

Excess vitamin A may prevent foetal formation of blood cells

25-Feb-2015 By Niamh Michail

Excessive retinoic acid – a molecule derived from vitamin A  – can prevent the healthy development of blood in embryos, a team of Swedish researchers have found. 

High vitamin C intake may help elderly maintain immune cells

20-Feb-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Long-term high-dose vitamin C supplementation could help maintain immune functions in ageing, according to research in mice. 

‘Exciting findings’: Vitamin K2 supplements improve arterial function in healthy women

20-Feb-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Long-term supplementation with NattoPharma’s MenaQ7 vitamin K2 may inhibit age-related stiffening of the artery walls, says study with healthy postmenopausal women.

Tocotrienol player Carotech Inc. becomes ExcelVite Inc.

17-Feb-2015

Vitamin E tocotrienol suppliers Carotech has changed its company name and commenced operations as ExcelVite Inc.

ChromaDex builds potential anti-aging action of Niagen with first human data

17-Feb-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

A single dose of nicotinamide riboside (NR) may significantly increases levels of NAD+, which is key to cellular energy metabolism and mitochondrial function, says a new study with healthy human volunteers using ChromaDex’s Niagen NR.

GNC to start selling in UK and Ireland

16-Feb-2015 By Niamh Michail

US-based nutrition company GNC has announced it will expand business to the UK and Ireland selling own-brand products.

GNC revenue declines as company revamps pricing, product mix and corporate culture

13-Feb-2015 By Hank Schultz

GNC Holdings reported declining sales in the fourth quarter and for its full 2014 fiscal year. CEO Michael Archbold attributed the declines to changes in pricing, revamping of stores’ product mix and lower manufacturing volume in an effort to match inventory...

Rethinking malnutrition strategies may reduce relapses and deaths, says researchers

13-Feb-2015 By Nathan Gray

Rethinking the cutoff thresholds of feeding regimens that malnourished children are put on could help to reduce the rate of relapse, which currently stands at 37%, say experts.

Usana's center of gravity continues to shift toward China

12-Feb-2015 By Hank Schultz

Usana Health Sciences posted strong fourth quarter results dampened somewhat by a discounting program undertaken to boost sales, the company announced this week. The company continued to show the fastest sales increases in China, while results in North...

New patented probiotic for Nestlé toddler formula

12-Feb-2015 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé and Swedish-based supplier BioGaia have announced the launch of a new toddler formula containing the patented probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri Protectis.

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.

Healthy or toxic? The conflicting images of antioxidants

11-Feb-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Benefit-risk ratios must be established for each antioxidant separately, considering risk groups and dosage, according to researchers reviewing polarised perceptions of vitamin E and beta-carotene.

Nattopharma's vitamin K2 ingredient makes splash in arterial health space with new product launch

10-Feb-2015 By Hank Schultz

Vitamin K2, recognized in recent years for its role in bone health, is now making a splash in the cardiovascular disease realm with the launch of a new product using Nattopharma’s MenaQ7 ingredient.

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. 

Vitamin E linked to lower heart attack risk, but only if used alone?

10-Feb-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Supplements of vitamin E may reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, says a new meta-analysis of 16 randomized clinical trials, but the effects seem to be canceled out when given other antioxidants.