We’re only a couple of days into 2025, and already there have been some notable news stories, from a new bill to restrict supplement sales in Virginia and new opportunities in South Korea for leg swelling and intestinal discomfort claims to a new study supporting Akkermansia’s respiratory benefits.
USA: Prohibitive dietary supplement bill introduced in Virginia
Virginia has become the latest state where lawmakers are seeking to introduce restrictions on the sale of weight loss and muscle building products to minors.
As reported by NutraIngredients-USA, Viriginia Representative Baxter Ennis (R) pre-filed the bill (labeled HB 1585) last week. It is similar to a bill introduced in Texas at the end of 2024. Both bills specifically mention creatine, green tea extract, raspberry ketone, garcinia cambogia and coffee bean extract.
The bill, which is being opposed by U.S .dietary supplement trade associations, faces a tight timeline, with Virginia’s current’ legislative session slated to adjourn on Feb. 22.
South Korea: Opportunities for functional ingredients for leg swelling, intestinal discomfort relief?
South Korea could see the use of functional ingredients for relieving leg swelling and intestinal discomfort, following the release of new regulatory guidelines.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) made the announcement on Dec. 16 that it will be introducing guidelines to assess the efficacy of ingredients that claim to “relieve leg discomfort (swelling) caused by maintaining a fixed posture for a long time” or “relieve intestinal discomfort”. Examples of intestinal discomfort would include abdominal pain and bloating.
Currently, there are already methods in place to evaluate the efficacy of functional ingredients that claim to support certain aspects of intestinal health—such as supporting smooth bowel movements, proliferation of beneficial bacteria and the inhibition of harmful bacteria in the intestines.
Visit NutraIngredients-Asia to read more.
Korea: Akkermansia shows promise for respiratory health
There was more news from Korea as scientists from Goyang-si-based Enterobiome Inc. reported that daily supplementation with a heat-killed Akkermansia strain may improve scores related to breathlessness and cough for people with respiratory symptoms.
Twelve weeks of supplementation with heat-killed Akkermansia muciniphila strain EB-AMDK19 were associated with significant improvements in the scores on the Breathlessness, Cough, and Sputum Scale (BCSS), compared to placebo.
“We provide novel evidence on the potential effects of ETB-F01, a formulation integrating heat-killed A. muciniphila EB-AMDK19, on ameliorating symptoms of patients experiencing respiratory symptoms for 4 to 12 weeks without significant adverse events,” wrote the study scientists, led by researchers from Seoul National University and Enterobiome in the journal Nutrients.
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