Inflammation

Trust in gut feeling to reduce cancer risk, study shows

19-Apr-2016 By Will Chu

Intestinal bacteria play a key role in causing and preventing obesity and neurodegeneration and a study has suggested they could also reduce cancer risk.

Enhanced curcumin shows endothelial benefits for healthy people: Study

19-Apr-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Supplements of curcumin with enhanced bioavailability may improve the vascular health in healthy people, says a new study with OmniActive Health Technologies’ CurcuWIN ingredient.

10 studies from Experimental Biology that caught our eye Part 1: Vitamins K2 & D, berries and green tea

11-Apr-2016 By Adi Menayang

The annual multidisciplinary scientific meeting Experimental Biology wrapped up last week in San Diego. We scoured through the abstracts published in the FASEB journal and selected the studies that are worth a share to the dietary supplements world.

Is cactus water worth the hype? Why tea company Steaz chose to use it for new infused drink

11-Apr-2016 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Cactus water is gaining traction in the plant-based water market, and US company Steaz has spotted an opportunity to blend cactus water with ready-to-drink tea in its new beverage line.

A couple of coffees a day keeps bowel cancer at bay: Study

05-Apr-2016 By Will Chu

Coffee consumption decreases the risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to US researchers.

Increased exposure to aluminium harmful to gut homeostasis, review warns

04-Apr-2016 By Will Chu

Aluminium is likely to harm gut homeostasis as increased exposure is strongly linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as an environmental risk factor, a review has concluded. 

Special edition: Ayurveda

Continuing science will boost Ayurveda, even given tension over best research models to use, experts say

24-Mar-2016 By Hank Schultz

Accelerating interest in the personalization of medicine and the accumulation of a body of research will help drive increasing acceptance of Ayurveda in the West, experts say, albeit with a continuing tension between synergistic and single-ingredient...

Learn & buy: UK agency cracks down on emailed disease claims

23-Mar-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned UK firm Agora Health Ltd against making disease claims on its joint health supplements via its 'Healthier Life' information website. 

Curcumin supplement reduces muscle damage post-exercise: Human data

21-Mar-2016 By Stephen Daniells

‘Optimized’ curcumin may reduce markers of inflammation and muscle damage following excessive exercise, says a new study.

Clearer bioactive standards will benefit innovation, report states

18-Mar-2016 By Will Chu

Food supplement and functional food innovation could be made easier if researchers were told the specific amounts of bioactive nutrients to include in their products, a report has concluded. 

"Life in the twilight zone is a huge potential source of fishmeal and omega-3 to feed the world's population."

‘No man’s water’: Deep sea holds huge untapped resources, but beware the gold rush

14-Mar-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

There are huge untapped resources of protein and omega-3 in the deep sea, but international researchers have warned against an unregulated ‘gold rush’ that could upset the ecosystem of this so-called twilight zone. 

Small fish oil doses enough to lower blood pressure: RCT

10-Mar-2016 By Will Chu

Even the smallest amounts of fish oil can reduce blood pressure (BP), but only in those who have a history of hypertension, a study has determined. 

Bacteria overgrowth linked to micronutrient malabsorption in children

09-Mar-2016 By Will Chu

Uncontrolled bacterial growth in the small intestine could be damaging the guts of young children, leading to stunting and other conditions linked to malnutrition, a study suggests.

BGG folds astaxanthin, future algal ingredient development into new subsidiary Algae Life Sciences

03-Mar-2016 By Hank Schultz

A new player has entered the astaxanthin market as Chinese ingredient supplier BGG has formed a subsidiary named Algae Life Sciences to market the carotenoid produced from a facility in Yunnan province.

Fortifying breast milk: How to get more vitamin E to preterm babies

02-Mar-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Supplementing mothers with α-tocopherol may help increase vitamin E intakes for premature breastfeeding babies vulnerable to deficiency, Brazilian research has suggested. 

Magnesium applied through the skin may ease MND symptoms

29-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

A magnesium-based therapy, applied through the skin, may ease the painful muscular symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) that affects around two in every 100,000 individuals in Europe each year.

Probiotic strains may provide food allergy protection

26-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

A probiotic blend may be able to prevent sensitisation and allergy to cow’s milk by changing an individual's gut bacteria, a study has suggested.

HMB may protect soldiers against inflammation during high intensity training

25-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Military personnel undergoing high intensity training may benefit from HMB supplements, says a new study from the University of Central Florida, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheva, and the Israel Defense Force.

Probiotic mix plays decisive role in metabolic disease onset, study suggests

24-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

A probiotic mixture may inhibit gut and tissue inflammation – the hallmarks observed in the onset of obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by French researchers.

Gut microbiota sensitive to iron replacement say scientists

19-Feb-2016 By Louisa Richards

Iron replacement therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease alters gut microbiota depending on how it is administered, suggest scientists. 

Scientists unravel bioavailability of brown seaweed

18-Feb-2016 By Louisa Richards

Phlorotannins in brown seaweed are metabolised and absorbed in the large intestine and may have anti-inflammatory potential, an EU-funded study suggests.

Flavonoid metabolites but not flavonoids themselves linked to heart health benefits

16-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

The potential heart health benefits of flavonoids are linked to their metabolites and not the unmetabolized precursors, say a new study from the UK.

New raspberry insights show bioavailability crucial for health benefits

15-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

Red raspberries are rich in polyphenols but its health benefits can only be fully understood by studying how the body metabolises these micronutrients and the mode of action of the bioactive compounds that trigger these potential protective effects, a...

Breastfeeding exclusively may not be best strategy for bone health: Study

15-Feb-2016 By Louisa Richards

Breastfeeding exclusively may not be the best strategy for bone health, results from the 5000-strong Generation R study have suggested. 

Gut microbes’ protective effects compromised by alcohol

12-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

The protective function of natural gut antibiotics is impaired by alcohol leaving bacteria free to migrate to the liver aggravating alcohol-induced liver disease, a study has shown.

A handful of walnuts a day may help reduce cardiovascular risk whilst losing weight

11-Feb-2016 By Louisa Richards

A walnut-rich, higher-fat diet results in favourable changes to lipid levels associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease in overweight women, a study supported by the California Walnut Commission has suggested. 

'Like recovery after a forest fire': IBD therapy could be engineered from wound-healing gut bacteria

11-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

Gut bacteria that adapt to their environment could be exploited as a therapeutic for disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, a team of US scientists have predicted.

Big, fat and deficient: The UK’s double diet burden

10-Feb-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Micronutrient deficiencies have been overshadowed by the so-called ‘war on sugar’, science director for British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) warns following the publication of a report.

GOED EXCHANGE 2016

Judging data choice, extraction methods can help mark a meta-analysis as good or suspect, GOED attendees told

09-Feb-2016 By Hank Schultz

Not all meta-analyses are created equal. Trying to figure out which ones hold water and which are riven with holes was the subject of one of the most gripping sessions as the recent GOED Exchange meeting in the Canary Islands.

Higher omega-3 content in fresh cow's milk reduces asthma risk, study finds

02-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

Fresh, unprocessed cow’s milk has a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids than pasteurised, homogenised or low-fat milk, say German researchers. 

Nutrient-rich Nordic diet linked to better physical performance in elderly

01-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

The nutrients range of Nordic diets is associated with better physical performance and a decrease in disability risk later in life, a study confirms.

Cocoa flavanols may use gut microbiota pathway to ease metabolic syndrome: Review

29-Jan-2016 By Will Chu

Consuming cocoa flavanols may interact with the gut microbiota as a way of preventing metabolic syndrome or easing the condition’s symptoms, a review has concluded.

Mangosteen rind ups 'cheap chocolate' polyphenols by 50%: Research

21-Jan-2016 By Louisa Richards

Adding a mangosteen fruit by-product to cheaper low cocoa chocolates could improve their nutritional content without compromising flavour, researchers have discovered. 

Norwegian researchers catch herring's hidden health benefits

18-Jan-2016 By Louisa Richards

A fatty acid present in herring could boost conversion of omega-3, food scientists have discovered. 

Sesame oil reduces TAG, but not cholesterol: Review

18-Jan-2016 By Louisa Richards

Sesame significantly reduces triacylglycerol (TAG) levels, but does not affect cholesterol, according to a review.  

Dietary flavonoids reduce erectile dysfunction risk, say researchers

15-Jan-2016 By Louisa Richards

Increasing intake of berries and citrus fruits may improve erectile function as well as reduce heart attack risk, researchers at the University of East Anglia and Harvard Medical School have said. 

Winemaking waste shows antioxidant and anti-cholesterol benefits: Study

08-Jan-2016 By Louisa Richards

Researchers say polyphenols from winemaking by-product red grape pomice has potential as a functional ingredient in nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. 

Step away from the buffet: The recipe to eating a healthy festive dinner

23-Dec-2015 By Will Chu

It’s no secret that people eat more than usual during the festive season, but the buffet holds nutritional promise too. We visited a few...

GOED updates monograph to keep up with rapidly changing omega-3 industry

18-Dec-2015 By Hank Schultz

In an effort to keep up with a changing industry, GOED has published an updated version of the GOED Voluntary Monograph, which sets specifications for omega-3 oils.

Exclusive interview with FAO’s director for nutrition

The fat after the famine: Obesity the next challenge facing Africa, says FAO boss

17-Dec-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

After years of battling undernutrition, Africa is now facing an emerging threat of obesity and the two must be considered simultaneously, according to the director of nutrition at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).  

Guest column, chief executive of Elixinol and Hemp Foods Australia

The increasing role of cannabinoids in pain relief

17-Dec-2015 By Paul Benhaim,

Once forgotten, cannabinoids and their medicinal benefits have recently been thrust back into the spotlight, in particular for their abilities to relieve often otherwise untreatable pain. 

First study of its kind: Synbiotics may control excess weight in obese kids

14-Dec-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplements containing prebiotics and probiotics may improve oxidative stress and enhance weight loss in obese kids, says a new study.

Pomegranates and endurance: Study shows juice benefits for athletes

09-Dec-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Consumption of pomegranate juice may reduce biochemical markers of damage caused by exercise, according to findings from a small study from Spain.

Shell do well!: Kiwi mussel extract company hopes for boom in Asia

09-Dec-2015 By RJ Whitehead

A Kiwi mussel extract company is planning further expansion into Asia in an industry that contributes NZ$400m (US$268m) to New Zealand’s economy. 

EFSA's claim agenda: Joint health, blood sugar, indigestion & stomach ulcers

08-Dec-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is considering four health claim applications on joint function, blood sugar, indigestion and stomach ulcers.

Supplier puts lactoferrin in spotlight as ‘iron activator’

07-Dec-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

It’s been two and half years since lactoferrin from cow’s milk was authorised as a novel food ingredient in Europe – but with no health claim for its iron boosting abilities it is now up to manufacturers and consumers to champion the ingredient, says...

ADM strengthens natural vitamin E range with first ever succinate offering

04-Dec-2015

ADM has added two sunflower-sourced, non-GMO versions to its vitamin E portfolio targeting foods, drinks and food supplements and the “world’s first commercially available sunflower-based succinate form of vitamin E.”

dispatches from fie 2015

Will 'Peru-perfood' sacha inchi be the next quinoa?

04-Dec-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

High in protein and omega-3, Peruvian sacha inchi has ‘superfood’ potential, according to a supplier of its oil and protein powder.

‘Mamma mia!’ Italian researchers say ‘si’ to probiotic pasta

30-Nov-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Italian researchers have developed a functional pasta rich in polyphenols and fortified with probiotic strain Bacillus coagulans.

'no evidence of benefit in this population'

Study quashes claim probiotic reduces NEC, sepsis & death in preterm infants

26-Nov-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

There is no evidence that the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium breve can reduce the risk of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), late-onset sepsis and death in preterm infants, a study of 1315 infants has found.