PharmaLinks, a drug discovery initiative between the Universities
of Glasgow and Strathclyde in Scotland, has won a £1 million
research contract to develop an anti-obesity drug discovered at
Strathclyde's Institute for Drug Research.
Novartis is delaying the planned sale of its health food and
slimming and sports nutrition businesses due to a lack of
attractive offers in the current weak economy, it said today.
Nutritional oils company Equazen has launched an organic version of
its qarma evening primrose oil, the first such product to receive
organic certification in the UK, according to the company.
Drinking an occasional beer with dinner may help reduce the risk of
heart disease, according to a small study by researchers from TNO
Nutrition and Food Research in the Netherlands. The study supports
current thinking that alcohol...
Sales of non-dairy drinks in Europe are to increase 22 per cent to
€228 million this year, according to new research by the UK's
Organic Monitor. The highest growth in the sector over recent years
has been in the UK, the largest...
Diet can have a major effect on the development of chronic
diseases, report researchers, seeking to confirm the value of
healthy eating guidelines. Findings confirm that eating a diet high
in wholegrains, fruit and veg and fish could...
People who regularly eat peanut butter or nuts can significantly
reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to
researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. Researchers
found that consuming one tablespoon of...
Consumers, scientists and alcohol safety activists are attacking
plans by the Scottish government to add vitamins to beer as they
say the proposed public health measure restricts consumer choice.
Market research analyst Datamonitor...
Dutch natural foods group Wessanen reported a strong performance at
its Tree of Life Europe unit, with sales up 22 per cent in the
third quarter. Economic conditions are still affecting US sales,
however, although the company says...
As the ageing population continues to grow, foods reported to be
high in powerful antioxidants, which help fight the oxidation
process contributing to age-related diseases, are gaining growing
interest - new research suggests blueberries...
With an increasing interest in herbal alternatives to reduce
menopause symptoms after recent warnings about the side-effects of
HRT, medical experts warn that many alternatives do not always have
much success. A report in this month's...
The capacity to mop up harmful oxygen free radicals seems to be
reduced in people with periodontal disease, finds research in this
month's Molecular Pathology. However it is not sure if
antioxidant supplements can improve symptoms...
Swiss chemicals group Lonza has patented a method for increasing
intestinal absorption of fat soluble vitamins in post-menopausal
women, using its L-carnitine product.
Coffee drinking raises homocysteine levels and risk factors for
coronary heart disease, finds the latest research which fuels the
ongoing debate on coffee's impact on heart health. Dutch
researchers found that brewed coffee had...
Following reports in the UK press last week that a
government-funded study for the UK Food Standards Agency suggests
free-range and organic chickens are twice as likely as battery hens
to be contaminated with the food-poisoning bacteria...
Drinking grape juice may be a better alternative to taking
supplements, say researchers, who report that concord grape juice's
powerful antioxidant effects may offer extra benefits that
supplements do not.
Lifestyle risks for heart disease differ between men and women,
according to French researchers studying the effects of vitamin and
mineral supplements on heart health.
European members of parliament have adopted a resolution for new
legislation on traditional herbal products which will require all
herbal medicines on sale in the European Union to be registered.
Folic acid could dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease,
deep vein thrombosis and stroke according to researchers in this
week's British Medical Journal. Scientists report that the
vitamin can reduce levels of homocysteine...
Chocolate may actually be good for you, suggests new research
confirming previous studies which show that the flavonols found in
certain chocolates and cocoa can have benefits for heart health.
Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (LP299v) bacteria, used in the
probiotic drink ProViva, can reduce several of the most common risk
factors associated with cardiovascular disease, according to a
study by researchers in Poland. The makers...
US researchers reported findings this week from a vitamin E dose
response and time course study which could help supplement
manufacturers to select the appropriate dose of a particular
antioxidant ingredient or formula.
The UK's Office of Fair Trading yesterday launched a campaign
urging consumers to 'wise up' to misleading advertisements for
'miracle cure' health, beauty and slimming products. The market for
slimming products...
Low levels of lutein and zeaxanthin - carotenoids found in dark
green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale - could contribute
to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to researchers
who believe they have further...
News to demonstrate the need for European governments to focus on
the growing rates of obesity - a new study reveals previous figures
estimating healthcare costs were too conservative and that coronary
heart disease costs the UK a...
International clinical trials within Europe are being hamstrung by
red tape and disparate legal regulations in different countries,
the director-general of one of Europe's leading cancer research
organisations told a Frankfurt...
A scientific report recommends that healthy people should eat
omega-3 fatty acids, especially from fish, to protect their hearts.
The view follows fears of risks from high mercury levels in some
fish but recommends that for older...
The leading vitamins supplier Roche Vitamins has opened a new
Biotech Center in Germany to develop biotechnological production
processes for new and existing products.
Spanish maker of choline salts Algry Quimica has launched a choline
chloride conditioned with Aerosil 200 pharma grade to avoid lumping
and provide free circulation in manufacturing equipment.
Elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a blood-marker for
inflammation, is a better predictor of risk for heart attacks than
high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, report researchers
this week.
Belgium-based chicory ingredients company Orafti has created a new
business unit called Innergy Foods to market food supplements to
the consumer market. Following success on a test market, three
Innergy branded products, designed...
Many people recognise the dangers of binge and heavy consumption of
alcohol during pregnancy but new research suggests even moderate
drinking during pregnancy is harmful as it can cause both
behavioural and physiological deficits...
European food manufacturers will soon have to label the complete
content of all foodstuffs, including alcohol, in an EU measure to
protect consumers, particularly those with allergies. The European
Commission's proposal, part...
The role of food industry bodies in helping to maintain and promote
food safety for the consumer was clearly underlined this week by
the UK Food and Drink Federation. Speaking at the Society of Food
Hygiene Technology's annual...
Despite the strong evidence suggesting that alcohol, and
particularly red wine, can promote heart health, a new study out
this week shows that drinking raises a woman's risk of breast
cancer by 6 per cent per drink. The British...
German chemicals group BASF said this week it was strengthening its
forecast for 2002, despite an unfavourable environment. The leading
vitamins supplier said it was confident that its pro-active
approach to the current climate would...
Ebly, the French wheat grain product which is marketed as a healthy
alternative to rice or pasta, is to be launched in Spain by that
country's leading food producer, Ebro Puleva, making it the first
foreign brand distributed...
Consumer organisations across the European Union should expect
better representation on advisory bodies and increased rights to be
consulted, if we are to believe the words of European Commissioner
for Health and Consumer Protection,...
Loders Croklaan Lipid Nutrition, the Dutch supplier of lipid-based
health ingredients, has received FDA confirmation of GRAS status
for its Marinol C-38, an omega-3 fatty acid product.
Dietary zeaxanthin plays an essential role in protecting the retina
from light damage, report researchers at the Schepens Eye Research
Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
in the US this month.
People who drink wine weekly or even monthly may reduce their risk
of developing dementia, according to new research from Denmark. The
scientists studied more than 1,700 people,aged 65 and over, and
compared their drinking habits...
Britain's leading supermarket group Tesco opened a store geared
solely to health and natural alternative products in London last
week. The Nutri Centre chain, in which Tesco has a majority share,
is designed to meet growing consumer...
'Health' claims made on food labels often leave consumers confused
or unclear about the properties of the products, Britain's Food
Standards Agency reports, following research commissioned by the
agency, in the wake...
New research backs previous findings that show flaxseed to reduce
the risk of prostate cancer. Researchers from Duke University
Medical Center in the US report that a diet high in the omega-3
rich fibre seems to reduce the size, aggressiveness...
Finland's Raisio Group reported improved profitability for the
first six months of 2002, although turnover for the period remained
flat. However Raisio Life Sciences, the unit which makes the
cholesterol-lowering ingredient Benecol,...
An international team of scientists, evaluating the effectiveness
of zinc therapy on Bangladeshi children, report significantly lower
rates of child morbidity, hospitalisation and non-injury death.
Eating fresh grapes provides the same heart-health benefits touted
for red wine, finds new research published this month by a group of
researchers from the University of Connecticut. The team found that
table grapes from California...
Dutch food and nutrition group Numico is to sell its
underperforming US vitamin unit Rexall Sundown in a bid to boost
profits, the company said today. The world's biggest vitamin and
supplement maker reported a 32 per cent drop...
