A high intake of calcium-rich foods may reduce young women's risk
of developing kidney stones, report US scientists this week, but
taking calcium supplements is unlikely to offer any benefit.
A dietary supplement containing a mixture of herbals, vitamins and
amino acids may help boost fertility in women who have difficulty
conceiving, according to a US researcher, writes Dominique
Patton.
Manufacturers took a closer look at the rules governing botanical
extracts in the US, Europe and Canada at the industry's first
integrative medicine and natural healthcare exhibition this month.
Calls heard for a common set of...
Most dietary supplements do not have sufficient evidence to support
claims for weight loss, according to two UK experts, who reviewed
the evidence for a number of natural products including yerba mate,
chromium picolinate, ephedra...
Low levels of vitamin B12 are associated with poorer memory in
older people with high risk for Alzheimer's, according to a large
Swedish study, thought to be one of the first to examine how the
relationship between diet and genes...
The standards of quality control on herbal supplements will need to
be tightened if the US public are to have any confidence in their
health claims. That was the main talking point of a symposium as
experts gathered for three days...
Japan's Agriculture and Livestock Industries Corporation (ALIC) has
teamed up with two research bodies to develop a new functional
fermented miso derived from skimmed milk, that contains three times
as much calcium as regular...
Natural Bio Care, the US subsidiary of Taiwan-based biotech firm
Sagittarius Life Science, has launched a bone health supplement
made entirely from organically produced Chinese herbs.
The real amount of active ingredient in over-the-counter St John's
wort 'varies greatly' and can be up to 114 per cent of the amount
on the label, according to a new study in the Journal of the
Science of Food and Agriculture.
Herbal supplements available on the Irish market are still being
irradiated, contradicting European regulations on the practice and
highlighting a lack of traceability on supplement ingredients.
Smokers who breast feed should take iodine supplements, say Danish
researchers, who found that smoking could impact the transport of
iodine in human milk and could reduce iodine levels - a lack of
which could impact thyroid hormone...
Taking supplements of lycopene is just as efficient as increasing
certain food sources in boosting levels of the antioxidant, say
researchers, comparing lycopene blood concentrations after dosing
with both natural and synthetic sources.
Children with severe burns have a diminished capacity to make
vitamin D and should receive vitamin D supplements to stop their
bones from weakening, report US researchers this week.
A lack of basic vitamins and minerals is damaging the health of
one-third of the world's people and holding back the economic
development of virtually every country in the southern hemisphere,
claims a new report presented to...
Eyes, hair and skin could all benefit from a regular diet of
spinach, finds a cluster of scientists linked together through a
network of food companies.
Calcium supplements do not appear to cut lead levels in children
with moderate lead poisoning, finds a new study published in this
month's Pediatrics journal.
A single dose of a dietary supplement containing ephedra and
caffeine can increase blood pressure and cause changes that have
the potential to affect heart rhythms, shows a new study by
American researchers.
Eating cereal fortified with vitamin E may be a better way of
boosting intake of the vitamin than through supplementing the diet
with capsules, suggests a new study.
Australian biotech firm Novogen has been granted a US patent
covering the use of soy isoflavones in tablet or capsule dietary
supplements, it revealed last week.
Dutch group Royal Numico announced on Friday the end of its
dealings in nutritional supplements, as it completed the sale of
its US business GNC to investor group Apollo Management.
Vermont-based NutraGenesis has introduced a patented bioactive
extract of the Indian herb Withania somnifera, which it claims acts
to reduce the body's response to stress.
Ads for dietary supplements consistently break advertising code
rules and are part of one of the most complained about sectors in
the UK, according to the country's Advertising Standards Authority.
Taking fish oil supplements appears to significantly reduce the
severity in elite athletes of a condition which reduces lung
function after exercise and narrows the airways, report researchers
from universities in the US and Cardiff,...
German plant extracts manufacturer Finzelberg has launched a new
range of extracts for dietary supplements, including an
energy-boosting blend based on rhodiola rosea.
Pregnant women and children should take vitamin D supplements to
prevent a resurgence of rickets, say researchers in a seminar
published in tomorrow's issue of The Lancet. Experts have
been warning of rising cases of the bone...
US fatty acids manufacturer Martek Biosciences is to distribute its
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to European dietary supplement makers
through an agreement with Dutch firm Vegetable Seed Oil Products
(VSP).
The campaign against the new EU food supplements directive is
gathering pace as the Alliance for Natural Health announces it will
also take legal proceedings to see the directive declared invalid
under European law.
Elderly people should consider taking supplements of B vitamins as
many are deficient in the nutrients, thought to protect against
heart disease, argue German researchers in a new study.
US-based Solgar Vitamin and Herb company has announced the
introduction of a new range of supplements for children in the UK
called Kangavites. The minerals in the supplements have been
specially coated in order to disguise the normally...
In utero undernourishment is believed to alter the body's
metabolic programmming, increasing the risk of adult diseases in
offspring. But supplementing the diet with fish oil during
pregnancy can reduce the risk, according to...
Contrary to previous research findings, a new study in the US has
found that selenium supplements not only did not reduce the risk of
recurrence for previous sufferers of nonmelanoma skin cancer but
may even increase the risk of certain...
UK-based vitamin manufacturers G&G Food Supplies has announced
the launch of two new products in the UK - Collagen and Collagen
Plus - said to prevent the appearance of wrinkles and aid joint
repair.
A new European project will examine the safety and efficacy of iron
supplementation in pregnant women. Treating anaemia in pregnancy
raises concerns about overloading with iron, which can interact
with other nutrients affecting metabolism.
Makers of amino acids and other food additives are hoping to boost
revenues with growing popularity of Japan's latest fashion trend -
clothes with added supplements.
A supplement containing chromium picolinate and biotin
significantly reduced elevated blood sugar levels in people with
type 2 diabetes after only twelve weeks, reported researchers at
the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress...
Red clover extracts marketed to treat menopause symptoms had no
significant effect on hot flushes, reported researchers in this
week's Journal of the American Medical Association
Collagen hydrolysate could play a significant role in the
prevention and treatment of degenerative joint diseases such as
osteoarthritis, suggests new research presented yesterday.
The UK's vitamin and supplement market is one of the largest in
Europe, with sales of £350 million (€510m) last year. But with
sales levelling off for the past two years, and new European
legislation set to considerably reduce...
More information on the effects of phytoestrogens on bone, heart
and breast health is needed before recommendations on
supplementation can be safely made, argues a report in this month's
issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
Folic acid, found to lower plasma homocysteine levels, did not
prevent heart attacks and strokes in heart disease patients
receiving supplements of the vitamin, report researchers in the
Netherlands.
Preoperative administration of an immune-enhancing oral supplement
helps patients to fight off infections after operations, and spend
less time in hospital, concludes a study presented recently.