CLA, probiotics and plant-sterol studies benefit from BASF's Newtrition Asia Research Grant
The region's leading probiotic and microbiome event — Probiota Asia — will get underway in Singapore this month with a stellar line-up of speakers, including the likes of Blackmores, Danone, Herbalife and Life-Space, set to take to the stage.
Two of the researchers will study the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) from BASF on 200 overweight and obese adults, while other studies will assess probiotics, plant-sterols and carotenoids.
With the grant amount of €40,000 each, the researchers will focus on the scientific research of three main topics most relevant for Asian-Pacific demographics: cardiovascular health, metabolic health, and physical function and mobility.
The two studies on CLA will be undertaken by researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University’s School of Public Health and the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia.
They will study the effects of BASF’s CLA on 200 overweight and obese adults.
CLA is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid which is naturally found in ruminant meat and milk, formed from linoleic acid in the rumen.
Right people, right time
“The rise of obesity in this part of the world is a result of rapid economic, demographic and epidemiological changes. This grant program is a way in which BASF can influence the nutritional transitions through science, to deliver on our commitment of providing the right nutrients to the right people at the right time,” said Stefan Ruedenauer, Global Director Research and Development and Scientific Marketing, BASF Human Nutrition.
“It offers an opportunity for a three-way collaboration among customers, academics and BASF in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for these development projects,” he added.
Each year, recipients of the Newtrition Asia Research Grant are chosen based on demanding selection criteria which include a panel review by a team of health experts as well as BASF’s scientific advisory committee. BASF announced the five winners for the 6th edition of the grant in the presence of more than a hundred local and international guests from government agencies as well as leading health and nutrition companies.
The 2018 grant recipients and their respective research topics are as follows:
1. Dr. Liu Xin, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, China: The effects of supplementation of conjugated linoleic acid on body fat reduction in overweight or obesity Chinese adults: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
2. Dr. Fiastuti Witjaksono, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia: Conjugated linoleic acid combined with nutrition counseling on body weight, body fat mass, and inflammatory status in overweight and obese adults
3. Dr. Kim Jung Eun, Food Science & Technology Programme, c/o Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore: Impact of co-consuming a plant sterols-enriched food product with a healthy eating pattern diet on endothelial function and blood pressure management in individuals with metabolic syndrome
4. Dr. Mary Chong Foong Fong, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore & SSH School of Public Health, National University of Singapore: Relationships of maternal carotenoids, vitamin E and fatty acids with metabolic health in women during pregnancy and after childbirth
5. Dr. Mahenderan Appukutty, University of Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia: The effect of co-administration of omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics (lactobacillus casei) in improving stress, inflammatory and immune response amount athletes
