Inflammation

Arizona center emerges as hotbed of algae innovation

17-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

An institute in Arizona has emerged as one of the world’s foremost centers of research on algae production. Called the Arizona Center for Algae Research and Innovation (AzCATI), the organization helps companies validate technologies in an effort to get...

Cactus drink marketer to pay $3.5 million to settle FTC false advertising claims

16-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

The marketers of a cactus drink have agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle false advertising charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission. Such charges could be levied against many companies, said Denver-based attorney Justin Prochnow.

New study deepens substantiation for Epicor’s gut and immune health benefits

10-Jul-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

The potential gut and immune health benefits of EpiCor, the yeast fermentate from Embria, may be linked to an ability to modulate both the total bacterial composition in the gut, and which specific species stick to the intestinal wall, according to a...

Science short

Curcumin reduces muscle soreness: Study

03-Jul-2014 By Shane STARLING

A proprietary curcumin extract can ease post-exercise muscle soreness caused by oxidative stress and inflammation, an Italian study has found.

Heliae enters joint venture to produce astaxanthin in Japan via hybrid algal technology

03-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

Astaxanthin has been a red-hot ingredient in the United States for several years and demand is ramping up worldwide. To meet that demand in the Japanese market, Heliae, an algae technology company based in Gilbert, AZ, is teaming up with Sincere Corporation...

Study finds calcium fructoborate lessens knee pain

23-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

Calcium fructoborate may reduce knee pain as measured on two well-accepted scales, according to a recent study.

Physiological responses to caffeine may increase with age: Study

20-Jun-2014 By Nicola Cottam

The potentially negative effects of caffeine consumption on the heart significantly increase as young people reach adolescence, research has suggested. 

Exercise and high protein diet may increase gut microbiota diversity: Research

18-Jun-2014 By Nicola Cottam

Exercise and ‘extreme' high protein diet could have beneficial impact on gut microbiota diversity, according to research published in the British Medical Journal. 

EPA, DHA for the masses? Cargill unveils cost-effective ‘drop-in’ solution for F&B omega-3 fortification

17-Jun-2014 By Elaine Watson

Cargill has unveiled IngreVita, a proprietary blend of high oleic canola oil, antioxidants and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) from fish oil that it claims will take omega-3 food and beverage fortification from the niche to the mainstream.

Glutathione study will boost ingredient's profile, supplier says

02-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

A new human study confirms for the first time that glutathione levels in the body can be effectively boosted via oral supplementation. The study,which also showed immune health effects for the antioxidant, will boost the ingredient's market profile,...

DSM: Additional research will underpin vitamin E's decisive benefits

02-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

Magic bullet syndrome is something that has plagued the dietary supplement ingredient business over the years. While this is often negative for consumers, who put their faith into an overhyped (while still possibly effective) ingredient, it’s not so good...

Backbone structure to help differentiate Marinol omega-3 ingredient, Stepan says

27-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

Stepan Lipid Nutrition is bringing its Marinol omega-3 fish oil ingredient to the North American market for the first time since the company acquired the ingredient in 2011. Competing in a crowded market is a matter of redefining the message for an ingredient...

Neptune shuffles management suite after recapitalization, continued losses

27-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

Neptune Technologies and Bioressources is remaking its management team as the company nears reentry into the krill oil marketplace as a producer.  Longtime chief executive officer Henri Harland is out, with chief financial officer Andre Godin named as...

US-made hemp ingredients for supplements, food closer to reality with advent of Colorado production

23-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

Despite the continued murkiness surrounding the legality of non-narcotic fractions of cannabis sativa for dietary supplement use, one company is forging ahead with hemp ingredient production in Colorado.  And it doubtless will be joined by others, as...

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2014

End of krill wars is good news for entire omega-3s sector, Aker VP says

20-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

The end of the krill wars is the begining of a new chapter in the history of the omega 3s market, said Tim De Haas, of krill supplier Aker Biomarine.  It’s good news not just for the krill oil suppliers themselves, but for the category as a whole.

DISPATCHES FROM VITAFOODS EUROPE 2014

Natural and synthetic astaxanthin are different products, Algatech exec says

20-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

The natural vs synthetic astaxanthin debate centers on the fact that the products are not strictly analogous. “We are not saying that natural is necessarily better.  We are saying it’s different,” said Efrat Kat, director of marketing and sales for Algatechnologies.

Startup uses bioinformatics to pry open the power of waste peptides

16-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

“I am large, I contain multitudes,” poet Walt Whitman famously observed. He could have been talking about the potentially valuable proteins that are lost daily in the waste streams of ingredient operations for want of knowing what they are and what they...

‘Appalled to see this study receive any attention at all’: Biotivia MD hits back at new Chianti resveratrol study

14-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

A new study that concludes that high intakes of resveratrol may not reduce a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer has ‘very little to offer in the way of new or compelling information’, says the managing director of Biotivia.

Synbiotics show promise for cutting inflammatory biomarkers in obese kids

06-May-2014

Daily supplements containing seven probiotic bacterial strains and a prebiotic fiber may reduce markers of inflammation in obese children, says a new study.

Multivitamin startup offers formulas targeted to different times of day

25-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

Different approaches have been taken to differentiate the multivitamin sector over the years.  Formulas that target specific populations, like men, women or kids, or different delivery systems like gummies have all been tried.  Now comes a new idea: ...

L’Oréal-Nestlé scientists: Probiotics may improve sensitive skin from within

25-Apr-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplements containing the probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei NCC 2461 (ST11) may reduce skin sensitivity, according to results of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study.

Punching holes in pop-science theory: Whole grains may cut inflammatory biomarkers in obese kids

22-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Consuming whole-grain-rich foods for six weeks may slash levels of inflammatory biomarkers in overweight children, according to findings published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Green and black tea blend may support urinary tract health for men: Kemin Study

14-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements containing extracts from a blend of green and black tea varieties may improve lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and quality of life in men in as little as six weeks, says a new study.

Herb Pharm rollouts aim for 'transitional natural consumers'

14-Apr-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

With the launch of three new herbal supplements headlined by such widely appealing ingredients as turmeric and ginger, Herb Pharm looks to broaden its consumer base beyond the so-called “lifestyles of health & sustainability” (LOHAS) consumer to the...

HEPI looking at pet market to fund nutraceutical development

07-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

Health Enhancement Products Inc., a Michgan-based development stage company with potential markets in nutraceutical products derived from algae as well as a personalized health measurement testing platform, has settled on animal nutrition as its closest-to-market...

Algatech: Functional food on astaxanthin horizon

01-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Israeli firm Algatechnologies will work towards gaining approval for its astaxanthin as a novel food and beverage ingredient in Europe, but first it must meet existing demands and cut prices, it said.

EuroPharma founder: Nobody has given curcumin the attention that we have

28-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Booming consumer demand for curcumin is driving an innovative but highly competitive supplier landscape, but Terry Lemerond, founder & president of EuroPharma,Inc., says his company has never talked down the competition, preferring to talk up their...

Frutarom jumps into the omega-3 sea

25-Mar-2014

The health division of Swiss ingredients player Frutarom has launched omega-3s for the first time with the company noting their potential in heart, brain and eye health along with inflammation and general well-being.

Symposium to delve into science behind DPA, an under-the-radar omega-3

24-Mar-2014 By Hank Schultz

In what is billed as a first in nutrition research, a symposium scheduled for early July in Sweden will bring together lipids researchers specifically to look at the science behind a little-talked-about omega-3 fatty acid: docosapentaenoic acid or DPA.

Vitamin D may reduce inflammatory markers for obese women, but only if you take it

19-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of vitamin D may reduce levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of chronic inflammation, in obese and overweight women, but only if the women take the supplements every day, says a new study.

Metabolites of EPA, DHA ripe area for innovation, expert says

17-Mar-2014 By Hank Schultz

Innovation in omega-3s has come in many forms.  New delivery modes, new raw material sources, and new chemical forms.  But through it all, the story has always been about  EPA and DHA as whole molecules. That might be about to change.

Diet high in animal protein may help prevent functional decline

13-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

A diet high in animal protein could help elderly people to function better physically, psychologically and socially, say researchers.

Study confirms NEM eggshell membrane ingredient's effect in quenching pro-inflammatory cytokines

27-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

ESM Technologies has published new research that shows how its ESM eggshell membrane ingredient supports a healthy inflammatory response by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines  in a rat model.

Chardonnay Grape Seed Flour shows anti-obesity benefits: Hamster data

24-Feb-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplementing a high-fat ‘Western’ diet with Chardonnay grape seed flour may significantly reduce cholesterol levels, abdominal fat and weight gain, compared to a high-fat diet alone, says a new study from California.

Special edition: Pre & Probiotics

What is gut health? That's the blurry 800-pound gorilla in the room

20-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

In discussing gut health it’s wise to keep in mind the words of the late United States Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart when discussing a 1964 obscenity case.  Pornography, Stewart said, was hard to pin down, but “I know it when I see it.”  So it...

Partnership on organic vitamin C part of its transparency mission, MegaFood says

18-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

MegaFood, a leading manufacurer of whole food supplements, has teamed up with an organic orange juice supplier for a ‘grove to tablet’ line of vitamin C supplements.

Omega-3 backed for Alzheimer’s disease potential

18-Feb-2014 By Nathan Gray

Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids could help to prevent and even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by stimulating newly identified ‘resolution pathways’, according to research outlining an ‘entirely new’ approach to the condition.

Herbal lozenge reduces nasal inflammation from common allergens: Study

11-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

Allergease, a dietary supplement lozenge product aimed at the allergy market, has evidence of efficacy based on the finished product formulation, according to the company’s founders.

DSM leads charge to raise global vitamin E intake recommendations

06-Feb-2014

Global vitamins leader DSM is calling on authorities to raise vitamin E intake recommendations after hosting a workshop and posting a paper on the issue that highlight public health threatening global deficiencies.

Mexican astaxanthin producer to become vertically integrated

06-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

Another natural astaxanthin player is increasing its manufacturing capabilities with the announcement that Piveg, Inc.  a carotenoids manufacturer with business offices in San Diego, CA and production facilities in the central Mexican city of Celaya,...

OmniActive’s curcumin shows 46-fold bioavailability increase compared to standard curcumin: Study

03-Feb-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Consumption of OmniActive Health Technologies’ recently launched CurcuWin curcumin form may significantly increase serum curcuminoid levels over standard curcumin and some other curcumin formulations, says a new study funded by OmniActive.

Study linking vitamin E with cancer 'irrelevant' for human supplementation, CRN says

03-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

Once again, negative results from a tightly focused study with a nutraceutical ingredient have been generalized in the mainstream media as a blanket condemnation.  In this case, it was the news that megadoses of vitamin E fed to cancer-prone mice caused...

Algatech says longer shelf life a differentiator for its astaxanthin

31-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

Companies are striving for ways to differentiate their ingredients in the red hot (pun intended) astaxanthin sector.  The latest effort has been made by Israel’s Algatechnologies, which has announced a longer shelf life for its algae-derived 10% astaxanthin...

Special edition: Polyphenols

The big challenges in polyphenols: Providing credible evidence and a quality supply chain

28-Jan-2014 By Nathan Gray

With surging interest in the potential health benefits of polyphenols around the globe, experts suggest that there are still some major sticking points in the polyphenol success story.

Aker-Naturex joint venture ramps up production capacity with announcement of new facility in Texas

27-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

Aker BioMarine and its extraction partner Naturex have finalized a deal to build a new krill oil production facility in Texas to augment existing product capacity in Valencia, Spain. The new facility is Aker’s first in North America, currently its most...

DSM introduces new astaxanthin form, responds to critics of its 'nature-identical' approach

24-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

DSM has announced a new form of its AstaSana nature-identical astaxanthin—a 10% fluid suspension—and in doing so has responded to recent questions raised about its synthetic ingredient.  

Apple polyphenols may slash inflammation marker levels, change gut microbiota

22-Jan-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Polyphenols from apples may modify the bacterial populations in the gut, and reduce markers of inflammation, according a new study from the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited.

Probiotics may benefit energy metabolism in obese people: Human data

13-Jan-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of probiotics combined with an herbal preparation may improve obesity-related parameters, according to a new study from South Korea.

Most vitamin studies are flawed by poor methodology, say Linus Pauling researchers

06-Jan-2014 By Nathan Gray

Many large clinical trials of vitamin supplements, including those concluding vitamins are of no value or may even be harmful, have a flawed methodologies that means they are 'useless' in determining the real value of such micronutrients, according...

Warning letter underscores FDA view of extraction and concentration as factors in NDI status

03-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

A warning letter from FDA to Star Scientific, makers of an antioxidant supplement called Anatabloc, underscores again the agency’s focus on the status of New Dietary Ingredients.