Women's health

Concerns raised over soy supplementation: Study

09-Sep-2014 By Nicola Cottam

Soy supplementation for women suffering from breast cancer may compound rather than improve their condition – contrary to popular opinion, say scientists.

Is FDA doing enough to stem tide of tainted products? Probably not

28-Aug-2014 By Hank Schultz

A review of recent FDA enforcement actions concerning tainted products marketed as dietary supplements highlights the scope of the problem facing regulators and the limitations they operate under in dealing with it.

AHPA's data shows FDA ramping up enforcement on tainted weight loss, sex products

21-Aug-2014 By Hank Schultz

The presence of undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients in products purporting to be dietary supplements is garnering an increasing amount of attention and enforcement from the Food and Drug Administration, databases compiled by the American Herbal Products...

Seaweed an effective alternative for iodine supplementation, study finds

18-Aug-2014 By Hank Schultz

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition shows that seaweed supplementation can be an effective alternative for boosting the levels of iodine in women deficient in this vital nutrient.

Sea buckthorn oil backed for vaginal dryness relief

18-Aug-2014 By Oliver Nieburg

Skin hydrating sea buckthorn oil supplements may also combat vaginal dryness, according to research commissioned by Finnish firm Aromtech.

Trial underway to combat iron deficiencies with milk protein capsules

14-Aug-2014 By Oliver Nieburg

The University of Sydney will assess the effects of milk protein lactoferrin to meet the iron requirements of pregnant women and mitigate the health problems of their children.

Functional food giving supplements a run for their money: Packaged Facts

12-Aug-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

After taking a hit due to recent negative press and a consumer shift toward more use of functional food and beverages, the US nutritional supplements market will see growth return to just over 6% per year through 2018, when sales will reach $16.4 billion,...

Science short

Soy boosts cardio health in pre-menopausal monkeys: Study

11-Aug-2014 By Shane STARLING

Soy consumption can boost heart health a study with cynomolgus monkeys has found, but intake must begin at an early age.

DSM and Merck form high-end folate alliance

06-Aug-2014 By Shane STARLING

DSM Nutritional Products (DNP) is not abandoning its folic acid (vitamin B9) offering but has added a high-end, folate form aimed at global supplement and food makers in a deal with Merck in Switzerland.

Folates not folic acid for flour fortification, urge researchers

25-Jul-2014 By Lynda Searby

New findings that the body is less efficient at metabolising folic acid than natural folates could inform policy-making decisions as the UK government considers mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid.

Supplement line launches based on phospholipid nano sphere delivery system

22-Jul-2014 By Hank Schultz

NanoSphere Health Sciences has formally launched its line of liquid dietary supplements called Evolve Nutrients that employs its lipid-based delivery technology promising more rapid absorption and better bioavailability.

Magnesium supplements may boost physical performance for older women: RCT

21-Jul-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplementation with magnesium oxide in combination with a mild fitness program may boost the physical performance of healthy older women, says a new study.

EFSA panel endorses draft dietary refs for folate, niacin and selenium

02-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

EFSA has approved Dietary Reference Values (DRV) for folate, niacin and selenium, which set population reference intakes, adequate intakes or average requirements for the European population.

Sports nutrition products for women are a huge area of growth: Marketing guru

01-Jul-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Women, protein blends, and the ‘anti-wasting’ market are all areas of significant opportunity in sports nutrition, says Jeff Hilton, co-founder and CMO of BrandHive.

Calcium and vitamin D may improve metabolic profile of women with 'pregnancy diabetes'

26-Jun-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Supplementation of vitamin D and calcium may reduce fasting plasma glucose and insulin, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce low-density lipoprotein 'bad' cholesterol while boosting 'good' cholesterol for women with Gestational Diabetes...

Iron ladies: Period pain reduced, study shows

24-Jun-2014 By Sarah Hills

Iron supplementation can reduce menstruation complications, according to a study, but their use remains low-key.

Herb shows gastro benefits: Study

12-Jun-2014 By Nicola Cottam

Supplementation with Vital Solutions’ proprietary Benegut perilla frutescens leaf extract offers substantial relief from gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, say researchers.

Nutrition researchers shoot holes in assertion that multivitamins are unnecessary

03-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

A response published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine by four well-known nutrition researchers takes strident issue with an editorial published in the same journal that multivitamins are not useful.  The authors of the first paper “ignored decades...

CRN urges manufacturers to revisit formulas in wake of call for more iodine for pregnant women

28-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

The recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizing the vital role of iodine in the development of infants’ nervous systems is encouraging news, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition.  

Extracts from pumpkin seed and soy germ show bladder support potential

21-May-2014 By Stephen Daniells

A combination of extracts from pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo L.) and soy germ may reduce the sense of urgency in women with overactive bladders, and boost their quality of life, says a new study from Korea.

Vitamin D levels linked to cancer survival rates

30-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Breast and colorectalcancer patients with higher levels of vitamin D at the time of diagnosis may have better chances of survival and remain in remission longer those who are deficient, according to a scientific review. 

Expert panel calls for end to one-size fits all protein recommendations and higher levels for older adults

29-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Dietary recommendations for protein intake should be increased for healthy older adults to 1.0 to 1.2 g protein/kg body weight/day, says an international team of experts.

Exclusive documentary preview: MicroWarriors Special edition

MicroWarriors: Exploring probiotic power (and the powers that be)

25-Apr-2014 By Shane STARLING

NutraIngredients went to LA recently to question two leading probiotic academics about probiotics and the microbiome and which we present exclusively here. The interviews form part of a new documentary to be narrated by Leonard Nimoy, better known as...

Krill oil (plus B vitamins, soy and rosemary) relieves PMS: Pilot study

25-Apr-2014 By Nicola Cottam

Krill oil supplementation can relieve pre-menstrual stress disorder (PMS), according to a small pilot study.

Study links microbial imbalance with breast cancer

25-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The microbiota could play a role in the development of breast cancer, according to new research.

Special edition: Sports nutrition

Expert founds company with goal to fill in data gaps on sports nutrition for women

23-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

When formulating sports nutrition products for women, is the concept to merely give them a little bit less of what you’d give a presumably much heavier man under similar circumstances?  Or are a female athlete’s needs subtly different? No one really knows,...

Advancing nutritional epidemiology to a whole new level? NIH scientists publish metabolomics biomarkers to study diet-disease associations

21-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Scientists from the National Cancer Institute at the NIU have reported metabolomic biomarkers for a variety of foods and vitamins, which, if validated, could become biomarkers in large cohorts to study diet-disease associations.

Iron supplements may boost female physical performance: Meta-analysis

15-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Scientific evidence from 22 randomized controlled trials indicates that daily iron supplements may significantly boost exercise performance for women.

Science short

Study: Vitamin A form shows breast cancer prevention potential

09-Apr-2014 By Shane Starling

A vitamin A form called retinoic acid that is commonly found in sweet potatoes and carrots, can help turn breast cells showing cancerous potential back to a healthy state, researchers have found.

InsideTracker CEO: ‘The one-size-fits-all intervention approach to nutrition makes no sense - Personalization is the future’

31-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

It may have been said before, but the future of nutrition is through personalization, especially for athletic individuals who want to achieve the optimal and not just normal levels, says Rony Sellam, CEO of Segterra, the company behind InsideTracker.

Breast microbiome more complex than previously thought: Study

31-Mar-2014 By Nicola Cottam

The unique microbial composition of female breast tissue has given scientists new insight into the interaction between different bacteria in the human body and the effects this has on health.

Vitamin Angels premieres online documentary to broaden its message

26-Mar-2014 By Hank Schultz

Vitamin Angels, a nonprofit organization that has delivered millions of servings of vitamin A and other vitamins to at-risk children and mothers worldwide, has premiered an online documentary that shows some of the communities the organization serves...

Special edition: Innovations in Delivery Systems

Gummy vitamin market still has ‘great’ potential: Pharmavite

20-Mar-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

In the continued effort to appeal to consumers loathe to swallow pills every day, supplement manufacturers have ventured into everything from melts and powders to confectionery-type supplement forms such as chews and gum. A few years into its foray into...

Gut bacteria to battle vitamin A deficiency: Could probiotics be modified to produce beta-carotene?

14-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Research backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation could offer a new solution to the problem of vitamin A deficiency by creating modified gut bacteria, researchers told NutraIngredients.

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.

Calcium and vitamin D may improve cholesterol in postmenopausal women

06-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Supplementation with calcium and vitamin D after menopause could help to improve women's cholesterol profiles, according to new research.

Special edition: Pre- and probiotics

Mature markets seeing beyond probiotics’ ‘balance microflora’ benefits: Lallemand

20-Feb-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

The market for probiotic supplements and food continues to grow at a fast clip worldwide, expected to reach $45bn by 2017 (up from $30bn in 2012), according to Euromonitor. Global ingredient supplier Lallemand Health Solutions is no stranger to this market,...

Probiotics backed for vaginal health: Study

19-Feb-2014 By Shane STARLING

Five Lactobacillus probiotic strains have been shown to reduce vaginal pathogens in new in vitro data, with a clinical trial ongoing.

Pronutria secures $12.25 million in funding to drive development program

17-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

Pronutria, a company based on the mining of an extensive protein database to uncover pharmacologically active nutrients, is moving forward in its development plan with the beginning of two clinical trials on is lead product candidates and the closing...

Dr Alex Richardson Q&A: Nutritional Lipids for Mood and Behaviour

14-Feb-2014 By Nathan Gray

On the back of huge interest and too little time in her presentation and following Q&A session at yesterday's Nutritional Lipids and Oils online event, we put some more of your questions to Dr Alex Richardson.

Calcium-prebiotic combination may boost bone health more than calcium alone: Human data

24-Jan-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

A combination of a marine-derived calcium-rich multi-mineral supplement with a short-chain fructo-oligosaccharide may help maintain bone health more than calcium alone for post-menopausal women, says a new study.

Observers disagree about whether report of tainted thyroid supplements points to wider problems in market

24-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

A recent blog in The New York Times raised questions about some thyroid supplements, but passed over the legitimate role dietary supplements scan have in the support of health thyroid function, observers say.

Recent warning letters shows FDA still has foot on medical foods pedal

22-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

Two warning letters issued after Christmas and made public recently by FDA underscore the agency’s focus on the medical food category, said an expert in the field who advises companies on staying on the right side of the boundaries.

Focus on bio-availability and not just label claims to make people nutrient replete: Ashoka fellow

09-Jan-2014 By Stephen Daniells

The food and nutrition industries should be focusing on bioavailablity and bioefficacy of nutrients, and not just on big numbers on product labels, says a leading social entrepreneur who has spent over a decade boosting the nutritional status of the severely...

Low dose iron may help reduce incidence of iron deficiency and anemia in pregnant women

19-Dec-2013 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplements containing low doses of ferrous bisglycinate (Aminojern, a product containing Albion’s Ferrochel) may help pregnant women avoid iron deficiency and anemia, says a new study from Denmark.

Lignans show benefits for menopausal symptoms, says Linnea study

11-Dec-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplements of Linnea's HMRLignan, the plant lignan isolated and purified from the Norway spruce (picea abies), may reduce the number of hot flashes by over 50%, says a new study.

Poster deadline extended by one week to December 13

Probiota 2014: Poster proposal deadline extended

04-Dec-2013 By Nathan Gray

Probiota 2014 – the leading conference bridging the interface of academia and industry for cutting edge science about the prebiotics, probiotics and the microbiome – has extended the call for proposals for its poster sessions by one week to Friday 13th...

Expert review ‘recognizes and acknowledges’ the multiple health benefits of ‘special’ cranberry

14-Nov-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

The potential health benefits of North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and its unique nutrition profile extend beyond reducing the risk of urinary tract infections to include multiples heart health activities and temper inflammation, says a...

Vitamin Shoppe: ‘Private label is an important growth opportunity for us’

06-Nov-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Growth in private label and one of its recently launched MyTrition products already a top selling product, Vitamin Shoppe is planning more new product introductions by year end, said the company’s CEO.

Detecting deficiencies: New strategy could speed up mass testing of vitamin and mineral levels

25-Oct-2013 By Nathan Gray

Analysing levels of proteins in blood could be used to estimate levels of essential vitamins and minerals without directly testing for each nutritional factor, according to new research that suggests the use of mass spectrometry to rapidly detect nutritional...