Botanicals

Herbalife seeks companies willing to pitch innovative ingredients, products

07-Mar-2016 By Hank Schultz

Herbalife has announced an upcoming event in which companies can pitch their new product ideas. The North American Innovation Meeting is set for May 18 and 19 at the company’s Los Angeles office.

‘Herbal Ed’ Smith named ABC Champion Award recipient

07-Mar-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Ed Smith, medical herbalist and co-founder of Herb Pharm, has been named the recipient of the American Botanical Council’s second Champion Award.

NAHS Therapy launches plant-based food fortification powder for bone health

04-Mar-2016 By Adi Menayang

A mixture of powdered extracts and powdered spices, herbs, and mushrooms by North American Herb and Spice is promoted to provide bone and joint support.

Turning quality narrative around complicated by years of sourcing based on lowest price, expert says

04-Mar-2016 By Hank Schultz

After years of hand wringing over the situation in raw material supply in which low quality ingredients find a home in the marketplace, consensus now seems to be building in the dietary supplement industry to do something about it. But at a recent industry...

Tongkat Ali extract may support immune health: Study

04-Mar-2016 By Stephen Daniells

A standardized root water extract of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) may support immune health for middle-aged people, says a new randomized controlled trial.

New cucumber extract product Cuvitus to aid muscle and joint health

03-Mar-2016 By Adi Menayang

Manufactured by XSTO Solutions, this new cucumber extract powder ingredient is scheduled to launch next week at Engredea.

Applied Food Sciences launches new green tea extract for functional beverages

03-Mar-2016 By Adi Menayang

As green tea slowly becomes a staple ingredient in snacks, desserts, beverages, and supplements in North America, not just for its taste but also its benefits, ingredient manufacturers race to differentiate their products in a crowding marketplace.

From farm-to-product: TSI acquires 1,000 acre plantation to vertically integrate ginkgo supply

02-Mar-2016 By Stephen Daniells

TSI Group Co., Ltd. (TSI) is investing in a completely integrated “farm-to-product” growing and production platform for ingredient transparency and supply chain integrity.

ABC announces 2015 Excellence in Botanical Research Award recipient

01-Mar-2016 By Stephen Daniells

John Thor Arnason, PhD, has been named as the recipient of the 2015 ABC Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award.

Aged garlic may help reduce blood pressure, boost heart health: Study

29-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Supplements of aged garlic (Allium sativum) may reduce mean blood pressure by 5.0 mmHg in uncontrolled hypertensives, says a new study funded by Wakunaga of America Co.

2015 ABC Varro E. Tyler Award for Phytomedicinal Research recipient announced

26-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

The American Botanical Council (ABC) is giving its Varro E. Tyler Award for Phytomedicinal Research to MediHerb of Warwick, Australia.

For Frutarom, small is beautiful when looking at acquisition targets

26-Feb-2016 By Hank Schultz

In US basketball lingo they call it playing small ball. Frutarom, which supplies flavors, fragrances and dietary supplement ingredients, has grown to one of the world’s largest companies in the category by acquiring many of the smallest firms.

GNC's Archbold: It's urgent to adopt new raw material GMPs in order to stem erosion in consumer confidence

25-Feb-2016 By Hank Schultz

GNC’s new raw material GMPs, announced as a final intent if not in final form at an industry event this week, is “a concept whose time has come,” according to CEO Mike Archbold.

Indena self-affirms GRAS for Meriva curcumin ingredient

25-Feb-2016

Italian botanical giant Indena has announced the self-affirmation of the GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status for its curcumin phospholipid (Meriva).

GNC unveils raw materials GMP program it hopes will become blueprint for industry

24-Feb-2016 By Hank Schultz

GNC has announced a GMP plan for botanicals which it is implementing immediately for its suppliers. The company hopes the plan, announced at an industry meeting on Tuesday, will become a blueprint for the industry.

Herbalist & Alchemist recertified as B Corp

23-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Herbalist & Alchemist has again been certified as a B Corporation, confirming the herbal products company’s high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. 

Theacrine and caffeine combination supplement may impact energy and mood

23-Feb-2016 By Adi Menayang

A randomized, double-blind study on 20 young men and women found that ingesting TheaTrim, a supplement with theacrine and caffeine, favorably impacted subjective feelings of energy and mood.

BGG opens Swiss office to serve growing European market

23-Feb-2016

Beijing Gingko Group (BGG) has opened an office in Switzerland and taken on ex-Indena global marketing chief Christian Artaria to run the operation.

Star fruit juice consumption may improve quality of life of the elderly

22-Feb-2016 By Adi Menayang

Researchers found that 40 healthy elderly subjects who drank star fruit juice daily for four weeks showed lowered secretion of pathological cytokines and increased ability for 6-minute walks.

2015 ABC James A Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award recipient announced

22-Feb-2016

The American Botanical Council (ABC) is giving its James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award to Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential Oils in Healthcare, 3rd edition, written by Jane Buckle, PhD, RN.

Fenugreek extract shows benefits for the “male menopause”: Human data

17-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplements of an extract from Fenugreek may reduce symptoms of age related androgen decrease and boost testosterone levels in middle aged and older men, say results a new study from Australia.

New raspberry insights show bioavailability crucial for health benefits

15-Feb-2016 By Will Chu

Red raspberries are rich in polyphenols but its health benefits can only be fully understood by studying how the body metabolises these micronutrients and the mode of action of the bioactive compounds that trigger these potential protective effects, a...

Study: Dried plums consumption benefits bone health

11-Feb-2016 By Adi Menayang

Calcium and vitamin D are often credited as the nutrients to go to for bone strength, but according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, it takes far more than just that.

Ashwagandha root extract may improve sexual function & satisfaction in women

11-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Supplements of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract may improve sexual function in healthy women, according to results of a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial.

Science builds for acai’s brain health benefits

10-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

The potential cognitive health benefits of açai (Euterpe spp.) may be linked to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, according to recent studies from scientists at Tufts University AIBMR Life Sciences.

Anthocyanin-packed tart cherry beverage reaches non-athlete audience

10-Feb-2016 By Adi Menayang

Teams from the Blackhawks to the Patriots, and numerous university athletic teams, are ordering Cheribundi by the bulk, its CEO said.

FDA sends warning letters to 8 companies marketing CBD products

10-Feb-2016 By Hank Schultz

The Food and Drug Administration has sent eight warning letters out to companies marketing dietary supplements containing CBD. The warning letters cite illegal drug claims and also hinge upon the existence of CBD as the active ingredient in two drugs...

Soy intake may slash heart disease risk by 12%, but only for equol producers

09-Feb-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Soy supplements may reduce the risk of cardiovascular risk for people able to produce equol, a microbial-derived metabolite of the isoflavone daidzein, but equol supplements themselves may not have the same effects, says a new study.

Industry must engage AGs early to reduce litigation risk, experts advise

05-Feb-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Proactively educating attorneys general and candidates running for the position about the positive attributes and contributions of dietary supplements could help industry stay out of their litigation cross-hairs in the future, advise two former AGs.

Composite of turmeric and mulberry may aid arthritis, rat study

04-Feb-2016 By Adi Menayang

An independent study conducted by botanical supplements manufacturer Unigen found that pain and inflammation in rats with paw edema were alleviated with a turmeric and mulberry composite supplement.

Trade association opposes U.S. Customs proposal to reclassify certain bilberry and blueberry extracts

29-Jan-2016 By Adi Menayang

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) submitted a comment to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), expressing their opposition to proposals that would “change the tariff classification of certain bilberry and blueberry extract powders,” the...

Researchers in India use curcumin to create ‘functional ice cream’

26-Jan-2016 By Adi Menayang

Researchers from the National Dairy Research Institute in India sought to bring the health benefits of turmeric’s main metabolite—curcumin—into one of the world’s most popular treat: ice cream.

Study: pasta fortified with parsley brought limited antioxidant values

25-Jan-2016 By Adi Menayang

Researchers in Poland fortified pasta with parsley leaves. Though the phenolic level and antioxidant potential of the product was effectively enhanced, the values were significantly lower than predicted.

Special Edition: Transparency in Dietary Supplements

Customers demanding transparency from supplement brands, retailers say

21-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

The notion that food consumers are more committed to transparency than are supplement users is not borne out at the retail level, experts from two natural channel retailers say.

Mangosteen rind ups 'cheap chocolate' polyphenols by 50%: Research

21-Jan-2016 By Louisa Richards

Adding a mangosteen fruit by-product to cheaper low cocoa chocolates could improve their nutritional content without compromising flavour, researchers have discovered. 

“A welcome addition to the literature”: Sabinsa publishes safety data for ForsLean

21-Jan-2016 By Stephen DANIELLS

A new paper brings together the cumulative safety data of ForsLean, Sabinsa’s patented Coleus forskohlii extract, providing formulators with extra confidence in safety of the ingredient.

Brassica Protection Products get FDA no objection for truebroc Glucoraphanin GRAS status

19-Jan-2016

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no objections regarding the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status of Brassica Protection Products LLC’s truebroc brand of glucoraphanin in food applications.

Bone health benefits of botanical extracts linked to genetic pathways

18-Jan-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Extracts from pomegranate, grape seed, licorice, and quercetin may affect bone health by modulating gene expression relating to bone breakdown and formation.

Using efficacious dosages founding principle for new supplement line

18-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

Supplement company Specialty Nutrition Group is partnering with GNC to launch a line of supplements that have clinically relevant dosages as their foundational principle.

Consulting firm rolls out monitoring tool to help with FSMA compliance

15-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

Record keeping can be the bane of the compliant manufacturer’s existence. The Food Safety Modernization Act will impose further burdens, which can be streamlined with a service being rolled out by Registrar Corp.

Creatine forms unlikely basis of new mood support product

14-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

A product formulator has plucked an ingredient from the pre workout space and is basing a new mood support supplement on it. The unlikely new star? Creatine.

Better training could bolster herbalists' standing in medical sphere, expert says

13-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

More specific training for herbalists as a way to bolster professional bona fides could go a long way toward burnishing the herbal industry’s image with the medical community, though it might not mean as much to consumers, a leader educator says.

Independent benchmarks show Alkemist Labs’ “commitment to the highest standards of testing”

12-Jan-2016 By Stephen DANIELLS

Alkemist Labs has achieved ISO 17025 accreditation and also announced it has met the AOAC Analytical Laboratory Accreditation Criteria Committee guidelines.

Algae will be nutritional star of the century, sports nutrition formulator asserts

12-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

Catharine Arnston, founder of the brand Energybits, said she believes her company is the only sports nutrition formulator based solely on whole algae products.

EFSA rejects Echinacea extract and anxiety claim

12-Jan-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected a health claim application from two Hungarian companies for an Echinacea root extract and the reduction of anxiety.

California firm set to become major Moringa supplier with new cultivation method

11-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

Aquaculture and agricultural technology firm New Global Energy Inc. is betting hard on the botanical Moringa. The company is seeking to become a major supplier of raw material, pioneering a new cultivation method on its acreage in California’s Coachella...

Curcumin supplement may improve endothelial function & boost heart health for older people

11-Jan-2016 By Stephen DANIELLS

Consuming curcumin supplements may improve endothelial-dependent dilation (EDD) of blood vessels in middle-aged and older, says a new study.

NPA objects to EPA's classification of leftover supplements as 'hazardous waste pharmaceuticals'

08-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

The Natural Products Association has objected to a move by the Environmental Protection Agency that would classify leftover dietary supplements as ‘hazardous waste pharmaceuticals.’

FDA seizes $400,000 worth of kratom products in Illinois

08-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

Despite an import ban on the substance, kratom-containing products continue to find their way into the country. In the latest action, the Food and Drug Administration has seized 90,000 bottles at a facility in Illinois.

Resveratrol + exercise may lead to increased mitochondrial capacity

08-Jan-2016 By Adi Menayang

Test participants that consumed resveratrol supplementation after low-intensity exercise training experienced higher mitochondrial capacity in their forearm, says a new study.