Botanicals

Melon juice extract reduces cellulite on thighs (but not stomach): Study

20-Oct-2015 By Louise Reid

Melon juice concentrate reduces cellulite on thighs, according to a recent study by French ingredient supplier Bionov.

The NY AG has become an expert on supplements, so what next?

19-Oct-2015 By Stephen Daniells

The New York Attorney General is now approaching the supplements industry from three directions – commercial, scientific, and legal – says Loren Israelsen. But what does this mean and what’s next?

Schneiderman pushed industry to ramp up quality game, Blumenthal said

16-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

The attacks on the dietary supplement industry orchestrated by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have had beneficial effect, said American Botanical Council founder Mark Blumenthal. There is no denying the quality temperature is rising.

Alkemist/AHP deal part of renewed focus on quality, availability of botanical reference materials

16-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Marketing botanical reference materials (BRMs) is no way to get rich. But that hasn’t stopped some in industry, such as Alkemist Labs, from offering an expanded line of these products to meet the anticipated greater demand as a result of recent pressures.

Beetroot juice can battle altitude sickness: Himalayan study

15-Oct-2015 By Louise Reid

Consumption of nitrate-rich beetroot juice may restore reduced blood vessel function in healthy subjects at altitude, researchers have said.

Challenge growing to ensure supply in a changing world, congress attendees told

14-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Change is a constant in the natural world, but it is accelerating for a variety of reasons, a fact that has serious implications for botanical ingredient suppliers, participants at a recent industry congress were told.

Is DNA barcoding now the adulteration tool du jour?

14-Oct-2015 By Stephen Daniells

The NY Attorney General’s focus on DNA barcoding may actually be making quality worse, says Frank Jaksch, CEO of ChromaDex, and the focus should be on supply chain management and not analytical techniques.

Study supports cranberry’s heart health benefits

13-Oct-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Drinking cranberry juice may improve vascular function and blood pressure, says a new study funded by the Cranberry Institute.

BASF optimizes global sterols production infrastructure

12-Oct-2015

BASF is increasing its sterol extraction capacity at its site in Boussens, France, and closing its sterols production site in Pasadena, Texas as the company optimizes its global sterol production infrastructure.

Study strengthens olive leaf extract’s heart health benefits

09-Oct-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Extracts from olive leaf may reduce LDL cholesterol to the same extent as atorvastatin, report researchers from Celal Bayar University in Turkey.

‘Heal all’ herb shows cognitive health benefits, for mice at least

07-Oct-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily consumption of extracts from Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina may enhance cognitive function in lab mice, says a new study from South Korea.

Sen McCaskill calls for vinpocetine and picamilon supplements to be pulled from shelves

06-Oct-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Senator Claire McCaskill, the ranking member of the US Senate Special Committee on Aging, has called for the FDA to suspend sales of supplements containing vinpocetine and picamilon pending an investigation.

Study shows natto enzyme helps break down blood clots, benefits blood flow

05-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Japan Bio Science Laboratory, a company that has been developing a nattokinase ingredient, has released research results bolstering the ingredient’s effects at combating the formation of abnormal blood clots and benefiting blood flow.

Finding the right endorsers & mixing the right proteins are part of winning in sports nutrition game, say experts

02-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Opportunities abound in the growing sports nutrition market, speakers on NIU’s recent forum told listeners. The forum, available on demand, covered topics of marketing, formulation and label transparency.

Quality of vinpocetine, picamilon supplements questioned by Ole Miss-Harvard study

02-Oct-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

A new analysis of over 50 dietary supplement products containing vinpocetine or picamilon has found that wide ranges in levels of the bioactives, with some products not containing anything at all.

Which supplement brands are people buying online?

02-Oct-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Online is increasingly a vital outlet for supplements, but which brands rule the internet, what’s their share, and how do they differ between the retailers online?

‘This is heating up’: Studies highlight concerns over yohimbe supplements

01-Oct-2015 By Stephen Daniells

There is increasing scrutiny of yohimbe and yohimbine supplements, with three papers published in 2015 reporting concerns over these supplements, including one last week from Harvard’s Dr Pieter Cohen.

Reinforcing supply chain integrity a must in the current climate, Gaia exec says

29-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

Traceability and sustainability are the new touchstones of the herbal products industry. Gaia Herbs has been at the forefront of this trend, said executive Todd King.

PLT debuts standardized nitrate ingredient from red spinach

29-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

PLT Health Solutions believes it has a winner in the sports nutrition field with the introduction of a standardized nitrate ingredient branded as Oxystorm.

Berries may enhance motor performance and improve cognition, says study

28-Sep-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Strawberries and blueberries may boost brain health by enhancing motor performance and improving working memory, says a new study.

Sports nutrition: NIU forum to explore the trends in the booming sports sector

25-Sep-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Experts from Health Wright, Muscle Pharm, Texas A&M, and Euromonitor will discuss the trends in sports nutrition in a FREE forum hosted by NutraIngredients-USA.

DNA barcoding is here to stay, UNPA's Israelsen warns industry

25-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

The application of DNA barcoding to herbal supplements - which in the hands of the NY AG has been used as a bludgeon - could be turned into a significant boon for the industry, said United Natural Products Alliance president Loren Israelsen. The organization...

Lemon verbena extract aids sleep and recovery for athletes, says study

25-Sep-2015 By Eliot Beer

PLX, a supplement derived from lemon verbena, can help athletes sleep better, reduce muscle pain and improve recovery time, according to a new manufacturer-sponsored study.

Curcumin close to status where benefits implicitly understood by consumers, manufacturer says

24-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

Curcumin is becoming so well known among consumers that it has almost gotten to the point that the mere name on the label is enough to market its many benefits, said Cheryl Myers, of supplement manufacturer Europharma.

College students more likely than general population to use dietary supplements, says survey

23-Sep-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Sixty-six percent of students use dietary supplements at least once a week, says a survey of students from five universities.

Faster sprints and better decisions: Beetroot juice backed for increased sports performance

21-Sep-2015 By Nathan Gray

Drinking high nitrate beetroot juice could improve both sprint performance and decision-making during prolonged intermittent exercise such as rugby and football, and could help players at the Rugby World Cup, say researchers.

People on the move, Summer 2015: AHPA, Deerland Enzymes, Pizzey Ingredients & more

18-Sep-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

The summer was a period with a few new hires and promotions recently, with notable appointments at AHPA, Pizzey Ingredients, Deerland Enzymes, Gemini Pharmaceuticals, Beneo, InterHealth & HP Ingredients.

Supplier unveils new thermogenic ingredient, DNA testing of botanicals

16-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

Novel Ingredient Services plans to launch an updated thermogenic ingredient for supplements and functional foods at the upcoming Supply Side West trade show. In addition, the company will highlight a new DNA testing regimen for incoming raw material.

'It's like a Vitamix without the blades': Could dynamic cellular disruption unlock new opportunities in the plant-based foods market?

15-Sep-2015 By Elaine Watson

Dynamic Cellular Disruption – a novel process that breaks up plant matter without using chemicals, enzymes or blades - could enable manufacturers to create new, more nutritious foods and beverages, or produce existing products more cost-effectively, according...

Complexity of herbal nomenclature becomes point of vulnerability for industry

14-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

Nailing down a precise nomenclature for herbs is a complicated undertaking, and the best good faith efforts of industry may have unwittingly given an opening to the NY AG Eric Schneiderman in his continuing offensive against the dietary supplement industry.

Organic India USA attains B Corporation Status

14-Sep-2015

Colorado-based Organic India USA has been certified as a B Corporation, continuing its commitment to higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, the company said.

The NY AG’s herbal probe so far: From GNC to devil’s claw

11-Sep-2015 By Stephen Daniells

It started with cease and desist letters to four major retailers and then grew and grew. A lot has happened since NY AG Eric Schneiderman launched his investigation into herbal supplement quality.

Schneiderman takes 13 devil's claw manufacturers to task over species intermixing that experts say is 'non-issue'

10-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has sent cease and desist letters to 13 companies marketing devil’s claw supplements claiming the products fraudulently mixed one species of the botanical with a closely related species. Herbal experts, however, say...

$35 million for cognitive & metabolic resilience, women’s health & cutting edge technologies: NIH’s natural product research projects

10-Sep-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Five research centers will focus on topics ranging from high-throughput functional annotation of natural products to botanicals for women’s health, with funding coming from the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the...

ABC report shows US herbal supplement sales rose 6.8% in 2014

09-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

Overall sales of herbal dietary supplements rose 6.8% in 2014, according to new information released by the American Botanical Council.

Wake Up and Smell the Pure Powdered Caffeine

09-Sep-2015 By Steve Mister, President & CEO, Council for Responsible Nutrition

Once again the dietary supplement industry finds itself having to make tough decisions. Today the issue is pure powdered caffeine being sold directly to consumers. And the options are a lot more momentous than merely “would you like cream and sugar with...

Bringing our A-game: NIU forums to explore science and trends in booming sports nutrition sector

09-Sep-2015

Experts from ISSN, GENr8, Skratch Labs, Health Wright, Muscle Pharm, Texas A&M, and Euromonitor will discuss the science and trends in sports nutrition in two FREE forums hosted by NutraIngredients-USA.

Onion extracts lower blood pressure for hypertensives: study

07-Sep-2015 By Eliot Beer

Taking onion skin-derived food supplements of the flavonol quercetin can lower blood pressure for people with hypertension, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Botanicals giant refines fruit & veg extracts range for food supplements

04-Sep-2015 By Shane STARLING

French botanicals leader Naturex has emphasised its ambition to be the “world leader in the specialty fruit & vegetable category” by launching an extract range targeting food supplements including gummies.

Blueberry extracts may offer oral health benefits: Study

03-Sep-2015 By Stephen Daniells

Polyphenol-rich extracts from lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) may inhibit specific bacteria in the mouth and reduce periodontitis, Canadian scientists report.

Cannavest gets CBD oil products on natural channel retail shelves amid mounting losses

02-Sep-2015 By Hank Schultz

Cannavest, a Las Vegas, NV-based company active in the CBD marketplace, has reported a sharp increase in losses in its second quarter, 2015 earnings statement. But the company also hit the retail market with its PlusCBD Oil product and secured significant...

Elderberry extract may improve obesity inflammation

01-Sep-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Black elderberry extract may improve obesity-related metabolic disturbances like triglyceride (TAG) levels, inflammation and insulin resistance, research in mice finds.

Court shuts down energy drink network marketer Vemma over pyramid scheme allegation

28-Aug-2015 By Hank Schultz

Vemma Nutrition, a multilevel marketing company that based its business on a line of mangosteen juice drinks, has been shut down by an Arizona court acting on a Federal Trade Commission request for allegedly operating an illegal pyramid scheme.

Trade organization forms to foster non-GMO certification for supplements

27-Aug-2015 By Hank Schultz

A new trade organization - the Coalition for Supplement Sustainability (CSS) - has formed primarily out of a need to identify a way for supplement manufacturers to deal with non-GMO certification.

Pre hypertension link to risk in young adults widens scope for grape seed extract, Polyphenolics says

25-Aug-2015 By Hank Schultz

High blood pressure has been called the silent killer, and a recent study indicates its effects may be more widespread than previously believed. It creates a market opportunity for those few dietary supplement ingredients that have data backing their...

Canadian company claims its liposomal delivery massively boosts CBD bioavailability

25-Aug-2015 By Hank Schultz

Despite the regulatory haze that clouds the picture of hemp ingredients, innovation continues at an unrestrained pace. In the latest development, early stage company Lexaria says it has developed a liposomal delivery system to boost the bioavailability...

Multi-component formula shows potential eye health benefits for diabetics: RCT

25-Aug-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

Six months of supplementation with xanthophyll pigments, antioxidants and selected botanical extracts may improve visual function in diabetes, says a new study.

Firm automates ingredient discovery based on epigenetic activity

24-Aug-2015 By Hank Schultz

Finding new bioactive molecules has in the past been something of a treasure hunt that had developers combing records of traditional uses of botanicals for clues pointing the way to new products. UK-based natural products company Sibelius Limited is one...

Twinlab rounds last bend in restructuring marathon with acquisition of Reserveage supplement line

21-Aug-2015 By Hank Schultz

Twinlab Consolidated Holdings LLC has competed the last lap of a journey that began when CEO Tom Tolworthy took the reins of the previous version of Twinlab in 2011. The plan has now come to full fruition with the impending acquisition of Organic Holdings...