Herbal companies looking for new products may not need to go far to
find new medicinal plants, according to a review, which finds that
weeds have produced more drugs and natural remedies than tropical
plants found in the rainforest.
Florida-based nutritional supplements company Bio-One has signed an
agreement to acquire a majority share in a Chinese herbal medicine
company in the Guangzhou Province.
The French food authority AFSSA has approved a health claim for
cranberry juice and powder and its effect on urinary tract health,
in the world's first health claim for the fruit, writes Philippa
Nuttall.
Canadian biotech SemBioSys Genetics is to develop safflower oils
rich in the omega-6 fatty acid GLA under a new agreement with
agricultural products company Arcadia Biosciences, the company
announced on Friday.
The highly purified green tea extract Teavigo has been shown to
significantly inhibit the process that promotes fat cell formation
in mice, and may help prevent overweight in people, says
manufacturer DSM Nutritional Products.
Plant extract supplier Unigen Pharmaceuticals is to work with a
University of Panama research centre to identify lead plant-derived
compounds that could be used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical,
cosmeceutical and functional food products.
Green tea may help to lower the prevalence of esophageal
adenocarcinoma, one of the fastest growing cancers in western
countries, said researchers speaking at a meeting on digestive
disease in the US last week.
Coca producers in Peru are creating a new application for the plant
in energy drinks and health foods, steering their industry away
from the drugs trade, according to a report.
The US demand for forskolin, a compound that promotes increased
lean body mass has grown to such an extent that one manufacturer
has increased the amount of farmland used to grow the plant to meet
the year round demand for the herbal...
St. John's wort supplements, which can be taken to treat
depression, do not meet quality standards according to researchers
whose findings prove just how differing health supplements are in
their contents and quality.
Spanish caffeine producer Natraceutical will raise more than €20
million with a new share placement, designed to boost capital for
its developing functional foods business.
A compound in the curry spice turmeric appears to correct the
cystic fibrosis defect in mice, report Canadian scientists,
demonstrating the potential for treating the disease in humans.
A supplement derived from a rare Chinese mushroom could boost
energy levels and stamina during exercise in middle-aged adults,
reported researchers this week.
A dietary supplement containing a mixture of herbals, vitamins and
amino acids may help boost fertility in women who have difficulty
conceiving, according to a US researcher, writes Dominique
Patton.
Curcumin, the spice that gives curry its yellow color, may activate
a key enzyme that protects the brain against oxidation, thought to
be a major factor in ageing and responsible for neurodegenerative
disorders like Alzheimer's...
Australian scientists confirm that the traditional sickness remedy
ginger could relieve the nausea and vomiting experienced by
pregnant women to a similar extent as vitamin B6.
Manufacturers took a closer look at the rules governing botanical
extracts in the US, Europe and Canada at the industry's first
integrative medicine and natural healthcare exhibition this month.
Calls heard for a common set of...
Coffee contains similar levels of antioxidants to black tea and can
be just as beneficial to health, according to Scottish scientists
that have found coffee's antioxidants are highly absorbable by the
human body.
A line of herb enhanced soft drinks will receive wider distribution
in Canada with V-Net Beverage, the acquisitive supplier of Rush
Cola, signing an agreement with natural foods marketer Tree of
Life.
The active component in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate
(EGCG), already shown to fight several types of cancer, also
appears to kill cells of the most common form of leukemia, reports
a US team this week.
The standards of quality control on herbal supplements will need to
be tightened if the US public are to have any confidence in their
health claims. That was the main talking point of a symposium as
experts gathered for three days...
New research on walnuts - a key ingredient in a host of cakes and
bakery goods - will help manufacturers in the mature bakery market
gain a slice of the burgeoning health-promoting food trend.
Boosting 'added-value' opportunities for companies working with
corn, new research from government scientists on a fungus could
hold the key to using corn fibre as a factory for the production of
the potent antioxidant lycopene,...
Type 2 diabetes patients had lower blood sugar and healthier blood
vessels after supplementing with French maritime pine tree bark
extract Pycnogenol, report scientists in the latest study to
investigate a natural product for diabetes...
Echinacea supplements, one of the most popular herbal remedies in
the US, which is taken to treat the common cold, do not meet
quality standards according to researchers whose findings prove how
dietary supplements differ in their...
Targeting the $900 billion functional foods market in the US,
recently floated company American Consolidated Management Group
(ACMI), will take on board a preliminary technology
transfer/license agreement for a natural plant product...
Oil from the seeds of an Asian plant, already shown to fight
leukemia, also appears to kill prostate cancer cells and shrink
tumors, signs of strong potential in the fight against the second
cause of cancer death among European men.
The key ingredient in the most popular ice cream in the world faces
a rise in price, already at a 10 year high, as the worst cyclone in
two decades hits Madagascar, the leading producer of vanilla.
A new study points to yet another risk associated with a diet rich
in animal protein - it may increase the risk of gout, the most
common form of inflammatory arthritis in men.
Direct mail marketers have agreed to pay $2.2 million in consumer
redress and to stop certain deceptive advertising practices to
settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they made false and
unsubstantiated claims for weight loss...
Drinking coffee seems to reduce the risk of developing type 2
diabetes, a growing threat around the world due to the rise in
obesity and ageing populations.
A new trial on Caiapo, an extract of white sweet potatoes taken in
supplement form in Japan, confirms that it improves blood sugar and
cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetic subjects.
Swedish company Nutritech International has developed a range of
health foods to showcase its new organic activated barley, which
has a beta-glucan content almost double that of the original raw
material, as well as high levels of...
US researchers are carrying out a major, long-term study to
investigate the safety and efficacy of the herbal products black
cohosh and red clover in relieving menopause symptoms.
Chatsworth, California-based Renaissance Herbs has added a
mangosteen fruit extract to its botanicals portfolio, targeted for
increasing antioxidant activity and boosting immunity.
Proof that soaring price rises are not only branded in the hard
pushed natural vanilla market with the news this week that
Norwegian ingredients company Borregaard Synthesis has hiked up the
price for its line of synthetic vanillin...
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to
consumers not to purchase or consume a herbal product, being
promoted as a natural version of Ecstasy.
Women's use of all medications, including herbal supplements, is
higher than anticipated, and they're unlikely to tell their health
care providers about the medications they take, according to a
University of Minnesota researcher.
Plant oestrogens, such as isoflavones or lignans, do not appear to
have any effect on reducing breast cancer risk in Western women,
report Dutch researchers.
US scientists have created purple tomatoes that include
anthocyanins, the antioxidant pigments in red wine believed to
prevent heart disease but not normally found in domestic varieties
of the fruit.
Ongoing debate over strategy for the ingredient and juice producer
Ocean Spray Cranberries has damaged the co-operative's credit
rating, and could distract management from focusing on being more
competitive, said analysts this...
High blood pressure patients can significantly reduce their
prescription medication by taking an antioxidant supplement to
improve heart health, show the results of a new clinical study.
Canadian supplement firm Millennium Health Supplements has begun
selling an African plant that has been shown to suppress appetite
as a supplement in North America.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday released guidelines
for good agricultural and collection practices for medicinal
plants, aimed at making governments aware of the increasing risk to
plant species and the need for good...
The cosmetic and food industries have welcomed a ruling by the US
appeals court that blocks the American government from stopping the
sale and possession of products made from hemp plants.
Health has become a top priority recently for consumers, and increasingly, physical activity. For everyday wellness enthusiasts, weightlifting and hardcore...
