Nutrition

People on the move: ChromaDex, Deerland, BrandHive, and more

15-Aug-2018 By Adi Menayang

New chief officers, presidents, directors, managers and more—here’s a cheat-sheet of who’s who and what’s new in the dietary supplements and natural products industry this summer.

AKA says it can see signs that government position on kratom is evolving

03-Aug-2018 By Hank Schultz

Kratom advocates say they can see cracks developing in the wall the federal government has tried to build around access to this botanical.

The Vitamin Shoppe introduces vendor incubation program called Launchpad

31-Jul-2018 By Adi Menayang

Nutritional product retailer The Vitamin Shoppe announced the launch of a new incubation program called Launchpad. It is currently accepting submissions.

Misfiring marketing? Are ineffective strategies contributing to region's nutritional woes?

31-Jul-2018 By Tingmin Koe

The root cause of under-nutrition and malnutrition is not the lack of nutritional products, but ineffective marketing methods, according to business consulting firm Hystra.

NEWS IN BRIEF

OmniActive earns NSF GMP registration for manufacturing facility, advancing botanicals business

26-Jun-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

OmniActive Health Technologies has received Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) registration by NSF International for its manufacturing plant in Hosur, India, a facility previously owned by Indfrag prior to the two firms merging.

Next dimension of personalized nutrition? Startup Baze pushes into US dietary supplement market

25-Jun-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Baze, an at-home blood testing kit that measures an individual’s micronutrient levels to determine a set of personalized monthly supplements, has completed a soft launch in the US aiming to introduce consumers to the “next level of dietary supplementation,”...

Omega-3 in sports nutrition: Science is 'exciting and promising, but still emerging'

19-Jun-2018 By Adi Menayang

Omega-3 supplements positioned specifically for sports nutrition lag behind ingredients like protein powder or amino acids in terms of product development and sales, but scientific literature backing the fatty acid's benefits for athletes continue...

Notes from Nutrition 2018 in Boston

Does the micronutrient disparity in the US deserve more attention?

13-Jun-2018 By Adi Menayang

From a list of about a dozen shortfall nutrients, US government health agencies recognize only a handful as a public health concern. Some researchers and trade groups argue that this shouldn’t be the case.

Review of l-carnitine’s scientific literature support its benefits for performance, aging

05-Jun-2018 By Adi Menayang

A look at published studies on L-carnitine suggests that there is mounting evidence pointing to the compound's benefits for active people, young and old.

Researchers to use CRISPR gene-editing to develop microbiome supplements for malnourished kids

04-Jun-2018 By Stephen Daniells

A collaboration between MilliporeSigma and Washington University in St. Louis seeks to explore the differences between gut microbiomes of healthy and malnourished children, and then restore any imbalances using optimized supplements.

Are online supplement subscriptions the industry’s future? Mintel says model is poised for growth

25-May-2018 By Adi Menayang

When it comes to online shopping, dietary supplements join the likes of personal care products like razors and oral care, where consumers are more likely to hit ‘subscribe,’ according to an analyst from market research firm Mintel.

When transparency is no longer a differentiator, supplement brands need to be creative with corporate social responsibility

24-May-2018 By Adi Menayang

As more supplement brands go great lengths to be transparent to consumers, communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR) creatively becomes key.

ALANUR fights for dietary supplement regulation in Latin America with focus on understanding consumer habits

24-May-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The Latin American Responsible Nutrition Alliance (ALANUR) is working alongside other organizations to harmonize regulations for dietary supplements and understand consumer habits in the expansive and dynamic region of Latin America, home to roughly 625...

In many Latin American countries, direct selling brands take lead in dietary supplement sales

23-May-2018 By Adi Menayang

Direct selling companies have a relatively large share of dietary supplement sales in Latin American countries compared to others around the globe, according to data from market research firm Euromonitor.

Vitamin Packs gets investment from L Catterton, largest consumer-focused investment firm in world

22-May-2018 By Adi Menayang

Personalized nutrition startup Vitamin Packs announced that it has received ‘significant growth investment’ from L Catterton, a global venture capital and private equity firm.

Valensa to use state seal to help shine light on saw palmetto quality issues

21-May-2018 By Hank Schultz

Valensa International has fixed on a certification from the Florida Department of Agriculture as a way to highlight the special properties of saw palmetto and the quality issues that surround the botanical.

New Zealand hunger-suppressant supplement calocurb enters US market. Can it overcome the category's stigma?

21-May-2018 By Adi Menayang

A supplement containing a proprietary hop flower extract from New Zealand is entering the US market, positioned for weight management through appetite control.

FitLife ekes out profit despite failed acquisition, declining GNC sales

18-May-2018 By Hank Schultz

Dietary supplement brand holder FitLife Brands has posted its first quarterly profit in almost two years as it continues to wrestle with a failed acquisition and the struggles of its largest sales platform—GNC.

Jaksch says move into chairman role part of ChromaDex's pivot toward finished goods

14-May-2018 By Hank Schultz

A strategic pivot toward finished products underpins his impending move toward an advisory role, said ChromaDex CEO Frank Jaksch.

Zenwise Health founder: ‘E-commerce lets us be nimble’

10-May-2018 By Adi Menayang

The Florida-headquartered supplement brand Zenwise Health has had triple-digit growth in revenue year-over-year continuously since it started in 2014. Founder AJ Patel attributed this to the nimbleness of being an online-only brand.

Multivitamin gummies: Experts share their tips on how to formulate them

07-May-2018 By Adi Menayang

Gummies are an increasingly popular delivery format for dietary supplements. We talk to some experts in the category on how to make sure a product isn’t sacrificing nutrient content over palatability.

Notes from SupplySide East 2018

Evolva debuts new, cold-water dispersible delivery system for resveratrol

17-Apr-2018 By Adi Menayang

From a resveratrol powder dispersible in cold liquid to a melt-in-your-mouth resveratrol pixie stick, Swiss ingredient supplier Evolva highlighted the flexibility of resveratrol fortification at the SupplySide East show in Secaucus, NJ last week.

Pin Up Girl Protein co-founder: ‘We want to help build strong women’

02-Apr-2018 By Adi Menayang

The co-founders of Pin Up Girl protein were tired of the dichotomous narrative they observed in the protein powder category. On one end, you have the hyper-masculine branding focusing on bulking and powering up, and on the other end, powders targeting...

Natreon gets US patent for shilajit-derived urolithin B, marketed for weight management

26-Mar-2018 By Adi Menayang

Ingredient company Natreon received a US patent for a natural bioactive found in shilaji—3-hydroxy-dibenzo-α-pyrone, or urolithin B for short—which may aid consumers in weight management.

Special Edition: Botanicals

From calming capsules to energizing teas: Botanical product launches at Expo West

20-Mar-2018 By Adi Menayang

What’s new in the botanical supplements and functional foods this year? We caught up with some botanical-focused companies at the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, CA, earlier this month to get the scoop.

Cardiometabolic disease carries a higher risk of mortality than obesity: Taiwan population study

13-Mar-2018 By Gary Scattergood

High blood pressure and hyperglycemia are associated with higher risk of mortality than obesity in a Taiwanese population, new research has shown.

Here are some dietary supplements, functional food and beverages you'll see at Expo West 2018

01-Mar-2018 By Adi Menayang

From ‘beauty sleep water’ to a handful of protein + probiotic snacks, we dug through the press releases to get a feel of what type of dietary supplements, functional foods, and functional beverages one can find at the Natural Product Expo West 2018 expo...

Omega-3s: Consumer awareness is high and positive, but they need a reason to buy supplements

01-Mar-2018 By Stephen Daniells

While consumer awareness of the benefits of omega-3s is high and positive, consumer usage of dietary supplements is low, according to new data from focus groups funded by GOED.

SPECIAL EDITION: PERSONALISED NUTRITION

Personalised nutrition test aims to fill gaps that impair athletic gains

27-Feb-2018 By Will Chu

A blood test and food questionnaire form the basis of a simple personalised nutrition approach, which can identify micronutrient and vitamin deficiencies that can prevent optimum athletic performance.

Research piles up supporting role of omega-3s in eye health, expert says

26-Feb-2018 By Hank Schultz

Among dietary ingredients, carotenoids are the most visible players in eye health. But omega-3s play a key role as well, said a federally funded researcher who specializes in the topic.

Athletes and fitness community increasingly embracing personalization

23-Feb-2018 By Stephen Daniells

The link between personalization and athletes of all levels will become stronger as scientific advances “cut through the noise and show results that are objective”, says the CEO of InsideTracker.

Herbalife earnings recovering after FTC fine, restructuring

23-Feb-2018 By Hank Schultz

Herbalife says it is successfully emerging from the pall cast by an investigation and subsequent fine levied by the US Federal Trade Commission. The network marketing giant said fourth quarter earnings showed that business is trending back up after taking...

Low-carb versus low-fat diets equally effective, says study

21-Feb-2018 By Tim Cutcliffe

Reducing carbs or fat has a similar effect on weight loss, according to a new study in JAMA.

NIH awards $2.6 million grant to researchers developing choline status lab test

21-Feb-2018 By Adi Menayang

Researchers at the University of North Carolina Nutrition Research Institute have been awarded a four-year, $2.6 million grant by the National Institutes of Health to develop and validate laboratory tests to assess choline status in humans.

People on the move: GOED, Amin Talati, Nature’s Bounty, AHPA, CRN, and more

21-Feb-2018 By Stephen Daniells

We’ve had a few notable hires since the start of 2018, with big news at AHPA, Amin Talati, CRN, GOED, Health Wright Products, Maker's Nutrition, NSF AuthenTechnologies, Rousselot, and The Nature’s Bounty Company.

Startup to bring CBD-containing sports nutrition protein product to market

20-Feb-2018 By Hank Schultz

Product development featuring CBD continues despite the ingredient’s regulatory impediments, with the latest example being a protein powder offered by a Colorado startup.

Sat-fat diet harms the mind as well as the body: Mouse data

19-Feb-2018 By Tim Cutcliffe

Excessive consumption of saturated fat could result in anxiety and depression, according to new research in mice.

Savvier consumers seeking innovative products that deliver on simplicity, transparency, expert says

15-Feb-2018 By Hank Schultz

A more sophisticated consumer base is driving the pace and direction of innovation, according to an expert who regularly helps supplement companies sample their wares in the marketplace.

More research on omega-3s in muscle building, healthy aging and brain health called for, expert says

15-Feb-2018 By Hank Schultz

Research continues to pile up on omega-3s but within that mountain of data, gaps start to appear. Expert Kevin Tipton, PhD, told us about three areas where more research is needed: In muscle growth, in healthy aging and in brain health.

Tapping on the functional food trend, Muscle Mac stands out in the protein crowd

15-Feb-2018 By Adi Menayang

There’s a plethora of protein powders, protein shakes, protein bars, and even protein water. Protein is obviously popular among consumers, so how do you stand out in the crowd? For Pennsylvania-based Quality Pasta Company, the answer was protein pasta.

View from the Editor's Chair

Where’s the innovation in dietary supplements? Part 2: From delivery to personalization

15-Feb-2018 By Stephen Daniells

In part 2 of my two part series on innovation, I will look at innovation in delivery techniques and the rise of customization and personalization in dietary supplements.

Beyond diet, but before drugs: Researchers stress the potential for nutraceuticals

15-Feb-2018 By Nathan Gray

There is huge potential for nutraceutical products with proven efficacy and substantiated health benefits to be used as ‘powerful tools’ in preventing and reversing medical conditions. But, it is vital to have proper definitions and standardised regulations...