More Americans than ever are facing the threat of blindness from
age-related eye disease, reveals a new report from the US. Over one
million Americans aged 40 and over are currently blind and an
additional 2.4 million are visually...
A consumer group is accusing the marketer of a fungus-based meat
substitute of "deceptive labelling" and has filed a
complaint with the US Food and Drug Administration, Advertising Age
reports.
Some sectors of the Scandinavian organic food industry are
approaching maturity, but the organic fresh fruit market continues
to show robust growth, according to a new report from Organic
Monitor. Total sales of organic fruit have...
Health Sciences Group, the Los Angeles-based group which
specialises in investing in companies involved in the health
sector, has signed a letter of intent to acquire the assets and
operations of Quality Botanical ingredients (QBI),...
Calcium supplements have been in the news a lot this week, with
revelations just yesterday that the nutrient is more effective when
combined with phosphorous contrasting with news a day earlier that
calcium supplements can help combat...
Children who fail to consume enough magnesium and potassium in
their diets may be damaging the function of their lungs, according
to recent research from the US.
Calcium has long been touted as a major factor in bone health and
the fight against osteoporosis. But now researchers at Creighton
University in the US appear to have shown that calcium may not be
the only factor when it comes to...
Nutra Pharma of the US says it expects to see the first four wound
healing applications of its proprietary herbal extract compound
WD-667 hit the market in the next two months.
Advicor, the cholesterol control product from Kos Pharmaceuticals,
has been found to be highly effective in controlling the full range
of lipids when compared to two other leading statin products,
according to a new study presented...
A glass or two of orange juice daily could do wonders for our blood
pressure, according to a pilot study conducted at the Cleveland
Clinic in the United States.
Forbes Medi-Tech has said it will not exercise its right to buy
back the licensing and distribution rights to Reducol, the
cholesterol-lowering ingredient from Novartis.
Most Americans consume only half of the 25-35g recommended daily
allowance (RDA) of dietary fibre, according to recent statistics
from the American Diabetic Association. Benefiber, a new
easy-to-swallow product from Novartis Consumer...
Reliv International returned to profitability in 2001, despite a
decline in overall sales, as restructuring measures announced a
year earlier began to take effect.
A dietary supplement which claims to be an effective weight loss
agent has been linked to severe liver damage in seven healthy
people, according to research published in the US Annals of
Internal Medicine this week.
Relora, a natural ingredient produced by Next Pharmaceuticals, has
been shown clinically to significantly alter the hormone levels
associated with stress-induced obesity, the company claims.
Pain Therapeutics, a US-based medical research company, is to
develop two new opioid painkillers, OxyTrex and MorViva, both of
which it claims do not lead to the tolerance and dependance
associated with other opioid painkillers.
A British study has found that the global market for performance
foods and drinks is now worth in excess of $11billion (€12.5bn),
and is dominated by drinks, which account for over 90 per cent of
total sales.
Caffeine negates the effects of the controversial sports
supplement, creatine, according to research carried out by
scientists from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, in Belgium.
Higher cholesterol levels are not only bad for the heart and blood
vessels, they increase the risk of cognitive impairment, the
precursor to Alzheimer's disease, according to a study of elderly
women by UCSF researchers.
Spectrum Organic Products, a US organic ingredients manufacturer,
has reported a net operating cash flow of $705,000 (€798,000) for
the fourth quarter of 2001, compared to a negative EBITDA of
$108,000 for the previous year.
Safety fears over Chinese herbal medicines increased this week
after potentially toxic substances were found in a slimming remedy
sold in the UK. Two people had to be treated for severe
side-effects after taking a cocktail of remedies.
German chemicals group BASF said it performed well last year and is
confident of further growth in 2002 despite difficult trading
conditions. All of the company's divisions performed well, despite
high raw material prices and...
It appears that the research is true - giving vitamins to children
can help improve their performance at school. This at least is the
claim of The Healthy Foundation, which runs a vitamin
supplementation programme called Vitamin Relief...
Hansen Natural Corporation, the US energy and natural drink
manufacturer, has reported record sales of $21.6 million (€24.6m)
for the final quarter of 2001, up 17.6 per cent on the previous
year.
People who have a parent or sibling with colon cancer can markedly
reduce their own chances of developing the disease by taking a
daily multivitamin that includes folic acid and limiting their
intake of alcohol, according to a new...
Despite fierce lobbying which at one stage caused the European
Parliament's email system to crash, MEPs yesterday voted to approve
plans for a tightening of the safety controls for vitamin
supplements.
The future of the organic farming industry in Wales is under threat
because supermarkets are importing cheap overseas produce,
according to a BBC Wales investigation. Many organic farms may be
forced to close unless the major UK retail...
Just because most of the evidence supports the benefits of
quercetin as an antioxidant does not mean that research into its
potentially harmful aspects should be dismissed.
Wild Oats Markets, a leading US-based natural and organic foods
retailer, has announced that it is to donate 5 per cent of all its
sales on Monday 18 March to local non-profit organisations.
Mai's Foods, which also trades as Margaret's Kitchen, introduced a
new soy-based functional food product at last week's Natural
Products Expo West show in Anaheim, California.
Teenagers who use herbal products are more likely to move on to
more harmful drugs such as cigarettes, alcohol and narcotics,
according to a paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society
for Adolescent Medicine in the US.
Dutch food group Numico has announced that it is to restructure its
US operations after a difficult year affected by a downturn in
supplement sales. Some 600 jobs are likely to be lost as a result
of the changes.
US pharmaceuticals firm American Home Products changed its name to
Wyeth on Monday, a move analysts said would help erase memories of
the fen-phen slimming cocktail nightmare that cost it $13 billion.
Many people find that a swift drink can help them relax and wind
down from the stresses of life. Now, new research from the US has
found evidence to suggest that moderate alcohol consumption can
have a beneficial effect on blood pressure...
A combination of vitamin C, L-lysine, L-proline and a polyphenol
fraction of green tea is highly effective in preventing the spread
of cancer cells, according to new research.
Tomorrow will see the second reading of the European Union's draft
proposals for a directive on food supplements, sparking a new round
of condemnation from supplement manufacturers and retailers across
the Community.
Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone found in the intestine,
could prove to be an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes,
according to a study in The Lancet.
American pharmacy students are startlingly unaware of the benefits
of folic acid, according to a three-year study carried out by
researchers at Midwestern University.
Enfamil LIPIL, an infant formula with DHA and ARA - two nutrients
naturally found in breast milk - has been shown to improve visual
development in infants, according to a new study funded by the
National Institute of Child Health...
Functional food manufacturer MLO/GeniSoy is to launch two new
products at this week's Natural Products Expo in Anaheim,
California: GeniSoy Chocolate Drenched Premium Soy Nuts and Xtreme
snack bars.
The catechins found in green tea may benefit arthritis patients by
reducing the degradation of cartilage, according to an in vitro
study conducted at the University of Sheffield Medical School in
the UK.
Italy has become the first country to ban the use of the
anti-obesity drug sibutramine, prompting fears that other European
countries will follow suit. The drug is sold as Reductil in Italy.
With the number of athletes being accused of taking banned
substances continuing to rise, US-based public health and safety
company NSF International has introduced a programme designed to
help athletes avoid the inadvertent consumption...
The RiceX Company, a manufacturer of food ingredients from
stabilised rice bran, has reported a 64 per cent increase in
revenues for 2001 to US$6.3 million (€7.17m) compared to $3.8
million in fiscal year 2000.
