The US Agricultural Research Service is launching a study to
investigate the potential benefits of fortifying breads, pastas,
and other flour-based foods with the trace element selenium.The
ARS, run by the US Department of Agriculture,...
In adopting the new EU Directive on Food Supplements last week the
European Parliament laid the foundations for a period of developing
legislative stability for companies involved in food and health
ingredients. Considered by some...
The active ingredients of St John's wort, a herb commonly used to
treat mild depression, are in doubt after US research revealed that
one of them is contained in such small quantities in some brands of
the drug that it is ineffective.
Female smokers or ex-smokers with rheumatoid arthritis, who also
lack a particular detoxifying enzyme are more likely than
non-smokers to develop a severe form of the disease, a new study
finds.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in significant quantities in salmon,
swordfish, and tuna will help relieve depression in people already
in maintenance therapy for depression, a recent study shows. The
research carried out in Israel supports...
Many obese children and adolescents have impaired glucosetolerance,
a condition that often appears before thedevelopment of type 2
diabetes, according to researchersfrom the US.
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 cartoon which was created to encourage British children to eat
more fruit and vegetables is to become the focus of a new
Department of Health campaign, reports BBC Online.Trials have shown
that the cartoon prompted a dramatic increase...
Organic milk producers in the UK are to seek a new consumer sector
with "a paler shade of green" to multiply their current one per
cent share of the £3 billion (€4.85bn) annual milk market by five,
reports The Scotsman.
Despite previous warnings, the latest research suggests that
pregnant women can maintain a moderate caffeine intake without
raising the chances of low birth-weight.
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.
A diet rich in soy that reduced pain and swelling in rats could one
day be used by humans to manage chronic pain in diseases such as
cancer, according to recent research.
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.
The Minute Maid Company has introduced what it claims is the first
national brand of vitamin D-fortified juice. Minute Maid vitamin D
and calcium-fortified juices will be launched in the US in April,
to a chilled orange juice market...
Dramatic growth in the nutraceuticals market is set to be the
biggest driver in the development of the flavonoids and isoflavones
markets in Europe in the next six years, according to a report by
market analysts Frost and Sullivan.
A Japanese medicinal mushroom extract, sold as a raw ingredient and
used to strengthen the immune system, has won the Nutracon Best New
Product of 2002 award, otherwise known as the NutraAward.
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...
Folic acid has received a lot of positive press in recent weeks,
and the benefits of the B vitamin continue to hit the headlines. In
Canada, the government has just launched a major campaign promoting
its effects in combating birth...
Research suggesting that teenagers who use herbal products are more
likely to go on to use drugs such as cigarettes, alcohol and
narcotics has met with an angry response from the herbal products
industry.
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...
Pharmavite, maker of Nature Made vitamins, minerals and other
dietary supplements, will become the first participant in a
programme designed to build consumer confidence in dietary
supplements
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.
Ito En, the world's largest supplier of green tea leaves and green
tea beverages, has hired the New York-based McDevitt advertising
and marketing agency to handle the launch of its products in the
US.
Women who take oestrogen may decrease their risk of developing
atherosclerosis - the progressive narrowing and hardening of the
arteries - according to new research published in the March issue
of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology...
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.
Much is known about the health benefits of prebiotics as food
ingredients, but recent research in the US has shown that, despite
our extensive knowledge base, we have just scratched the surface.
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.
A wave of cheap products from Asia is threatening the future of the
European phytonutrients market, according to new research by market
analysts Frost & Sullivan.
A nutrient which food manufacturers claim can help prevent cancer
may also increase the risk of cancer, according to research from
the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands.
The European Commission has issued a strong statement denouncing
claims in many UK newspapers yesterday that the proposed new rules
for vitamin supplements would push thousands of companies out of
business.
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.
