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.
Over 100 organic farms in the UK could be at risk of being tainted
by genetically modified crop test sites, according to research by
an organic farming group.
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.
The Internet is a mine of information on almost any subject under
the sun, but it has never been truly convincing as a source of
useful information on health matters. But researchers from Italy
have discovered that the situation has...
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...
Three national trade associations representing dietary supplement
producers are about to be established and join IADSA, the
International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Associations.
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.
Following the news earlier this week that scientists in the UK are
calling for elderly Britons to increase their intake of folic acid,
the country's Food Standards Agency (FSA) is to chair an open
meeting on the issue.
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.
Daily calcium supplementation can significantly affect the
development of optimum bone mass in teenaged girls, according to
research presented this week at the Fifth International Symposium:
Clinical Advances in Osteoporosis.
A new type of durum wheat allows bakers to make bread without the
need for fatty shortening agents. Good news for those wanting to
shed a few kilos without cutting out the odd sandwich.
Natrol, the US-based manufacturer and marketer of branded dietary
supplements, has launched Natrol Stress Complex, a supplement
designed to help stressed-out insomniacs get a good night's sleep
So Natural Foods Australia, the country's largest producer of
soymilk and other soya-based products, said it expected to record a
full year loss for 2001, despite a profitable second half.
There is yet more evidence this week that the holy grail of
over-eaters - a pill which can help them lose weight - may yet
become a reality. Researchers from the University of Dundee in
Scotland have discovered how the body burns...
Coffee has had a lot of press recently, both good and bad. The
latest research puts it firmly in the good camp, with Italian
scientists discovering that coffee can help prevent some forms of
tooth decay.
The UK Food Standard Agency (FSA) is considering banning the use of
sheep offal in food products as part of a number of measures
designed to combat the risk of vCJD, the human brain disease linked
to BSE in cattle.
A former baseball star who made false and deceptive claims for a
weight-loss product is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission
this week for $1.1 million.
United Natural Foods, the US-based marketer of natural food
products, has reported sales of US$285.5 million (€327.5m) for the
second quarter of 2002, a 16.8 per cent increase over the same
quarter a year earlier and well ahead of...
New evidence unveiled this week at the annual meeting of the
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology shows that
children with food allergies are not consuming the recommended
number of servings of vital foods. In particular,...
A major new survey of supplement users in the US carried out by
ConsumerLab.com has highlighted some interesting facts - not least
that many supplement users are afraid of the safety and possible
side effects of prescription drug...
In what could be a serious blow to the organic food industry, new
research claims that the trend away from pesticide use in fruit and
vegetables could be putting our health at serious risk.