Irradiated herbal supplements, not permitted in the EU, are still
being sold in Ireland, says the country's food safety authority,
despite attempts to increase compliance last year.
A superoxide dismutase supplement, one of the first marketed
commercially, could reduce the susceptibility to sunburn, report
Dominique Patton and Jess Halliday.
The flavonoids in almond skins may be responsible for the nuts'
positive effect on cholesterol levels, shows new research that
tested their antioxidant capacity on animals.
InterHealth Nutraceuticals has succeeded in protecting the
manufacturing process behind Super CitriMax with the award of a new
US patent, reports Jess Halliday.
Plants hold the power to keep the increasing prevalence of
metabolic syndrome, a collection of chronic disease symptoms, in
check, according to scientists, prompting the leading plant extract
firms to start developing a whole new...
The future of hoodia supplements in Europe has been thrown into
doubt by a recent product recall in the Netherlands, alerting all
member states to the herbal's questionable regulatory status,
reports Dominique Patton.
Green tea appears to protect against cancer by affecting a
'promiscuous' protein that pharmaceutical experts are already
targeting in their work on anti-cancer drugs, according to new
research.
German health ingredients firm Cognis Nutrition & Health will
introduce a new range of high quality plant extracts for foods and
beverages at Vitafoods, the industry show opening in Geneva
tomorrow.
Scientists at Rutgers University are investigating whether plant
extracts can genuinely cut risk factors for heart disease, stroke,
diabetes or other serious illnesses.
UK company Pure Herbal Extracts has found a way to culture the
appetite-suppressing molecule from a strain of hoodia and plans to
launch supplements containing a guaranteed dose of the active
ingredient in the next six months, reports...
Tea is once again being heralded as something more than a
refreshing brew as research suggests it may prevent diabetes and
complications associated with the disease.
A natural compound found in cocoa deactivates a number of proteins
that are probably behind the continual division of cancer cells,
report researchers.
Components in grapes, including some newly identified ones, work
together to dramatically inhibit an enzyme crucial to the
proliferation of cancer cells, a US research team reports.
UK and Spanish scientists have explained why the active compound in
green tea, EGCG, can stop cancer cells growing even in people that
only drinks two cups of the beverage a day.
Another study on chocolate finds that the dark variety decreases
blood pressure and improves insulin sensitivity in healthy people,
lending weight to its potential for heart health.
New company Chrysantis' plan to bring to market proprietary
marigold extracts with a high natural zeaxanthin content could give
eye health product formulators a new tool to help combat
age-related macular degeneration (ARMD),...
An 85-year-old specimen of black cohosh root still contained most
of the chemical compounds believed to help reduce hot flushes and
other menopause symptoms when analysed in a recent study, writes
Dominique Patton.
NutraGenesis has high hopes for its new ashwagandha extract, which
it says has already attracted strong interest from multinational
manufacturers eager to use the ayurvedic ingredient, believed to
have stress-reducing properties,...
Green tea extract is able to target cancer cells while leaving
healthy cells alone, researchers have found for the first time,
adding further support to its potential as a cancer prevention
agent.
Plant extracts will increasingly be supplied by specialty chemicals
companies looking to rejuvenate their product lines and offer the
growing supplements and health foods sector ingredients to tackle
today's chronic diseases.
A daily supplement containing plant oestrogens and antioxidants
like selenium and carotenoids may slow the rise in PSA levels, a
marker for prostate cancer progression in some men, report Dutch
researchers.
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) has criticized the American
Journal of Nursing's reminder of the potentially dangerous
interaction between grapefruit juice and certain medications as
unscientific.
Little-known plant compounds that can help tackle increasing
prevalence of chronic disease are set to drive future product
development at DSM Nutritional Products, currently better known for
its vitamins range than natural extracts,...
New ingredients supplier Valensa, a joint venture between US Nutra
and Israel-based Algatechnologies, has appointed Chesham Chemicals
as its exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland.
Curcumin, the yellow pigment in curry spice, is to be investigated
for its potential in prevention of Alzheimer's disease after tests
on mice found it to be more effective than drugs currently being
investigated for treatment.
Consuming products with plant sterols as well as exercising may
offer additional benefits for those at risk of coronary heart
disease, say Canadian researchers.
SlimFast owner Unilever has gained the exclusive global rights to
an appetite-suppressing compound extracted from the hoodia gordonii
plant by UK-based Phytopharm, reports Dominique Patton.
Resveratrol, the antioxidant found in red wine, may help protect
heart health by limiting the effects of cardiac fibrosis, a
hardening of the heart tissue, finds new animal research.
At 3.15 million tonnes world tea production in 2003 beat 2002
supplies but prices remained firm reflecting season variability,
reports the UN food and farm body, adding that China has pushed up
green tea supplies.
A report published yesterday by the UN food and farm body showed
that green tea production increased in 2003, no doubt encouraged by
its purported health benefits.
UK firm Phytopharm, which has isolated the appetite-suppressing
ingredients in the desert plant hoodia, says it is in advanced
talks to license its compound to a food industry partner.
While green tea has been getting its name around the block, red tea
has taken a little longer to become a household name, but its sales
are said to be soaring on the back of its purported health
benefits.
The Food and Drug Administration said yesterday it was intensifying
its efforts to ensure that any manufacturers still selling dietary
supplements containing the banned substance ephedra would be
stopped.
Health benefits of chocolate continue to grow with UK researchers
isolating an ingredient present in this popular foodstuff that
could help stop persistent coughs.
European companies are increasing their presence in the green tea
extract market, looking to reach supplement makers with highly
concentrated products.
Alpine cranberries may help to fight infection by the herpes virus,
one of the most common viral infections in humans, according to new
findings by a Taiwan team.
DSM Nutritional Products has launched its purified green tea
extract Teavigo in Italy, its first European market. The move is
likely to help the roll-out of the product in other member states.
Latest research from market analysts Mintel highlights a day in the
life of the global consumer. In the future, British shoppers could
be using curry flavoured toothpaste, feasting on collagen soup,
banana mayonnaise or green tea...
Cranberry juice appears to have a dose-response effect against
bladder infections, according to preliminary research, providing
further evidence of juice's health benefits.
New Zealand company Nature's Products Ltd is looking to extend
sales of its noni juice in Europe, applying to the UK's food
authority for approval to market the product.
Prices remain steady for cocoa, despite news that the start of the
new cocoa harvesting season from the world's biggest producer,
Ivory Coast, has been delayed due to a dispute.
Due to its cardiometabolic benefits, a number of bergamot extracts have been manufactured over the years using different extraction technologies aimed...