Green tea polyphenols reduced the severity of liver injury in a new
study on mice. The researchers say the ingredient could be a useful
supplement in the treatment of liver disease.
The broccoli compound sulphurophane disrupts the growth of breast
cancer cells in later stages, a US team has found. They say their
study reveals for the first time a possible explanation for the
compound's well-known anti-cancer...
The outbreak of SARS in China caused rapid growth in vitamin sales
and despite a slowing of demand this year, it may have a lasting
impact on the industry.
More research has underlined the heart health benefits of dark
chocolate, shown in a Greek study to improve healthy blood flow and
prevent clots forming.
Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are known to be a rich
source of vitamin C but new evidence suggests they also contain
compounds that fight cancer.
A compound identified in blueberries could be the next key health
ingredient in food formulations as researchers find it can
effectively lower cholesterol.
A berry compound, already shown to have cancer-fighting properties,
may be as effective as a widely used synthetic drug in reducing
lipids, according to a study on rats.
UK drug developer Phytopharm has taken steps to list on the Nasdaq
in the US, a market expected to offer considerable investor
interest in its appetite-suppressing compound and other
plant-derived drugs.
Edible film strips will explode onto the market in early 2005,
predicts one manufacturer that is poised to meet the growing demand
from the nutritional products industry.
Phytomedics, a biopharmaceutical company looking at plant
biotechnology for botanical therapeutics, and ARC Ventures, a
hydroponic producer of green vegetables and herbs, have created a
joint venture called Phytomedicinal Greenhouses...
Japanese functional food ingredients firm Taiyo Kagaku is set to
increase its share of global green tea sales with the recent
acquisition of Chinese green tea extract manufacturer Wuxi Green
Power Bio-Product.
Japanese functional food ingredients firm Taiyo Kagaku is set to
increase its share of global green tea sales with the recent
acquisition of Chinese green tea extract manufacturer Wuxi Green
Power Bio-Product.
The increasingly popular herbal extract aloe vera may be able to
prolong the amount of time a trauma injury patient can survive
before receiving treatment, such as a blood transfusion, according
to researchers at the University of...
The cactus pear fruit appears to fight free radical damage in
humans, according to Italian researchers, who suggest that it may
be due to their high polyphenol content.
US cranberry co-operative Ocean Spray will roll out a plumper
version of its health ingredient for use in bakery products onto
the European food market in the next few months, hoping to see
value-added ingredients boost a bottom line...
Plant ingredient supplier Unigen Pharmaceuticals will collaborate
with Inca Health, an agro-industrial company based in Lima, Peru,
for plant collection and product development.
European legislation on health claims could take a significant leap
forward under the new Dutch presidency of the European Union, which
appears to be aiming for the regulation to get its first reading in
the European parliament by...
The red wine compound resveratrol, thought to be responsible for
the drink's protective effects on the heart, may also extend
lifespan, report American scientists.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have produced evidence that
may help support a new entrant to the eye health market -
sulphoraphane, an indirect antioxidant found in broccoli and
broccoli sprouts.
A new vegetable-based drink, based on a traditional Spanish recipe,
is being introduced to the fast-growing dairy alternatives sector
in the UK but it may have a tough time competing with soy
beverages, increasingly dominating this...
The Korean biotech company Eugene Science has teamed up with Archer
Daniels Midlands (ADM), giving ADM the marketing rights in Europe
and North America for Eugene Science's Euchol phytosterol
technology.
Progress towards tackling the obesity epidemic could come from a
new study which has found that a compound commonly found in red
wine boosts the activity of an identified gene which cuts the
growth of new fat cells.
Hanging as a persistent threat to the chocolate industry witches'
broom disease is capable of wiping out entire cacao crops and
sending the price of chocolate rocketing. Despite ongoing research
into the threat confirmed by the...
Green tea extract is being tested by UCLA cancer researchers to see
if combined with a molecularly targeted therapy, it will prevent
the recurrence of bladder cancer in former smokers.
Another study has demonstrated that the best-selling herbal ginseng
interferes with the blood-thinning drug warfarin, one of the most
widely used anticoagulant medicines.
Spanish functional oils company Genosa has launched a new line of
products based on what it claims is the most concentrated form
available of the olive polyphenol, hydroxytyrosol. Two Spanish
firms are currently working on the first...
Plant extract supplier Unigen Pharmaceuticals will collaborate with
Salt Lake City based Weider Nutrition - a manufacturer of vitamins,
nutritional and sports nutrition products - to develop and
commercialize dietary supplement products.
Cheaper processing methods could be on the way for makers of
decaffeinated coffee as scientists in Brazil identify naturally
growing caffeine-free coffee plants. As the global coffee market
remains dogged by rock bottom prices through...
Black tea may be healthy for the heart through its action on blood
vessels, suggests a small study that found the drink to dilate the
vessels allowing faster blood flow.
Little evidence supports either the safety or efficacy of
nutritional supplements in helping to improve diabetes-related
conditions despite strong public interest in natural therapies,
according to the head of a government-funded...
Researchers are to investigate whether a genistein-rich food,
derived from soybeans and shiitake mushrooms, could help slow or
even halt the progression of early prostate cancer.
The highly purified green tea extract Teavigo has been shown to
significantly inhibit the process that promotes fat cell formation
in mice, and may help prevent overweight in people, says
manufacturer DSM Nutritional Products.
Green tea may help to lower the prevalence of esophageal
adenocarcinoma, one of the fastest growing cancers in western
countries, said researchers speaking at a meeting on digestive
disease in the US last week.
A dietary supplement containing a mixture of herbals, vitamins and
amino acids may help boost fertility in women who have difficulty
conceiving, according to a US researcher, writes Dominique
Patton.
Curcumin, the spice that gives curry its yellow color, may activate
a key enzyme that protects the brain against oxidation, thought to
be a major factor in ageing and responsible for neurodegenerative
disorders like Alzheimer's...
Coffee contains similar levels of antioxidants to black tea and can
be just as beneficial to health, according to Scottish scientists
that have found coffee's antioxidants are highly absorbable by the
human body.
The active component in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate
(EGCG), already shown to fight several types of cancer, also
appears to kill cells of the most common form of leukemia, reports
a US team this week.
The standards of quality control on herbal supplements will need to
be tightened if the US public are to have any confidence in their
health claims. That was the main talking point of a symposium as
experts gathered for three days...
Boosting 'added-value' opportunities for companies working with
corn, new research from government scientists on a fungus could
hold the key to using corn fibre as a factory for the production of
the potent antioxidant lycopene,...
Targeting the $900 billion functional foods market in the US,
recently floated company American Consolidated Management Group
(ACMI), will take on board a preliminary technology
transfer/license agreement for a natural plant product...
A new study points to yet another risk associated with a diet rich
in animal protein - it may increase the risk of gout, the most
common form of inflammatory arthritis in men.
Drinking coffee seems to reduce the risk of developing type 2
diabetes, a growing threat around the world due to the rise in
obesity and ageing populations.
Due to its cardiometabolic benefits, a number of bergamot extracts have been manufactured over the years using different extraction technologies aimed...
