Having a caffeine supplement, equivalent to about two cups of
coffee, an hour before exercise may reduce muscle pain afterwards
by 48 per cent, says researchers.
Hot flushes associated with the menopause are not helped by black
cohosh supplements, say results from the largest and longest trial
for the herb to date.
Scientists from the University of Illinois in Chicago have reported
for the first time just how black cohosh may alleviate hot flushes
in menopausal women - information previously lacking about the
herb.
Naturex is aiming to raise industry awareness of traditional
botanicals sourced from Morocco, ahead of unveiling nine new plants
that could provide dietary supplement makers with a raft of new
formulation options.
The UK herbal sector has reached an agreement with the medicines
regulator over labelling of black cohosh products with liver injury
warnings, and has asked it to review the safety data again next
year.
This week's warnings on the black cohosh and potential liver damage
may be the first time many general practitioners have heard of the
herbal, says complementary health expert, underscoring the need for
doctors to be aware of...
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
is introducing warnings labels for black cohosh products on
potential liver damage, following reports from two committees that
have reviewed the safety data...
University of Birmingham researchers have reported that caffeine
can boost nerve cell activity in the brain, potentially protecting
against memory loss.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition is seeking to expand its team
of scientific experts with the appointment of an in-house
botanicals expert to build awareness of research in the field and
represent the organisation before government...
The role of caffeine in the health of premature and low birth
weight babies has come under scrutiny with two studies, one
investigating the impact of mothers' intake during pregnancy and
the other adding to existing evidence...
Australia's Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) has taken a
tough stance over the safety record of black cohosh, requiring that
OTC and alternative medicines containing the herbal must carry a
warning for the potential harm...
Drinking caffeine drinks appears to stifle the body's ability to
boost blood flow to the heart during exercise, suggests new
research out of Switzerland.
The UK's medicines regulator is warning consumers not to purchase
or use certain African herbal remedies which may contain toxic
herbal ingredients that could cause life threatening conditions.
An Austrian research team has unveiled good news for the makers of
energy and stimulant drinks, with evidence that caffeine delivers
visibly increased brain activity that stimulates short-term memory.
New laws on herbal medicinal products being brought in across
Europe this weekend are likely to push up prices over coming years
as manufacturers meet high costs for registering their products.
Taking supplements of the herbal black cohosh is unlikely to offer
much relief from menopausal hot flushes, conclude the US
researchers on a new trial.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including herbal
supplements, could make a cost-effective contribution to health
care in the UK, according to a report commissioned by the Prince of
Wales.
Rising consumption of energy drinks that contain high levels of
sugar and caffeine may be contributing to our expanding waistlines,
according to new research that could prove damaging for the booming
energy drinks market.
Caffeine increased the cyclists' absorption of carbohydrates from a
sports drink in new UK research, writes Dominique Patton,
offering a new area of innovation for manufacturers of sports
products.
Taking a Chinese herbal supplement containing ginseng and other
plants everyday for three months has been found to improve memory
in people with mild cognitive impairment, writes Dominique
Patton.
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.
The government has again demonstrated its commitment to
investigating the medicinal properties of botanicals, with the
National Cancer Institute (NCI) providing $1 million in funding to
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center...
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is to consider putting caffeine
tablets back on the banned substance list after several Australian
athletes, including the national rugby union captain, George
Gregan, admitted to taking them.
A study presented this week showing that black cohosh supplements
offer no benefit for hot flushes was probably too short to measure
any effect, says the herbal science group the American Botanical
Council.
Blue California is changing the ingredient purification process at
its China manufacturing facility from gamma-rays to ozone, in order
to meet regulatory standards in international markets.
Use of herbal medicine in German and France is the most widespread
in Europe, according to a report published in the New England
Journal of Medicine yesterday.
Many women may be overusing treatments for symptoms of menopause,
including hormone therapies that can pose a risk, an expert panel
called by the US government said this week.
NSF International and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) have
formed a strategic partnership to boost public confidence in
botanicals and encourage more companies to use them in their
products, reports Jess Halliday.
Caffeine significantly reduced insulin sensitivity in a small
study, and was not corrected by the usually beneficial effects of
weight loss or exercise.
Herbal medicines on the Australian market may need to be
reformulated after the government's decision this week to back a
wave of expert recommendations to tighten scrutiny of the
complementary medicines sector.
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.
Leading supplements distributor Herbalife said yesterday that it
had stopped selling one of its products in Israel after an
investigation by health officials over complaints that it caused
liver problems.
More than a third of cancer patients in Europe use complementary
and alternative medicine (CAM), most often to increase their body's
ability to fight the disease, reveals the first Europe-wide study
of alternative medicine use.
Industry's demand for quality, standardized herbal extracts will
continue to drive new cultivation projects that will also ensure
the sustainability of plant species and biodiversity, claims a
leading supplier.
The UK's medicines regulator is setting up a new herbal medicines
advisory committee to provide it with expert advice on herbal
medicines in anticipation of the forthcomin European traditional
medicinal herbal products directive.
Europe's herbals market is set to regain some of its momentum over
the next year, with strong sales in supermarkets and non-pharmacy
channels demonstrating that consumers are regaining confidence in
natural products, writes Dominique...
Traditional herbal remedies can help in the battle against a range
of illnesses, including cancer and diabetes, according to data
presented yesterday to the British Pharmaceutical Conference in
Manchester, UK.
The Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products - set up under the new
EU legislation designed to investigate the safety of herbal
medicines - is holding its inaugural meeting in London.
A UK team will investigate how much benefit arthritis patients gain
from herbal or homeopathic treatment in comparison to that gained
by other factors involved in the consultation with a practitioner.
The herbal rosenroot, launched on Norway's supplements market this
year, may be set to rival sales of ginseng in the Nordic markets,
according to the producer Rosenrot.
A range of new herbal products, based on traditional Arabic
medicine, will reach the European market at the end of the year,
aiming to bring both novelty and increased efficacy to the herbals
marketplace.