Hot Right Now: Medlab on microbiome modulation and improving cognitive disorders, Arbovitae expands physical retail and more
Improving mood: Medlab underlines how microbiome modulation can improve cognitive disorders
Probiotics supplementation could improve a dysbiotic gut, and in turn manage mood disorders, including major depression.
This is according to scientific research findings from Professor Luis Vitetta, the director of medical research, and his team at Medlab Clinical.
He was speaking at Probiota Asia summit organised by NutraIngredients-Asia in Singapore, where he spoke in detail about the research conducted at the Australia-based firm.
Online health food brand Arborvitae expands brick-and-mortar presence in Australia
Aussie supplement firm Arborvitae, which started off as an online health brand, is expanding its brick-and-mortar presence in the country with a listing deal for 3,400 pharmacies.
The New South Wales-based firm has recently sealed a deal with Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API), where two of its bestsellers, a joint health and a blood glucose and cholesterol regulating liquid supplements, will be available in API’s network of chemists.
This follows the firm’s previous deals with health foods retailers such as GoVital and more recently, with pharmacy chain Blooms the Chemist in July.
Probiotic from pickled cabbage improves aerobic endurance in non-athletes: Taiwan study
A probiotic isolated from Taiwanese pickled cabbage, Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 (TWK10), has been demonstrated to improve exercise performance and fatigue-associated features in non-athletes.
The study also found that at higher doses of TWK10 administered, body fat decreased and muscle mass increased.
Probiotics have been studied extensively for health promotion, but clinical validation on its effects on exercise physiology is sparse, and mostly studied on athletes.
Good gut, good night: New research finds link between gut health and sleep patterns
Kiwi and Dutch researchers have reported a direct link between gut health and the circadian rhythm, which could be the key to getting sufficient sleep and protecting the body from pathogens.
In a review article published in the journal Microorganisms, Dr Shanthi Parkar from New Zealand's institute Plant & Food Research, along with fellow researchers from the University of Auckland and University of Amsterdam, detailed the effects of diet on the quality of sleep.
The review assessed existing evidence of the "interdependency of host circadian systems and gut microbial ecology, and the consequences of this interaction for the host metabolism".
Move over, mānuka? Firm claims stingless bee honey 'better for health and environment'
Honey from a stingless bee species native to the Philippines is being touted as superior to mānuka honey, with a Singapore firm marketing products made from the former.
Trigona honey, from Trigona biroi bees, is purported to be low in sugar, highly sustainable, and strongly antibacterial. Its GI is also said to be 3.5 times lower than that of mānuka honey.
Produced in the Philippines and sold in Singapore by The GTCL Company under its Anaya brand, the honey is organically farmed, the company’s co-founder Terry Tong says.
