Bone & joint health

Vitamin A’s impact on fracture risk remains debatable: Chinese meta-analysis

23-Oct-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Higher vitamin A intake may marginally decrease the general risk of fracture, but increase the risk of hip fracture, according to Chinese researchers.

Vitamin A’s impact on fracture risk remains debatable: Chinese meta-analysis

28-Sep-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Higher vitamin A intake may marginally decrease the general risk of fracture, but increase the risk of hip fracture, according to Chinese researchers.

Vitamin K and fractures: China meta-analysis shows ‘significant’ dose-response relationship

26-Sep-2017 By Kacey Culliney

Statistical analysis suggests higher dietary vitamin K intake is significantly associated with a decreased risk of fractures, researchers say.

FI Asia 2017

DuPont: Ageing Asia creating vast potential but infant formula 'challenging for manufacturers'

22-Sep-2017 By Cheryl Tay

DuPont is targeting innovation at both ends of the age spectrum as it seeks to meet the vast needs of Asia's ageing societies, while also helping infant formula firms overcome considerable pricing and regulatory challenges.

Calcium insufficiency leads to late-stage breast cancer tumour cell growth

13-Sep-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Inadequate dietary calcium intake accelerates the growth of late-stage breast cancer tumour cells, according to a study on mice.

Vitafoods Asia 2017

APAC's fastest growing functional and fortified food markets revealed

07-Sep-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia are tipped to be among the fastest growing functional food and fortified product markets in APAC to 2021, while Japan is witnessing a wave of product innovation on the back of its new Food with Function...

Canadian vitamin firm Jamieson Wellness targets Asia expansion after $300m IPO

06-Sep-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Canadian supplement firm Jamieson Wellness is targeting expansion in Asia on the back of a successful IPO, with its CEO identifying Asia's rising affluence and ageing population as two reasons for optimism.

Vitamin D and calcium supplementation 'vital from birth': New Indian Paediatrics Academy guidelines

01-Sep-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Children should receive vitamin D and calcium supplementation from birth, according to guidelines from the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP).

Heart disease, stroke present highest mortality risk for elderly with high BMI: Singapore study

16-Aug-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Cardiovascular disease and stroke are the two main causes of mortality in overweight and obese individuals aged 65 and above, according to a study led by the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Bone metabolism in women of reproductive age affected by vitamin D deficiency

26-Jul-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Vitamin D deficiency interferes with the bone metabolism of healthy women of childbearing age in Beijing, according to a study by Capital Medical University.

Vitamin D supplementation 'essential' for Chinese osteoporosis patients in South East Asia: Study

11-Jul-2017 By Cheryl Tay

One in four Chinese women with post-menopausal osteoporosis (PMO) living in the tropics are vitamin D-deficient, a Malaysian study has reported.

Supplements in Singapore: What’s hot and what’s not as sales rise in the City State

20-Jun-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Supplements sales in Singapore rose 4% to $574m by the end of last year, amid growing health concerns and increasing consumer spending.

Supplements' 'smart role' underlined as report reveals sorry state of Australia's preventive health spending

15-Jun-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Trade body Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has backed a new report into preventive health, which details how the country is lagging behind fellow OECD nations Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Mediterranean diet linked to rheumatoid arthritis benefits: Japan study

13-Jun-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Adopting a Mediterranean diet, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), could help suppress disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients, researchers in Japan report.

HI South East Asia 2017

Halal certification key to South East Asia market entry for Chinese ingredient firm

28-May-2017 By Millette Burgos

China-based Jiangsu Aoxin Biotechnology wants to make sure all its ingredients, such as D-Glucosamine, chitosan and marine chitosan, are halal certified to boost its chances of success in South East Asia.

Chondroitin sulfate as good as widely used anti-inflammatory drug for knee osteoarthritis: Study

25-May-2017 By Gary Scattergood

High quality chondroitin sulfate supplementation is as good as a widely prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of painful knee osteoarthritis, new research reveals.

NATURAL PRODUCTS NEW ZEALAND SUMMIT

The top five fastest growing supplement sectors in New Zealand revealed

04-Apr-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Products for joint health have become the fastest growing sector in New Zealand, with 25% value growth in 2016.

Sarcopenia and poor nutrition: Significant association found in elderly Chinese population

14-Mar-2017 By Millette Burgos

Malnutrition is a prime risk factor for older Chinese adults suffering from sarcopenia, an age-related condition of declining skeletal muscle mass and function. 

Vitamin vending machines: Is this the future for supplements retailing in APAC?

14-Feb-2017 By Millette Burgos

The man who has launched Australia’s first store selling vitamins solely via vending machines wants to launch hundreds more in locations across the country, while also expanding to overseas markets such as China, Singapore, India and New Zealand.

Daily calcium intake for Japanese women should be increased to 600mg: Review

06-Feb-2017 By Millette Burgos

Most Japanese women are not getting enough calcium and vitamin D, increasing the risks of osteoporotic fractures and other diseases, states a new review.

Myanmar pledges national action to tackle child stunting and micronutrient deficiencies

01-Feb-2017 By Millette Burgos

Myanmar has vowed to tackle child stunting and widespread micronutrient deficiencies, and include nutritional wellbeing in its national development planning.

Vitamin D status and rheumatoid arthritis link questioned by Korean data

31-Jan-2017 By Gary Scattergood

The vitamin D status of more than 2,000 Korean women had no impact on the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, or on the level of pain and quality of life when rheumatoid arthritis occurred.

Curcumin can be ‘as big as omega-3’ with correct science and marketing: OmniActive MD

31-Jan-2017 By Millette Burgos

Curcumin can become as big as omega-3, according to the boss of Indian nutraceutical supplier OmniActive, which has recently received a significant funding boost and made a high-level acquisition.  

Waste not want not: Why more needs to be done to maximise the functional food potential of by-products

27-Jan-2017 By Gary Scattergood and Millette Burgos

The functional food and nutraceutical opportunities offered by agricultural waste products in developing countries are not being fully exploited, meaning vital nutrients that could be of immense health and economic benefit are going to waste.

Nanostructured lipid carriers help protect vitamin D from gut environment

27-Jan-2017 By Millette Burgos

A new study reveals vitamin D3 encapsulated in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) could survive in the harsh gastrointestinal environment long enough to deliver this important nutrient to its intended targets.

Nano-sized calcium improves bioavailability and could aid osteoporosis fight

24-Jan-2017 By Millette Burgos

Fortifying milk with calcium nanoparticles increases bioavailability and could help the rising number of women in Asia suffering with osteoporosis.

CoQ10, soy and taurine have potential to help boys with fatal muscle wasting disease

23-Jan-2017 By Gary Scattergood

A number of nutraceuticals have clinical merit and the therapeutic potential to help boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), but more stringent and credible research is sorely needed, researchers say.

Nutrition Asia video series

VIDEO: Functional foods in South East Asia - trending ingredients, pressing consumer needs and 'preposterous' health claims

23-Jan-2017 By Gary Scattergood

In the first of our Nutrition Asia video series we take a deep dive into South East Asia's functional foods industry to gauge the state of the market and assess how it can meet the health needs of consumers across the region.

Finding the fish: Rethinking nutrition amid modern diets

19-Jan-2017 By Gerald Quigley

In a perfect world you would get all the omega-3s you need by eating fish, but less than 10% of Australian adults consume the required level of fish regularly, writes Gerald Quigley.

CVD: Blinkered training pushes young doctors away from supplements

19-Jan-2017 By RJ Whitehead

Doctors show low willingness to recommend omega-3s to their patients because the training they received lacked any attention to nutrition and lifestyle.

Functional food and supplement manufacturers urged to get creative with whey protein offerings

13-Jan-2017 By Millette Burgos

South East Asia functional food and supplement firms need to help educate consumers that whey protein isn’t just for body builders, and formulate new products that can help treat the rising number of sarcopenia cases among the elderly in the region.

Exclusive interview

How Australia’s omega-3 map will feed frenzied fatty acid research

03-Jan-2017 By RJ Whitehead

“We are building it while we’re flying it,” says William Harris, the distinguished American omega-3 researcher, of a mapping project to find out the true level of omega-3s in Australians’ blood, at a time when three-quarters of the population are believed...

India’s new functional food and supplements rules: The key requirements every firm needs to know

07-Dec-2016 By Gary Scattergood

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued its long-awaited rules for functional foods and supplements – publishing a 79-page set of criteria on its website.

Australians’ poor diets leading to unexpected cases of scurvy

29-Nov-2016 By RJ Whitehead

A historical disease caused by a lack of vitamin C and associated with old-world sailors, it appears that scurvy is reappearing in Australia due to poor modern dietary habits.

Australia’s favourite vitamin brand revealed as data shows almost 45% regularly take a supplement

15-Nov-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Almost 9m Aussies (44.2% of the population) regularly take vitamins, minerals or supplements, with Nature’s Own being the most widely consumed brand, according to new research.

The hottest superfood ingredients in Japan right now…and the next ones primed for success

24-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Several superfoods are now becoming mainstream in Japan because consumers are acutely aware of the “nutrient powerhouses” and their functional benefits.

Soy protein early in life may help prevent bone loss in adulthood

17-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

New research suggests reports that a diet heavy in soy protein isolate during early life can protect against serious bone loss during adulthood. 

Science boss: Omega-3s could get boost by aping pharma doses

14-Oct-2016 By RJ Whitehead

It was has a huge challenge for Nils Hoem, Aker Biomarine’s chief scientists, to understand the specifics of nutraceuticals when he first arrived at the Norwegian krill oil manufacturer in 2008 after a career in pharmaceuticals.

Government trawlers help Chinese firms to enter omega-3 krill market

14-Oct-2016 By RJ Whitehead

As global krill oil major Aker Biomarine awaits regulatory approval for its new Superba 2 product line in China, increased consumer demand for omega-3s is bringing increasingly more local suppliers to the market.

Big in Japan? Blackcurrants, barley and maple syrup pitch for functional food success in Tokyo

12-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

The sports nutrition potential of New Zealand blackcurrants, the superfood status of Canadian maple syrup and the functional benefits of Canadian barley – these were three of the high-profile pitches at the HI Japan tradeshow from international organisations seeking...

Japan moves beyond FOSHU: Over 400 products approved under new health claims regime in last year

10-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

More than 400 foods have been approved under Japan’s 2015 Foods with Function Claims (FFC) regulation, with the market already estimated to be worth US$70bn.

Indian joint venture launches new nationwide supplements brand

03-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Indian companies Vitalic Health and Athena Life Sciences have signed a joint venture to launch nutraceuticals and dietary supplements under the brand name 'Truuth'. 

Four nutrition and health trends shaping functional food and drink innovation in South East Asia

03-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Functional food innovation in developed Asian economies is increasingly influencing consumers in South East Asia’s emerging nations, with protein products, superfoods, herbal extract powders and fortified breakfast snacks making their presence felt on...

Warning over vitamin D deficiency in southern Australian youngsters

07-Sep-2016 By Nathan Gray

A high percentage of children and teens in southern Australia may be deficient in vitamin D, putting them at increased risk of bone fractures and higher long-term risk of osteoporosis, warn researchers.

Taking supplements while breastfeeding boosts vitamin D status of baby too: Study

31-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

New research has found that giving breastfeeding mothers monthly high-dose vitamin D supplements may help improve their babies’ vitamin D status.

Nutrition products to help Himalaya hit US$1bn target by 2020

10-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Bangalore-based firm The Himalaya Drug Company is expanding its “wellness and nutrition” offering as it seeks beak through the US$1bn revenue barrier by 2020.

Malaysia study: Vitamin D deficiency risk for epileptic children

08-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Malaysian children undergoing long-term treatment for epilepsy are at significant risk of vitamin D deficiency, with youngsters of Indian ethnicity especially affected, a study has found.

Sun-drenched Australians still in need of vitamin D supplementation

28-Jul-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Guidance by an independent British committee of experts that advises everyone to take the so-called “sunshine vitamin” whatever the weather has been well received in Australia, where up to 58% of people suffer from vitamin D deficiency in spite of its...