Immune support

Fermented functional food, Xeniji, increases immunity: Malaysian mouse study

28-Aug-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Xeniji, a functional food comprising a variety of fermented ingredients, can boost antioxidant levels and immunity, according to a Malaysian mouse study.

Supplements inferior to prescription drug in treating chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity

23-Aug-2017 By Cheryl Tay

A combination of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals commonly used to treat chemotherapy-induced chronic neurotoxicity (CICNT) has been deemed less effective than a pharmaceutical alternative.

Probiotics a possible treatment for jaundice in newborn babies: Chinese meta-analysis

16-Aug-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Probiotic supplementation might be able to safely and effectively treat jaundice in babies, a Chinese systematic review and meta-analysis found, but researchers say better quality data is required.

Move over, mānuka? Firm claims stingless bee honey 'better for health and environment'

15-Aug-2017 By Cheryl Tay

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.

Edible rice seed 'vaccine' could provide a remedy for hay fever symptoms: Study

27-Jul-2017 By Cheryl Tay

An edible 'vaccine' made from rice seeds containing major Japanese pollen allergens has been found to reduce conjunctivitis caused by hay fever.

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.

Sea buckthorn oil extract helps alleviate type 2 diabetes insulin resistance: Study

14-Jun-2017 By Staff Reporter

The palmitoleic acid from sea buckthorn fruit oil can play a positive role in reducing type 2 diabetes symptoms, according to new in vivo and in vitro studies. 

Theanine: How a tea amino acid could help fight liver disease

23-May-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Theanine, the unique amino acid present in the tea plant, can potentially be used to treat liver injury and boost immunity, a new review has shown.

Australian probiotics outfit Evolution Health experiencing Chinese boom

19-May-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Steady demand for Australian health products has prompted Melbourne-based probiotics specialist Evolution Health to invest heavily in China, with the firm now eyeing greater global expansion.

Looking ahead to the IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas 2017

Ghosts of our African guts: What traditional hunter-gatherers can teach us about gut health

18-May-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Understanding how our ancestors lived and how this affected their gut microbiome may boost prebiotic and probiotic formulations, and give companies a compelling story for consumers, says an expert.

Vitamin D deficiency linked to higher risk of asthma in children: Korean study

18-May-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Children with asthma were found to have insufficient levels of vitamin D, according to a recent South Korean study, which also suggested this could be a contributing risk factor to developing the condition in the first place.

Supplement brands clamour to meet demand for health and convenience in Australia, NZ with NPD boom

17-May-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Innovation is booming in Australia and New Zealand’s vitamins and dietary supplements sector with companies rolling out scores of new products over the past five years, according to new research.

Probiotic proliferation: Australian and New Zealand consumers increasingly open to new health benefits

16-May-2017 By Cheryl Tay

Australian and New Zealand probiotic product launches have rocketed by 200% in the past three years, with immunity claims becoming widely accepted by consumers alongside traditional gut health benefits.

Common cold cure? Zinc lozenges cut illness duration by a third

05-May-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Both zinc acetate and zinc gluconate lozenges are effective in shortening the duration of common colds, but zinc doses higher than 100mg don’t appear to provide an additional boost.

Four crucial consumer factors driving South East Asia's supplements boom

11-Apr-2017 By Millette Burgos

Supplement firms who view South East Asia as one homogenous market are doomed to failure, but there are four key consumer trends common to all markets, according to analysts.

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.

Scoop of the day! Ice cream fortified with chia seed oil found to be a ‘superb’ source of omega-3

15-Mar-2017 By Millette Burgos

This could be as close to guilt-free that ice cream is ever going to get: Researchers have revealed that fortification with chia seed oil ramps up omega-3 levels while maintaining taste and texture.

Hong Kong herbal giant teams up with Nobel Laureate for immunity investigations

10-Mar-2017 By Millette Burgos

Hong Kong Chinese herbal products manufacturer Infinitus China is teaming up with Nobel Laureate Jules Hoffman to explore Traditional Chinese Medicine’s role in immunity. 

VIDEO: Talking trends – Chr. Hansen on the probiotics and healthy dairy boom driving growth across Asia Pacific

27-Feb-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Probiotics, functional dairy and natural colours – combined with Asia’s rapidly changing lifestyle and health needs – are among the top factors driving industry growth in the region.

Carbs ‘better than antioxidants’ to boost immunity and recovery after exercise: Australia review

20-Feb-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Consuming carb-heavy bars or gels either during or immediately after intense exercise helps cut immune disturbances and can aid the body’s recovery, but there is insufficient evidence to support the use of ‘immunity boosting’ supplements such as antioxidants,...

TCM’s potential for AIDS treatment cited in China ‘phenomenon’

15-Feb-2017 By Millette Burgos and Gary Scattergood

Previously unreported data from China, referred to in a letter to the editor of the peer-reviewed journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, suggests that the viral loads of four AIDS patients who took only Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dropped...

Probiotic may reduce the risk of common cold: Yakult study

07-Feb-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Daily consumption of a fermented milk product with Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota may reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in healthy middle-aged office workers, says a new study.

Traditional Chinese Medicine firms should target international dietary supplements market, China Premier says

02-Feb-2017 By Millette Burgos

China’s Premier Li Keqiang says Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manufacturers should look to develop mainstream dietary supplements using Western medical knowledge in order to boost export potential.

Why 'conservative clones' criticising supplements should clean up their own backyard first

01-Feb-2017 By Dr Ross Walker

A group of scientists and doctors who call themselves the “Friends of Science in Medicine” (FSM) are relaunching an attack on complementary medicine, writes Dr Ross Walker, an expert in the field of preventative cardiology in Australia.

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.

HIV: Patients reveal the therapeutic foods and supplements they want

17-Jan-2017 By Millette Burgos

Ready-to-eat therapeutic foods designed to boost the nutritional status of people with HIV in Thailand should contain clear health claims, be manufactured in a soft, or liquid form, and be easy to carry, a study conducted by the World Food Programme has...

Wild banana ripe for greater functional food and nutraceutical examination: Review

11-Jan-2017 By Millette Burgos

Wild banana (M. acuminata), which has long been used in traditional medicine in South East Asia, is worthy of further investigation to assess its functional food and nutraceutical development on a larger scale, a new academic review suggests.

Underwater shockwaves improve antioxidant levels in yuzu juice: study

19-Dec-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Underwater shockwave pre-treatment improves the antioxidant functionality of yuzu fruit juice, confirming its potential for use in a wide-range of food applications and leading to the possible establishment “of a new field of industrial technology,” a...

Iron deficiency more prevalent in Australia than people think

05-Dec-2016 By Gary Scattergood

One-in-ten non-pregnant young women in Australia have an iron deficiency, which is also estimated to be highly prevalent in indigenous communities, researchers say.

Milk containing only A2 protein doubles disease-fighting antioxidant GSH: Study

01-Dec-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Cow's milk containing only A2 protein has been shown to increase the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) that may help strengthen the body's disease-fighting power. 

Fermented tea could help protect the liver from high-fat diet damage

30-Nov-2016 By Nathan Gray

Water extracts of a fermented tea, known as Pu-erh tea, could help to reduce oxidative stress and protect the liver against damage caused by a high fat diet, research in rats has found.

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.

Arbonne to make Asia debut in Taiwan with 10 nutrition products

09-Nov-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Direct sales firm Arbonne is to officially launch in Taiwan this week, initially with a range of 10 nutrition products alongside its skincare offering.

High vitamin and mineral consumption linked to delayed biological ageing: 10-year study

17-Oct-2016 By Nathan GRAY

High consumption of vitamin and mineral-rich foods throughout early adulthood could help delay the biological process of ageing, according to new data from South Korea.

Taiwan kakorot firm Aquavan eyes international expansion

05-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Taiwan botanical manufacturer and supplier Aquavan is targeting international expansion after establishing an ingredients offshoot to complement its finished products offering.

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'. 

'The race is on in this industry to take positions for future growth of probiotics.'

Probiotics giant buys world’s best-documented strain

16-Sep-2016 By Shane STARLING

Danish probiotics and enzymes leader Chr Hansen has paid €73m in cash to acquire the Lactobacillus rhamnosus-based LGG suite of probiotic strains from Finnish dairy group, Valio.

Decoding the secrets of Japan’s fucoidan-rich seaweed

12-Sep-2016 By Nathan Gray

Researchers have begun to decode the genetic secrets of mozuku, a famous fucoidan-rich Okinawan seaweed linked to health and longevity.

Nepal study: More than half of adolescent girls have anaemia

15-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Over half the population of Nepalese adolescent girls have anaemia, mostly due to undernourishment, research in the country has revealed.

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.