Food manufacturers and health officials have to overcome significant barriers to encourage the consumption of disease-fighting whole grains among young Singaporean adults, a new study has found.
Consumer understanding of the nutritional benefits of protein is soaring in Asia, according to research from NZMP, the ingredients brand of New Zealand-based dairy manufacturer Fonterra.
Harnessing the heritage of Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern supplement and functional food trends can help Chinese companies boost growth at home and across Asia – providing it is backed by sound science.
Poor social support, economic disadvantage and frailty have been identified as key factors for low dietary variation and therefore poor nutrition among elderly Japanese adults.
China’s food industry can no longer rely on vast volume growth from mass market items and will increasingly have to focus on innovation around personalised, healthy and functional nutrition products to boost its fortunes.
Saturated fat has been identified as a prime suspect in the onset of osteoarthritis after Australian scientists found it changed the composition of cartilage, but lauric acid from coconut oil has a protective effect.
Korean cactus juice Cheonnyuncho not only decreased constipation in rats, but its soluble fibre content also improved the rodents’ bowel movements, colon thickness and gut microbiota, a study revealed.
The biggest challenge facing the probiotics sector is to spread the word of the potential gains “second generation” products can bring to a broader spectrum of health issues than just gut health.
As Asia's population rapidly ages, opportunities abound for the cognitive health sector, but consumers need to be educated that supplements should be considered before old age.
A large number of Korean infants and young children still develop iron deficiency anaemia despite increased breastfeeding rates, improvements in public health and a rise in iron-fortified food, a recent study discovered.
Alternative sources of protein and a greater focus on ‘food before supplements’ is shaping the sports nutrition practices of Singapore’s elite athletes.
The most effective way to boost nutrition through fortification is by targetting people as consumers, not merely recipients of a donation or a public policy programme.
While clinicians are increasingly aware of the evidence behind specific probiotic strains for a variety of conditions, restoring balance to a microbiome disrupted by diet, medications or illness often remains an area of confusion, writes Health World...
A new systematic review states there is no indication that vitamin A supplementation among babies at birth reduces mortality during the first six or 12 months of life.
Scientists in Singapore have managed to genetically alter some E. coli probiotic strains to sense and kill a harmful gut pathogen, which they say could be used to help protect against certain diseases.
Greater consumption of fresh fruit is associated with a lower incidence of diabetes, as well as reduced complications in people who already have the condition, a large-scale observational study of Chinese people has found.
Pharmacists in South East Asia need to play a pivotal role in guiding pregnant women to take the correct supplements and combat the widespread ‘misinformation’ that is available online.
There are more essential fatty acids in the lipids of two species of crickets and a grasshopper from Asia, compared with the yellow mealworm larvae, which is widely reared in Europe for human food.
New Zealand contract manufacturer Alaron has undertaken a multi-million-dollar expansion and renovation project at its Nelson site, with the firm hopeful of growth for its customers in South East Asia after China sales began to go “off the boil” due to...
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.
The co-microencapsulation of probiotic bacteria with omega-3 rich tuna oil improved its survival and intestinal adhering ability, and also helped to retain a higher proportion of omega-3 fatty acids in the digestive system.
Major brands and millers have agreed to fortify wheat flour with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 under India’s drive to boost nutrition levels through a mass fortification programme.
Omega-3 fish oil supplier SeaDragon overcame a raft of challenges to open the world's newest refinery, with the firm now hopeful it can start recouping some of its NZ$11m investment.
Co-administration probiotics can help offset some of the lasting behavioural effects of penicillin treatment in early life, a mouse model study has shown.
Weight gain in the years leading up to conception can triple the risk of gestational diabetes, with the odds also increased for mums-to-be who gain weight but still maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI).
Companies seeking to launch products in China have been told they have to be in it for long haul and make extensive preparations, ‘instead of turning up at Shanghai airport and asking trade officials for a list of distributors’.
Vitamin boss Marcus Blackmore has given $10m to the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NCIM) at Western Sydney University in a 'no strings' donation to undertake research into complementary medicine.
The CEO of Australia’s largest independent vitamin retailer has argued the industry is missing too many opportunities to maximise supplement sales and deliver high-quality customer service.
From functional food trends in Thailand and Indonesia, to Singapore’s war on diabetes, and the baby water boom in China, here’s a recap of March’s top stories.
A blueberry drink a day can help keep stress away, suggests a study which found blueberry’s antioxidant power improved the cognitive performance of adult rats exposed to stress.
Nutrient gummies drew the most visitors to Softigel’s booth at the recent HI SEA 2017 show in Jakarta – with the company identifying several markets for business growth.
The New Zealand government is committed to helping natural products and supplements firms meet their export potential by removing barriers to innovation, according to the country’s environment minister.
Trade body Natural Products New Zealand is hoping new industry regulations – which it believes will help boost exports – can finally be passed before the nation’s elections in September.
It was the lure of Indonesia’s exotic fruits and their potential as functional ingredients that has convinced Taiwan-based TCI Co to set up an office in Jakarta.
Natural products with functional claims such as honey continue to face a bright future as both a food and a therapeutic product, not least in China where demand is expected to soar.
Specialised diets designed to release large amounts of acetate or butyrate after bacterial fermentation in the colon protected against type 1 or juvenile diabetes in mice, said researchers from Monash University in Australia.