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...
While the rest of the world celebrated Valentine’s Day with hearts and flowers, the Thai government handed out “very magical” vitamin supplements to encourage prospective mothers to boost the country’s birth rate.
A new cognitive health supplement firm which recently opened a base in Singapore is targetting consumers in their 40s as it seeks to expand across the region.
A proprietary extract from the bark of Terminalia arjuna may boost cardiovascular efficiency and improve athletic performance in young healthy male adults, says a new study.
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.
Curcumin can help suppress the activation of dendritic cells (DCs), which play a pivotal role in the progression of inflammatory bowel disease, research from China has discovered.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set up a panel of doctors and research scientists to prepare the final version of its food fortification laws – a move that would facilitate the inclusion of micronutrients to several food staples.
Cannabidiol (CBD) can exert a potentially neuroprotective effect against brain ischemia/reperfusion injury, with a new study from China documenting how it does so “for the first time”.
Maternal age and place of residence played key roles in whether children under five years old were given Vitamin A supplements in Pakistan, a new study reveals.
Trade body Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has insisted consumers can have full confidence in products purchased in Australia after a new review claimed it was a 'misperception' that herbal medicines are safe.
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.
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.
Myanmar has vowed to tackle child stunting and widespread micronutrient deficiencies, and include nutritional wellbeing in its national development planning.
A study found that red seaweed (k.alvarezii) helps in slowing down the growth rate of mammary tumours in rats, which researchers says displays the algae’s potential as a natural aid in cancer treatment.
The traditional use of some mushroom species in Asia to boost cognitive function, along with papers purportedly showing their brain health benefits, mean they are worthy of scientific investigation to see if they can help people with Alzheimer's...
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.
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.
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.
An anticipated perfect storm in Australia, involving the recent legalisation of medical cannabis and the expected approval of hemp in foods and nutrition later this year, has led to the government stopping the export of hemp products to ensure national...
Australian trade body Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has given its seal of approval to proposed new regulations that propose a ‘third health claim pathway’ for supplements.
Tropical red seaweed, G. changii, can become an important functional food ingredient and is a prime crop for large-scale commercial farming, according to new research from Malaysia.
Bitter orange extract (Citrus aurantium) has been found to help protect the liver against injury caused by bile duct obstructions or defects due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities.
Duckweed has long been consumed as an inexpensive protein and source of omega-3 in three South East Asia countries, but now researchers are questioning if it has the potential to be adopted by south Asian and even Western consumers too.
Chicoric acid (CA), a nutraceutical component from the chicory plant, could slow down memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, a study revealed.
The status of green tea as a slimming ingredient in Japan should provide inspiration for companies elsewhere who are looking to use the product across the weight loss category, according to new market research.
By-products from cauliflower could be recycled and turned into functional foods to help combat diabetes and hypertension, a new study from China suggests.
Treatment with green tea extract (GTE) has been found to reduce hepatic inflammation in mice with the fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Indian-based but global-facing herbals player OmniActive Health Technologies has won a $35 million (€33m) investment from venture capitalist Everstone Group, as it pursues expansion and acquisition targets.
Demand in Asia Pacific for for anti-aging supplements and products is driving global growth for antioxidants, presenting suppliers and manufactures with a lucrative opportunity to boost sales, new market research suggests.
Scientists in Japan have decode the genome of Chinese liquorice – a key ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine – raising hopes that it can be grown sustainably in the country for nutraceutical and medicinal use.
From the liver benefits of fermented tea, to the anti-fatigue attributes of astaxanthin, these are the top five research stories that have gained the most traction with readers in 2016.
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.
A Chinese financial website and a private equity fund have sealed a deal to raise capital form mainland China to invest in the US cannabis supplements and functional beverage sectors.
A novel combination of prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides could significantly improve absorption of certain minerals, according to new research in rats.
A new study has highlighted some of the lesser-known properties in stevia - one of which has anti-obesity potential - that could provide extra commercial benefits in addition to its sweetening power.
Tulsi, ashwagandha and cardamom are three of the hottest Ayurvedic ingredients right now, but the likelihood of them gaining mass appeal in Europe and the US is limited by scepticism of complementary medicine, it has been claimed.
Australian company Medlab Clinical Limited is preparing to start Australia’s first clinical trial using cannabis for oncology patients suffering intractable pain.
Australian manufacturer of pharmaceutical grade cannabis and hemp-based products Creso Pharma has sealed deals to launch its nutraceuticals in two European markets.
More clinical trials are needed to build up a catalogue of evidence-based findings to enable Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to play a bigger role in Singapore’s healthcare system.
Twelve edible herbs from Assam, India, are “alluring candidates” for nutraceutical and functional food developments, according to study which highlights their antioxidant capacity.
By Natasha Flynn, business development manager, HealthDirection
With more than 30,000 businesses generating sales of over A$4bn (US$3.1bn), the Australian complementary medicines industry has created a highly competitive landscape.
Nimbolide, a bioactive terpenoid compound derived from Azadirachta indica, more commonly known as the neem plant, could reduce the size of prostate tumours by up to 70 per cent and suppress its spread or metastasis by half, say Singapore academics.
Taiwan botanical manufacturer and supplier Aquavan is targeting international expansion after establishing an ingredients offshoot to complement its finished products offering.
Consumption of the green tea compound EGCG could help to stop daytime overeating brought on by a high-fat diet, claims research backed by Abbott Nutrition.
In a study funded by manufacturer Kemin and the VA Medical Center in St. Louis, spearmint and rosemary extracts improved age-related oxidation markers in brain tissue of SAMP8 mice.
