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.
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.
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.
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).
Licoflavone, a major compound from the Glycyrrhiza root used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, can help reduce gastric ulcers, according to new research.
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.
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.
Supplements firm Mannatech aims to boost sales growth for its cognitive support product by targetting Chinese students studying for two of the country’s major academic examinations – Zhongkao and Gaokao.
Indonesia’s supplements association hopes the harmonisation of regulations across South East Asia will take a significant step forward this year, providing a much-needed boost to exports and consumer awareness.
Misleading health claims are still rife in Indonesia despite tighter functional food rules, claims a new association set up to ‘professionalise the industry’.
Complementary medicine firms in Australia have just one week more to respond to a raft of proposed regulatory changes being considered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
The recent occasion of the International Women’s Day provided a good opportunity to reflect on both gender equality, but also on differences between the genders, writes DSM senior scientist Barbara Troesch.
There is vast scope to improve glycaemic control among type 2 diabetics in Malaysia by boosting nutrition knowledge and the intake of dairy, a cross-sectional study has found.
Phloretin from apple trees helped ease asthma symptoms in a mouse study, pointing to the bioactive flavonoid’s therapeutic potential, according to researchers in Taiwan.
The Chinese herb XingPiJieYu reduced the effects of chronic unpredictable stress in rats, while also improving their learning and memory, said a new study.
China’s ageing population has poorer cognitive and physical function compared with their counterparts from 10 years ago, according to the largest study of its kind, published in The Lancet.
A new systematic re-analysis of prenatal exposure to the Great Chinese Famine of 1959-61 suggests that schizophrenia may have been the leading health consequence.
Malnutrition is a prime risk factor for older Chinese adults suffering from sarcopenia, an age-related condition of declining skeletal muscle mass and function.
A two-week course of a liquid supplement improved the nutritional status and reduced inflammation in elderly people living in community settings, a new trial from Korea reports.
Zuo-Jin-Wan, a two-herb formula consisting of Coptis chinensis and Evodia rutaecarpa, helped suppress human cancer cell growth implanted in the livers of mice, a new Taiwan study showed.
Low levels of vitamin A, D and E have been associated with Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections (RRTI) among children living in Northern China, a new case control study reports.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with a 26% increase in the risk of death from cancer in Asians, with people in the region also at greater risk of death from certain site-specific cancers than those in the West.
Dietary soy products are safe and even beneficial for women diagnosed with breast cancer, according to new research which aimed to help resolve the controversy over its link to treatment outcomes.
A stellar line-up of speakers has been announced for the second Food Vision Asia summit being held in Singapore – while food start-ups and entrepreneurs are being urged to enter our Trailblazer’s contest so they can share the stage with Asia’s key food...
A number public policy, health and community measures have been identified by researchers in Australia to help reduce rising obesity rates among child immigrants.
Saponins extracted from lychee seeds helped improve cognitive function and prevented neuronal injury in rats induced with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), a new study reports.
New meta-analysis suggests that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for TB, not something that is caused by the condition, while the role played by ethnicity in this relationship merits further investigation.
The nutraceutical and health benefits of Chinese artichoke have been emphasised by new research, which for the first time highlighted nine compounds with important biological activities.
Adding vitamin B supplementation alongside conventional treatment can help treat cases of complicated vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), according to two studies.
Milk fortified with phytosterols not only helped lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but also decreased fatty liver build-up, a study found.
We pinpoint six of the must-know food, nutrition and consumer trends taking shape in Japan, from superfoods to sports nutrition, ahead of one of the country's biggest trade shows, FoodEx Japan, which takes place next month.
Omega-3 supplementation helped lessen chemotherapy-induced mucosal toxicities such as stomatitis and diarrhoea, and provided liver protection for oesophageal cancer patients, revealed a Japanese study.
Fish oil supplementation may have no benefit in preventing the failure of fistulas in dialysis patients, with a failure rate similar to placebo, a new RCT suggests.
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,...
The challenges in the battle to provide adequate infant nutrition across APAC are as diverse as the region itself, with severe micronutrient deficiencies, stunting and, on the other hand, soaring obesity levels being witnessed.
Zinc in tablet form is not only effective in treating acute diarrhoea in young children, but it is also a more practical delivery method compared to zinc in suspension, a new study concludes.
Vitamin D supplements could help prevent acute respiratory tract infections, including colds and flu, according to a study in The BMJ. But a linked editorial penned by academics from New Zealand and Scotland argues the results are “not sufficiently applicable...
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...
Dietary supplementation appears to be common among Chinese mothers during pregnancy, but intake of folic acid is well below the recommended national and global guidelines, while overall supplement use after giving birth is relatively low.