A new study showed insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) from pear pomace can prevent obesity and reduce damage caused by a high-fat diet, with researchers believing it does so by improving gut microbiota.
Healthy ageing, natural supplements and personalised nutrition: these are three emerging trends in Thailand offering ample opportunities for industry growth.
More infants in Vietnam received complementary foods thanks to a widespread social franchising, marketing and branding campaign that targeted new mothers, providing 'rigorous evidence' that such strategies can help combat malnutrition.
'Kids throw milk at each other...it's a waste of public money'
Students in Sri Lanka are not eating healthy diets and are shunning school milk programmes due to social and cultural factors, and until these are tackled the country’s double burden of malnutrition will remain, experts say.
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.
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.
Asian consumers are far more likely to be interested in healthy eating than those in the West, according to a new survey of attitudes to diet and nutrition.
A recently established Singapore centre is seeking to increase the standard of evidence-based data for SMEs in the supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and functional foods space.
No errors, no mood swings, no sick leave, and she can process three sets of microbiological tests in 14 minutes. Meet Ms Ugene, Singapore’s first two-armed robot microbiologist helping Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), food and nutrition firms ensure...
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.
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.
Even if people could be persuaded to ditch their Wagyu beef for a wood-boring grub, a lack of scientific information means, for now, traditional Aboriginal insects would be unlikely to become their new source of protein.
Cases of severe and extreme obesity have doubled in Korea over the past 12 years, with people in their 20s and 30s most likely to be piling on the pounds.
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.
The fruiting body of the Taiwanese fungus Antrodia camphorata possesses anti-skin cancer, antioxidant and anti-melanogenic properties, according to new research.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has pledged to ‘close the gap’ in micronutrient malnutrition after releasing a consultation paper on food fortification.
Most Japanese women are not getting enough calcium and vitamin D, increasing the risks of osteoporotic fractures and other diseases, states a new review.
There is insufficient evidence of a link between fruit and vegetable consumption and a reduction in the number of overall cancer cases, according to a pooled analysis of large-scale cohort studies from Japan.
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.
Pregnant women should take more micronutrients aside from iron and folic acid to boost the long-term cognitive development of their children, according to a major follow-up study from Indonesia.
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.
Prebiotic soluble fibre dietary supplement MyFy is the first product to be launched by Galaxy Scientific Nutrition in India to address the country’s significant shortfall of fibre intake.
Omija fruit ethanol extract may be helpful to fight obesity and related metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, dyslipidaemia, and insulin resistance, according to the results of a new study on mice fed a high-fat diet.
The decision by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to approve DHA and ARA-enriched infant food was a crucial factor leading to Danone’s ambitious growth plans for the country.
A fortified iron supplement bar given to women in and around Mumbai reduced anaemia with no reported side effects, according to a study by Duke University researchers and collaborators in India.
While long treasured for its medicinal properties in Asia, a new Taiwanese review has drawn attention to four species of the fungi Cordyceps, highlighting the mushrooms’ potential as a functional food targeting metabolic, liver, sexual, and bone/joint...
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...
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.
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.
Despite Asia Pacific being a region with high incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), sales of cardiovascular health positioned foods and beverages are not high, writes Maria Mascaraque from Euromonitor International.
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.
Further evidence has been published showing how fortified fish sauce is being used in Cambodia to help tackle thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency and the associated disease beriberi in babies.
By-products from cauliflower could be recycled and turned into functional foods to help combat diabetes and hypertension, a new study from China suggests.
Australian infant formula firm Bellamy’s is facing further turmoil after a major shareholder demanded the removal of four of the company’s board directors.
