The crucial role of omega-3 in helping to tackle pre and post-natal depression has been underlined by a new meta-analysis, which also found such cases of depression were associated with a higher omega-6/omega-3 ratio.
Palm oil tocotrienol, touted as ‘super vitamin E’, could provide benefits for people with neurodegenerative and neuro-inflammatory diseases, a study has concluded.
Functional soups featuring botanical and herbal ingredients such as ginger, ginseng and cordyceps are ripe for new product development in Japan, with the ageing population a particularly lucrative target market.
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.
Cannabinoids can be safely used as a supplementary treatment for elderly people with Parkinson’s disease with evidence showing they help reduce tremors, rigidity and pain, a new review reports.
Regulators in Asia should not wait for new CODEX regulations for infant formula and act now to cut the amount of protein required in order to help reduce obesity, a leading expert in the region has argued.
Ginkgo biloba extract helped protect the brain from the toxic effects of aluminium chloride, exposure to which has been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Queen Elizabeth was reported to have sent out 300 birthday wishes to British centenarians in 1955, 1200 in 1970, and 7500 in 2014. Now it is estimated that there is somewhere in the vicinity of 300,000 centenarians worldwide, writes Karen Hocking from...
Blackmores is continuing to suffer from a slump in Australian sales to ‘daigou’ buyers, with overall net profits dropping by 42.8% year-on-year, according to figures for the first nine months of its financial year.
Cinnamic acid’s potential for diabetes management has been highlighted in a new review, but concerns over bioavailability are still hindering its use in nutraceuticals.
Tapping in to the UN’s Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) through fortification, functional products and reformulation can offer the food industry substantial growth opportunities – but more needs to be done to secure private sector financial investment.
Asia’s food and nutrition companies risk turning their backs on a vast potential market if they fail to innovate and reformulate to provide products to help fight the war on diabetes.
Algae can become the world’s first ‘real superfoood’ and, along with edible insect products, help feed the growing global population in a more sustainable and nutritious fashion.
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.
The Chinese herb Chuanmishen violaceum (CVPS) helped improve antioxidant activity and increased free radical scavenging capabilities in tests on ageing mice, revealing it’s suitability for anti-ageing products.
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.
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.
Alternative sources of protein and a greater focus on ‘food before supplements’ is shaping the sports nutrition practices of Singapore’s elite athletes.
Resveratrol is a potential candidate to help prevent bone-related complications in children during and after chemotherapy, a study carried out by Australian and Chinese academics claims.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Suppliers of plant extracts were out in force at the recent Health Ingredients South East Asia show, at the same time as it was revealed the sector will be the fastest growing globally to 2022.
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).
Studies comparing the differing anti-obesity effects of Asian and American ginseng are urgently needed, it has been claimed, not least because they are thought to have opposite medical effects in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
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.
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.
APAC’s food and nutrition entrepreneurs and new start-ups are driving innovation in the region, and we want to shine the spotlight on their achievements.
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.
Diabetes, the double burden of malnutrition, personalised nutrition and sustainability: these are four of the most pressing APAC food and nutrition trends, according to industry experts speaking at our Food Vision Asia 2017 summit.