Botanicals

3D-printed supplements: Nourished taps vitamin deficiency in Middle East to expand personalised nutrition business

16-Jul-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

UK-based personalised nutrition company Nourished is eyeing the high vitamin deficiency levels in the Middle East region as an opportunity to expand its operations across the region.

GALLERY: Immunity Innovation

15-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

There has been several new immune health products and ingredients entering the market or are undergoing clinical trials since the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. The following gallery shows the new products that have been launched and the list will be updated...

Japan’s FFC labelling gap? Study says blood pressure management products lack complete health claims

15-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Researchers claim Japan’s Foods with Function Claims (FFC) rules need to be overhauled, with four in five (79.5%) blood pressure management products ‘lacking’ clear label claims, a study has found.

Ginseng multivits: Personalised nutrition brand ‘Ori by Imagene Labs’ forays into immune space

14-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Singapore-based personalised nutrition firm Imagene Labs has forayed into the immune health space with a number of new launches, including a ginseng vitamin blend plus a DNA test which looks at one's genetic tendencies for nutritional deficiencies....

Green superfood: Q’sai research shows consumption of kale powder lowers blood pressure

13-Jul-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Research in Japan has found that the ingestion of kale powder daily for three months could reduce blood pressure levels in people with hypertension.

Star power: BodyFirst seeks to build consumer trust for nutraceuticals with Bollywood legend’s endorsement

13-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

India’s BodyFirst Wellness Nutrition has partnered Bollywood star Suniel Shetty in addressing misconception around nutraceutical use and building consumer trust in the country.

‘Re-evaluate or reconsider traditional indications’: Australian regulator investigates products based on TCM, Ayurveda

13-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will conduct compliance checks on listed medicines that are based on TCM, Ayurveda or other traditional paradigms, with firms urged to re-evaluate their products.

Bumper deal: Fiji Kava’s new sleep, relax range debuts in nearly 600 Coles supermarkets

08-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Australia-based Fiji Kava is selling its new sleep and relax range of kava supplements for the first time globally, with domestic supermarket chain Coles being the first to stock the products.

GALLERY: The 10 most read APAC health and nutrition stories in June

07-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

See June's 10 most read stories, including the vegan supplement market in India, krill oil product recall in South Korea, and more.

Delivery debate: Which authority is best placed to help India reach its nutra potential?

06-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

There is a lively debate among Indian experts around which Indian authority is best placed to help the nation’s nutra sector reach its growth, experts and innovation potential.

New NZ sports nutrition brand touts benefits of pro and antioxidants balance in NZ blackcurrants

06-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

New Zealand sports nutrition firm 2before Performance Nutrition has launched a blackcurrant powder beverage that enhances exercise performance and recovery by providing a balanced amount of pro and antioxidants.

Lockdown impact: Grocery stores bolstered NZ supplements sales as pharmacies slumped

06-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Grocery store sales have helped support the strong growth of natural health products sales in New Zealand, as footfall to pharmacies declined during the nation’s COVID-19 lockdown.

Going west: India’s ayurvedic ingredient suppliers report higher demand from US and Europe

06-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

India’s nutraceutical ingredient suppliers have reported a higher demand for native ayurvedic herbs, such as turmeric and andrographis, especially from the US and Europe, partly due to COVID-19.

Science shorts: Probiotics, active nutrition, glucose control in the spotlight

03-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

In this round-up of new scientific developments, we look at how orange juice could be a non-dairy carrier for probiotics, opportunities for active nutrition NPD and more.

Tocotrienol-rich vitamin E speeds up nerve signal transmission in diabetic patients – Eight-week trial

01-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Supplementation of tocotrienol-rich vitamin E could speed up nerve signal transmission and increase the serum level of nerve growth factor (NGF) in diabetic patients.

Nearly four in 10 Chinese took supplements and TCM during COVID-19 lockdown period: Survey

01-Jul-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Nearly four in 10 consumers in China consumed supplements and TCM when the country was under the COVID-19 lockdown in March.

Gearing up: Huge opportunities for active nutrition to tap immunity and botanical innovation

30-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

There is huge scope in tailoring active and sports nutrition products toward the general population, especially if the can also offer immunity benefits, an expert panel has underlined.

‘Not stopping’: GNC franchisee ONI Global’s stresses ‘solid growth’ and offline expansion plans

30-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Singapore firm ONI Global, a franchisee of GNC, has reported ‘solid growth’ for its performance this year and made clear its intention to expand its brick-and-mortar presence – despite the financial woes being faced by the global retailer in the US.

BY-HEALTH’s US$500m capital drive: Plans for new sites and personalised health management centre revealed

30-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

BY-HEALTH is aiming to raise RMB$3.6bn (US$509m) to fund five new projects, including new manufacturing sites in China and Australia, and a health management centre.

Turmeric tumbles: India’s merchant association says raw material price has dropped 10%

29-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

India’s raw turmeric price this year is about 10% lower than last year partly because COVID-19 lockdowns and market closures have led to a surplus, said a major merchant association in India.

Brand new: Amway India, Swisse, Ajinomoto, Youguth in the spotlight

26-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

In this round-up, we zoom in on new developments in big brands, including how Amway India aims to achieve 90% of its pre-lockdown business by next month, Swisse adopting a ‘digital’ first strategy in India, and Ajinomoto’s debut in the VMS space.

Fighting back: Amway India aims to hit 90% of pre-lockdown business by next month

24-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Amway India’s CEO Anshu Budhraja says the firm is hopeful of achieving 80% to 90% of its pre-lockdown business by next month, as the country’s economy seeks to bounce back from COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Exceptional opportunities for smaller brands’: Chinese millennials looking for new supplement stars

24-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Australian e-commerce platform BuyNatural believes there are “exceptional opportunities” in China for local dietary supplement brands, with consumers eager to purchase “newer and smaller” brands.

Botanicals and immunity: Adequate sample size, safety and pharmacokinetic studies crucial for success

23-Jun-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

The future of botanicals and immunity research should include studies with adequate sample size, long-term safety studies and include more pharmacokinetic data, an expert panel has concluded.

Growth challenge: NZ supplements sector’s huge potential hampered by regulations and low capital

22-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

The New Zealand natural health products industry’s combined revenue last year was NZD$2.3bn (US$1.4bn), up 64% from five years ago, but the potential of even greater growth has been hampered by regulatory restrictions and low working capital.

WATCH: What’s the potential for nutra products as adjunctives to COVID-19 treatment?

19-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Health authorities and researchers in India and Philippines are testing the efficacy of ayurvedic formulations and melatonin as adjunctives to COVID-19 treatment.

Harmonisation hold-up: Lack of join-up regs still hindering ASEAN’s growing nutraceutical market

17-Jun-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

A lack of harmonised regulations continues to pose challenges for businesses looking to market their nutraceutical products across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, as well as consumers access to such products, according to...

NZ blackcurrant supplement raises brain health compound cGP in Parkinson’s patients – 28-day trial

16-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Consuming a New Zealand blackcurrants supplement increases the level of cyclic glycine-proline (cGP) – a compound linked to brain health – in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a recent study has found.

Vegan not synthetic: India’s plant-based supplement firm ‘fills gap’ with multivits

16-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

India’s vegan supplement firm Unived has launched wholly plant-based multivitamins and vitamin B complex capsules to tackle what it believes was a major gap in the local market.

Convenience and simplicity: Sales boost for Singapore supplement subscription service amid Covid-19

09-Jun-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

A Singapore-based online customised supplement firm says the COVID-19 pandemic has helped consumers overcome scepticism to subscription services in the nutra space, after recording 60% year-on-year boost in sales over the last 30 days.

Maintaining momentum: Australian supplements sector secures domestic and exports growth

09-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Australia’s complementary medicines sector continues to surge, with the sector officially valued at AUD$5.6bn last year (US$3.9bn), up from AUD$5.2bn (US$3.5bn) in 2018, while exports grew by another 15% to AUD$1.1bn (US$766m).

Immune, beauty and anti-stress: Nestle Health Science China’s focus for ‘Garden of Life’ new launches

08-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Nestle Health Science aims to launch nine new products from the Garden of Life series – a US health foods brand which it previously acquired – into the China market this year. Of which, immune, beauty, and anti-stress are the key product priorities.

Herbalife APAC survey: Social media top and businesses bottom for consumer sources of nutrition info

08-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Social media is the go-to for most APAC consumers when it comes to finding information related to nutrition, a survey conducted by Herbalife has found.

Brand new: Lactoferrin-enriched milk, Swisse's grape seed extract, Dabur in the spotlight

05-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

In this round-up, we look at new developments from both big and local brands, such as Australia's Jatenergy's launch of lactoferrin-enriched milk powder, Swisse's plans to roll out supplements with upcycled grape seed extract, and Dabur...

Low-calorie diet and exercise put diabetes in remission for 60% of patients: Qatar RCT

03-Jun-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

An intensive lifestyle intervention comprising a low-calorie diet and physical activity led to significant weight loss and diabetes remission in 61% of patients.

Powders power: LVL Life’s superfood blends ride e-commerce, plant-based and COVID-19 waves

03-Jun-2020 By Pearly Neo

Singapore-based LVL Life and its plant-based superfood powder blends have seen sales surge during the COVID-19 outbreak with rising consumer demand and a resilient e-commerce strategy combining for its success.

Singaporeans with mental health conditions four-times more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine

03-Jun-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Almost one-in-five Singaporeans with mental health conditions has used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the past 12 months – nearly four times higher than the general population.

‘Resonated with investors’: CBD specialist Elixinol raises $11m, pledges branded products focus

03-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

CBD specialist Elixinol Global has managed to hit its capital raising target of AUD$11m (US$7.3m) following a two-stage fund raising exercise, which it believes is a proof of how its CBD supplements have resonated with its investors.

Immunity advice for pharmacists: Blackmores publishes whitepaper on nutrition and supplement guidelines

03-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Blackmores has published a new whitepaper on nutrition guidelines for strengthening the immune system, preventing and treating respiratory tract infections – designed specifically for pharmacists.

GALLERY: The 10 most read APAC health and nutrition stories in May

02-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

See May's 10 most read stories, including COVID-19's clinical trials research and what firms have done to cope with disruptions caused by the pandemic.

COVID-19 caution: Chinese botanical suppliers hold back on capacity building despite demand spike

02-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Plant extract companies in China are seeing more demand for immune-related raw materials, but most are adopting a cautious stance when it comes to capacity building due to trade uncertainties brought on by COVID-19.

COVID-19: TCM Lianhua Qingwen speeds up recovery but no effect in preventing conversion to severe cases – two-week RCT

01-Jun-2020 By Tingmin Koe

A two-week clinical trial led by renowned Chinese pulmonologist Zhong Nanshan has shown that consuming the botanical TCM product Lianhua Qingwen (LH) capsules and undergoing the standard therapy can speed up recovery in COVID-19 patients.

China focus: Infant nutrition scandal, probiotics for asthma control and more

29-May-2020 By Tingmin Koe

This round-up looks at the latest China infant nutrition brand scandal, how probiotics can improve asthma control, and market developments from big brands, including BY-HEALTH and Nestle.

Brain-eye axis: New Zealand firms reveal potential of nootropics for eye health

28-May-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Eye health may be the next big opportunity for nootropics products that are more traditionally known for their cognitive and energy benefits.

Ayurvedic prominence: India’s BodyFirst sets sail for official launch with ashwagandha, astaxanthin products

27-May-2020 By Tingmin Koe

India’s nutraceutical firm BodyFirst Wellness Nutrition is officially launching its products nationwide and internationally in the upcoming month, following a successful market test drive.

Immunity and nutrition: APAC’s clinical research improves ‘leaps and bounds’– NutraIngredients-Asia webinar panel

27-May-2020 By Tingmin Koe

The standard of nutritional clinical research in APAC has improved by “leaps and bounds” in recent years, but researchers still need to take note of pitfalls such as biased judgements because strong science provides the cornerstone of commercially successful...

COVID-19 and Ayurveda trial: FMCG giant Dabur India to trial flagship formula on 600 people

26-May-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Ayurvedic supplement and FMCG giant Dabur India is conducting a three-month clinical trial to test if its chyawanprash formula could help prevent healthy individuals from contracting COVID-19.

Taking Kampo global: Researchers call for continued research into Japanese herbal medicine and frailty

26-May-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Researchers from East Asia are urging more research and clinical studies of the Japanese herbal medicine, Kampo, as a treatment for frailty, as part of a push to increase awareness in global markets.

FFC five years on: Less than half of Japan’s Food With Function products commercially available

26-May-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) has approved 2,887 products under the food with function claim (FFC) since its introduction in 2015 – but only 1325 are currently available on the market.

Trend tracker: Bestsellers on JD, vitamins sales in Indo, and more

22-May-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Some of the latest consumers trends can be seen from the growing understanding of vitamins for preventive health in Indonesia, and the rising popularity of probiotics, infant nutrition, and Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs) in China as more spend...