Nutraceuticals World Breaking News

Energy Shots Market Packs a Punch

Sean Moloughney — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:42:00 -0500

A largely untapped energy shots market offers huge premiums due to the functional benefit and convenience of these products, according to a new report from New Nutrition Business.

In the U.S., the category has reached $350 million in retail sales in less than two years despite the recession and despite selling at a massive 400% price premium over “mainstream” energy drinks such as Red Bull, the report states.

With consumers motivated by energy and “no added sugar,” there is a wealth of untapped opportunities in other markets around the world for energy shots, which are typically 60-120 ml bottles (2-4 oz.).

The report details lessons for success, including the importance of value, not volume and targeting consumers struggling with a demanding day, such as mothers and office workers.

The report includes detailed brand sales data, comparisons of product pricing and advertising messages and claims, as well as seven detailed case studies: 5-Hour Energy, Red Bull Energy Shots, Zen, Powershot, Quick Energy, Coca-Cola NOS and Opportunities for dairy.

Progresso to Launch High Fiber Soups

Becky Wright — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:39:00 -0500

A new line of High Fiber soups from Progresso, available in grocery stores this fall, is set to raise the bar for taste, nutritional value and variety among ready-to-serve soups.

While consumers regard fiber as the No. 1 ingredient to positively impact health, 9 in 10 Americans are not getting the recommended Daily Value. In fact, nearly 80 million baby boomers say they are seeking more fiber in their diets.

"Increasingly, consumers are looking for foods with health-enhancing benefits that don't sacrifice taste or convenience," said Chad Johnson, marketing manager for Progresso soup. "As the category leader, Progresso is in a position to respond quickly to consumer feedback by introducing healthy innovations that taste great. We're proud to say we've done just that with the new High Fiber line."

Progresso soup's new High Fiber line includes four varieties: Chicken Tuscany; Creamy Tomato Basil; Hearty Vegetable and Noodles; and Homestyle Minestrone—all with no added MSG, no artificial flavors and seven grams of fiber per serving.

"It's important for consumers to eat high-fiber foods, as they've been shown to support digestive health," said Michelle Tucker, senior nutrition scientist, General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. "With 28 percent of the recommended Daily Value of fiber per serving, Progresso High Fiber soups will make it convenient for consumers to get more fiber in their diets while enjoying a wholesome, satisfying meal."

Omega 3 Fatty Acid Deficiency Takes 96,000 Lives Annually in the U.S.

Becky Wright — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:11:00 -0500

A new study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found omega 3 deficient diets cause up to 96,000 preventable deaths annually in the U.S.

"The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors" study published in the April 2009 issue of PLoS Medicine estimated the number of deaths resulting from 12 different modifiable and preventable causes to determine how many deaths were attributable to these factors.

Of the 12 dietary, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors examined in the study, omega 3 fatty acid deficiency ranked as the sixth highest killer of Americans, responsible for a whopping 72,000 to 96,000 preventable deaths yearly. Omega 3 fatty acid deficiency even beat out high trans fat intake, which is responsible for an estimated 63,000 to 97,000 deaths annually.

"The numbers are shocking, especially given that these deaths are preventable with omega 3 EPA/DHA supplementation," said Ocean Nutrition Canada's vice president, Marketing and Communications, Lori Covert. "We know that daily doses of omega 3 EPA/DHA can help with many conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, and we're committed to increasing consumer awareness about the drastic omega 3 EPA/DHA deficiency in the Western diet."

Researchers retrieved data on exposures to the 12 selected risk factors from U.S. national health surveys, and obtained information on deaths from different diseases for 2005 from the U.S. National Health Center for Health Statistics. They also used previously published studies to estimate how much each risk factor increased the risk of death from each disease, and applied a mathematical model to estimate the number of deaths related to each risk factor.

Tobacco smoking ranked as the highest risk factor with 436,000 to 500,000 attributed preventable deaths, followed by high blood pressure (372,000 to 414,000), obesity (188,000 to 237,000), physical inactivity (164,000 to 222,000) and high salt intake (97,000-107,000).

Studies such as this are becoming increasingly important in the U.S. and around the world as healthcare costs skyrocket. Policymakers use these studies to determine leading causes of mortality among populations, and then to develop and implement public health policies and legislation to help reduce exposure and to prevent death from certain risk factors.

The British Prefer to Get Vitamins From a Healthy Diet

Becky Wright — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:27:00 -0500

After years of pill popping, latest research from Mintel, Chicago, IL, finds the number of Brits turning to supplements for their vitamin and mineral intake is on the decline.

The UK's £396 million vitamins and supplements market is set to be a victim of its own nutrition agenda. Improved education on diet and nutrition has been a root cause of the struggles as the nation continues to eat more healthily and cuts back on its vitamins and minerals intake. The number of Brits popping supplements has been in steady decline since 2007, with the total number of users falling from 43% in 2006 to 41% in 2008. Meanwhile, the number of vitamin fanatics (those taking supplements once a day or more) has declined from 34% to 32% over the same 2 year period.

While in previous years vitamin devotees flocked to the supplement aisles for all their nutritional needs, today, almost four in ten (38%) adults prefer to get their vitamins and minerals from their diets than from supplements. This compares to just one in four (25%) in 2005. What is more, over two thirds (67%) of Brits enjoy a healthy diet, while almost half (46%) stick to the 5-A-Day rule.

"Growth in functional foods and the focus on healthy eating are having a negative impact on the vitamins and supplements market. As people eat more healthily, they do not feel that they need to take additional vitamins and minerals from supplements. A shift towards stripping chemicals such as fertilisers and e-numbers out of the diet may well also be putting pressure on the vitamins and supplements market owing to the unnatural tablet or capsule format of many supplements. As a result the preference for natural sources of vitamins and minerals such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products is strong among many adults." comments Alexandra Richmond, Senior Health & Beauty Analyst.

"The worsening economy has also hampered growth in the market with Brits looking at cheaper alternatives to get their nutrition. For many, vitamins & supplements are considered a non-essential spend," adds Alexandra.

Within the vitamins & supplements market, many people are moving away from single vitamins, preferring instead dietary supplements that complement their lifestyle needs. Dietary supplements have benefited from the focus on age-related concerns notably glucosamine for joint care and omega-3 for brain function, which is masking a decline in sales of other supplements. Omega-3 has proved particularly popular and continues to appeal to parents for its potential to improve their children's performance at school.

Just over four in ten adults would not consider using vitamins and supplements in the future. While one in five adults perceive them to be unnecessary and one in seven claim not to notice any difference when using them.

"The vitamins & supplements market will struggle to achieve overall growth over the next few years as the number of users continues to diminish. Educating people about the benefits of supplements over normal food will be instrumental in capturing the growth potential here. Given the current economic situation, paralleling the cost of vitamins and supplements with the cost of buying enough food to ensure that daily allowance guidelines are met, could help to generate sales for the sector, particularly amongst those people who are finding their budgets squeezed" concludes Alexandra.

Vitamin D and Omega 3 to Star in Disease Prevention Trial

Sean Moloughney — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:41:00 -0500

Researchers plan to conduct a large clinical trial designed to evaluate the impact of vitamin D and omega 3 in reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease among people with no prior history of such ailments.

The National Institutes of Health will fund this $20 million study—dubbed the Vitamin D and Omega 3 Trial (VITAL). Scientists at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, intend to evaluate 20,000 U.S men and women over a period of five years.

Women aged 65 or older and men aged 60 or older will be assigned to one of four groups: daily vitamin D and fish oil; daily vitamin D and fish oil placebo; daily vitamin D placebo and fish oil; or daily vitamin D placebo and fish oil placebo.

Doses to be administered are estimated at 2000 IU of vitamin D and about 1 gram of omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil.

The Associated Press reported that Pharmavite, Northridge, CA, is providing the vitamin D supplements and Ocean Nutrition Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is supplying the fish oil. Recruitment for the study will begin in January.

CSPI Wants to Sue Bayer for Misleading Ads

Becky Wright — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:14:00 -0500

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has notified Bayer Healthcare that it will sue the company if it continues to claim that the selenium in its One A Day vitamins may reduce men’s risk of prostate cancer, the health group announced today.

Advertisements and labels for One A Day Men’s 50+ Advantage and One A Day Men’s Health Formula multivitamins claim that "emerging research" suggests that selenium may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. "Did you know that there are more new cases of prostate cancer each year than any other cancer?" intones the narrator one such radio ad. "Now there is something you can do."

But CSPIstands behind leading prostate cancer researchers who say there is scant evidence to support such a claim and have joined the organization in urging FTC to put an immediate stop to the deceptive claims.

"Bayer is exploiting men's fear of prostate cancer just to sell more pills," said CSPI senior nutritionist David Schardt. "The largest prostate cancer prevention trial has found that selenium is no more effective than a placebo. Bayer is ripping people off when it suggests otherwise in these dishonest ads."

A seven-year, $118-million study funded by the National Institutes of Health found last year that selenium does not prevent prostate cancer in healthy men. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) involving 35,000 U.S. and Canadian men was halted in October when researchers determined that selenium was not protecting the men from prostate cancer and may have been causing diabetes in some of them.

The only study to find that selenium might prevent prostate cancer in men was the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) trial, which unexpectedly found in 1996 that selenium supplementation seemed to prevent prostate cancer in men with a history of skin cancer. However, two later analyses of the NPC results determined that only a small minority of men may have benefited from selenium supplementation and that selenium almost tripled the risk of developing diabetes. That led to a dramatic warning from the American College of Physicians that "long-term selenium supplementation should not be viewed as harmless and a possibly healthy way to prevent illness."

In an editorial accompanying publication of the SELECT study results in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Peter Gann of the University of Illinois at Chicago urged that "physicians should not recommend selenium or vitamin E—or any other antioxidant supplements—to their patients for preventing prostate cancer."

Yet, Bayer still touts selenium’s promise in preventing unspecified prostate "issues" and in reducing prostate cancer risk.

"With these indefensible claims, Bayer is thumbing its nose at FDA, the FTC, and any number of state consumer protection laws," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "A courtroom would be treacherous territory for Bayer, whose executives would be committing perjury just by reciting their ads under oath."

In recent years CSPI’s litigation department has negotiated settlements or voluntary changes to marketing practices with Airborne, Anheuser-Busch, Frito-Lay, Kellogg, Pinnacle Foods, Quaker Oats, and others.

Besides announcing its intention to sue Bayer, CSPI also filed a complaint today with the FTC. That complaint states that because Bayer's ads have for so long reinforced the false notion that selenium prevents prostate cancer—and because selenium may actually increase the risk of diabetes—the company should be required to run a corrective advertising campaign. (Bayer is now running corrective advertising at the behest of the FDA and state Attorneys General about yet another one of its products, its birth control pill Yaz.)

CSPI says the prostate cancer claims for One A Day supplements for men violate a consent decree the company signed with the FTC in 2007. That year Bayer paid a $3.2 million fine related to weight-loss claims made on behalf of One A Day multivitamin WeightSmart, and agreed not to make unsubstantiated claims in the future.

Separately, some of the most prominent prostate cancer researchers in the United States wrote to the FTC in support of CSPI's complaint about Bayer’s advertising. The SELECT trial "was the largest individually randomized cancer prevention trial ever conducted, and, given its high rates of adherence and its statistical power, it is unlikely to have missed detecting a benefit of even a very modest size," wrote the researchers. "Bayer Healthcare is doing a disservice to men by misleading them about a protective role for selenium in prostate cancer."

Signatories include Peter Gann and Maarten Bosland of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Ed Giovannucci of the Harvard Medical School, Alan Kristal of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, William Nelson of the Johns Hopkins Medical School, Tim Byers of the University of Colorado, Larry Kushi of Kaiser-Permanente in Oakland, Lawrence Kolonel of the University of Hawaii, and Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society.

Consumers Recognize Value of Satiety

Sean Moloughney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:40:00 -0500

Two-thirds of consumers (67%) say that satiety is an important factor in their food and beverage choices, according to a survey from NPD Group conducted for Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), Rosemont, IL.

“We know that a higher-protein diet can be an excellent way to feel fuller longer and may help reduce the desire to reach for unhealthy snacks between meals,” said Matt Pikosky, registered dietitian and director of research transfer at the National Dairy Council. “Whey protein added to foods and beverages can help increase daily protein intake to achieve a higher protein diet, which can help promote a feeling of fullness.”

Calorie-for-calorie, protein has been shown to lead to greater satiety than carbohydrates or fats. Whey protein is a high-quality protein naturally found in milk and contains essential amino acids.

“The issue of weight management is a significant concern for many people, so controlling hunger can be an appealing message to consumers,” said Laura Gottschalk, vice president of US manufacturing and ingredient marketing for DMI.

More than at any other time of the day, feeling full after breakfast is important to consumers, according to the survey, as 42% of responders stated that morning is the most important time to eat or drink something that helps them feel full. Also, 24% of respondents believe that the satiety of nutrition bars can be improved the most with protein fortification, followed by yogurt (23%) and smoothies (19%).

Also, more than half of responders indicated they would expect to pay about 50 cents more for products fortified with protein to increase satiety.

The NPD survey revealed several other results regarding consumer perceptions about controlling hunger: 72% agreed that the best way to control hunger is through a nutritionally balanced diet; 60% believe that satisfaction from high-carbohydrate foods is generally quick and short-lived; 65% believe that if you feel hungry, you can’t be at your best; and 54% agreed that protein-based foods are the best at satisfying hunger.

Cost Cuts into Sale of Healthy Foods but Soy Stays Strong

Sean Moloughney — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:28:00 -0500

Nearly half (46%) of Americans are reluctant to spend more on healthier foods, according to a recent survey from the United Soybean Board (USB).

The 16th annual “2009 Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition” survey shows that of those unwilling to spend more, 52% confirm the reason is financial. Still, 87% of Americans express concern about the nutritional content of their food, reflecting a clear interest in healthier foods.

As consumers attempt to balance nutrition and economic value, 88% say that nutrition is important when purchasing foods at the grocery store.

Given these findings, Americans are still taking greater control of their health by choosing functional foods. According to Packaged Facts' Functional Foods and Beverages study, U.S. retail sales for functional foods totaled $31 billion in 2008, an increase from $27 billion in 2006.

USB's study also demonstrates the heightened awareness about the health benefits of soy, as 84% of Americans rate soy as healthy, up 25 percentage points over the last 12 years. In fact, one-third of Americans purchase foods specifically because they contain soy.

“Soy products are an ideal option for those seeking budget-friendly meals,” said Lisa Kelly, MPH, RD of the USB. “For example, a block of tofu can star as the protein in a family meal for less than $2, and soybean oil costs one-quarter of the price of some other healthy oils,"

Americans indicate they seek out soy products because they are low in fat, are good sources of protein, reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol.

Eighty-four percent of Americans recognize soybean oil as very or somewhat healthy. Soybean oil contains zero grams of trans fat, which can often be a deterrent for many consumers at the grocery store. In fact, 59% say they would be more likely to buy a product they currently purchase if the food company reformulated the product to eliminate trans fats.

Awareness and usage of soy protein products continues to climb. Soymilk is most popular, with nearly one-quarter of Americans reporting they drink it regularly. According to Mintel's Soy-based Food and Drink report, soymilk sales grew 61% from 2003 to 2008. Emerging soyfoods have also sparked consumers' interest. Today, 17% of Americans have tried edamame (young green soybeans) at least once, a significant increase from 3% in 2000.

USB's study, conducted by an independent research firm, includes 1009 random online surveys conducted in January 2009.

Supplement Caucus Hosts Educational Briefing

Sean Moloughney — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:25:00 -0500

Intent on educating congressional staffers on the benefits of dietary supplements, the Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus hosted its third lunch briefing in cooperation with the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and the Natural Products Association (NPA).

William Cooper, MD, medical director of Cardiovascular Surgery, Wellstar-Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, GA, and assistant professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, spoke to more than 90 attendees about the importance of using dietary supplements as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Dr. Cooper also offered advice for how supplements can play an important role in prevention and healthcare reform.

“When you get to me, you really don’t want to buy what I’m selling,” said Dr. Cooper, referring to his heart surgery specialty. He encouraged the individuals in the audience to focus on preventative health, rather than the sick-care health system currently in place. “As a nation, we are consistently inconsistent. But there are simple things that all of us can do everyday to better our health—and that includes taking dietary supplements.”

Dr. Cooper said that he personally takes fiber, fish oil supplements and a multivitamin every day. He also recommends these supplements to his patients for good heart health. Personally and professionally, he believes that these supplements, along with healthy nutrition and regular exercise, can make a big difference in overall health and wellness.

According to the “Life…supplemented” Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study, 73% of cardiologists believe this regimen—healthy diet + vitamins and other supplements + exercise—is essential for a healthy heart. The study also showed that 72% of the nation's cardiologists recommend dietary supplements to their patients, and more than half (57%) take supplements themselves.

“Healthcare reform will happen in this country when you and I change our habits to be healthier,” said Dr. Cooper.

Co-chairs of the Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) agreed with Dr. Cooper that dietary supplements have many health benefits.

“Prevention is the most cost-effective initiative to contain costs in healthcare and dietary supplements are an important part of prevention,” said Mr. Polis.

Mr. Chaffetz echoed his co-chair’s comments, saying, “I know that these products provide so much benefit for consumers. I’m a product of it.”

This event was the first of three briefings taking place this year and the briefings will continue to take place quarterly in subsequent years. Each briefing will focus on topics relevant to the dietary supplement industry and wellness arena and will feature speakers who will address the latest science and offer practical information.

These briefings will also serve to position the Dietary Supplement Caucus as the experts when it comes to educating Congress on dietary supplement legislation and regulation.

Vitamin D Deficiency Found Across Groups of Cancer Patients

Sean Moloughney — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:51:00 -0500

Researchers concluded that cancer patients should undergo vitamin D screening after a recent study found high prevalence of deficiency among subjects regardless of nutritional status.

Conducted at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) researchers assessed 737 cancer patients (302 male and 435 female) between January and June of 2008.

Subjects were evaluated and assigned to one of three classes of nutritional status: well nourished, moderately malnourished and severely malnourished. The mean age at presentation was about 56 years (SD = 10.2) and the most common cancer types were lung (133, 18%), breast (131, 18%), colorectal (97, 13%), pancreatic (86, 12%), prostate (44, 6%) and ovarian (38, 5%).

“While emerging evidence suggests the protective role of vitamin D in cancer, vitamin D status is not routinely assessed in cancer patients despite the high prevalence of malnutrition in this population,” said Carolyn Lammersfeld, national director of nutrition for CTCA and a principal investigator in the study.

Before the study, researchers hypothesized that malnutrition could contribute to vitamin D deficiency and therefore expected mean serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels to be significantly lower in malnourished oncology patients. However, contrary to what they expected, vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent in cancer regardless of nutritional status.

This study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting and publicly released on ASCO's website.

Most Breast Cancer Patients Supplement with Antioxidants

Sean Moloughney — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:37:00 -0500

Future research should evaluate the effects of antioxidant supplementation in combination with breast cancer treatment given prevalent use at high doses, according to a recent study published in Cancer.

Follow-up interviews of participants in the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project showed that nearly 87%, or 663 of 764 participants, reported taking antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene or selenium, either through individual supplements or multivitamins.

Interviews were conducted from 2002 to 2004 following the case-control study, which took place between 1996 and 1997.

Of the 663 women, 401 (60.5%) reported using antioxidants during adjuvant treatment. Nearly 39% (120 of 310 women) used antioxidants during chemotherapy; 42% (196 of 464) consumed them during radiation; and 62% (286 of 462) used them during tamoxifen therapy.

Among all antioxidant users, 69% consumed “high doses,” which was defined as more than is contained in a Centrum multivitamin.

Factors associated with high antioxidant supplement use during treatment included higher fruit and vegetable intake at diagnosis, tamoxifen, ever using herbal products and ever engaging in mind-body practices.

While study respondents tended to be younger, were predominantly white and of higher socioeconomic status than women who did not respond, researchers believe results are typical of general populations of breast cancer patients, and thus further evaluation on associated health impacts is necessary.

Bayer Healthcare to Commercialize Neptune Products

Sean Moloughney — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:12:00 -0500

Under terms of a new agreement, Bayer Healthcare, LLC, Morristown, NJ, will commercialize the proprietary products of Neptune Technologies & Bioressources, Laval, Quebec, Canada, in the U.S.

The alliance with Bayer represents one milestone in Neptune’s strategic development plan to penetrate global nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets in collaboration with international partners.

“It has been strategic to invest the time and resources into building a complete portfolio of scientific data, intellectual property and regulatory approvals, which ultimately allowed the company to attract the best partner," said Dr. Tina Sampalis, chief scientific officer.

"Neptune's approach to commercialization consists of rapidly penetrating the market to generate short-term revenue and growth by partnering with the right marketer that can create broad consumer awareness leveraged by our substantial scientific data and that can create large market share for Neptune," she added.

Latest Study Shows Yoplait YoPlus Improves Digestive Health

Sean Moloughney — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:33:00 -0500

Consuming one serving of General Mills’ Yoplait YoPlus yogurt daily for six weeks can improve overall digestive well-being, according to a recent clinical study.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC)—Chapel Hill examined the effects of daily YoPlus consumption among 60 men and women who occasionally experienced symptoms of digestive discomfort.

YoPlus contains Bifidobacterium lactis (Bb-12) and 3 grams of the natural plant fiber inulin per 4-oz. cup. The product also provides a “good source” of calcium and contains vitamins A and D.

During the UNC trial, half of those studied consumed a liquid form of YoPlus; the other half received a product without any yogurt cultures, probiotics or fiber.

Findings indicate that overall digestive well-being improved for individuals who consumed one serving of Yoplait YoPlus daily, while no change was seen in the group that did not consume YoPlus. Additionally, transit time was significantly reduced in those who ate YoPlus yogurt.

“There are very few pharmacologic options for people managing occasional gastrointestinal discomfort such as constipation or bloating,” said Tamar Ringel-Kulka, MD, MPH, lead co-researcher. “A yogurt containing probiotics and fiber is a promising choice for those who experience occasional digestive health issues.”

Majority of Kellogg’s Cereals to be Excellent Sources of Fiber by 2010

Sean Moloughney — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:10:00 -0500

Beginning with many of its most popular children's products, Kellogg Company intends to make nearly 80% of its ready-to-eat cereals in the U.S and Canada good to excellent sources of fiber by the end of 2010.

In the U.S., Kellogg already has more ready-to-eat cereals that are at least a “good source” of fiber than any other food company, including Frosted Mini-Wheats, Kellogg's Raisin Bran and All-Bran.

"Today's announcement is another step on Kellogg Company's journey to continually improve the nutrition profile of our products without compromising taste or quality," said David Mackay, president and CEO. "A year ago we changed what and how we market to children and reduced the sugar and sodium in a number of our cereals. Now, Kellogg is adding an important benefit—fiber—to our foods while maintaining their great taste."

Fiber has many benefits, including helping to keep children's digestive systems healthy so they can absorb nutrients. Yet, children ages 6-12 get, on average, 12 grams of fiber daily—well below the recommended intake.

The first cereals to gain more fiber will be Kellogg's Froot Loops and Apple Jacks, which will appear on U.S. store shelves in August.

Similarly, adults only get about half the recommended fiber they need each day, and stand to benefit from fiber in terms of weight management, digestive health and reduced risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Lycopene Supplement Hyped as Breakthrough in Heart Health

Sean Moloughney — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:34:00 -0500

Researchers at Cambridge University have developed a bioavailable form of natural lycopene called Ateronon that they claim can reduce oxidation levels of LDL cholesterol to nearly zero within eight weeks.

Cambridge Theranostics Ltd (CTL), a biotechnology company with roots at Cambridge University, will launch this dietary supplement as an over-the-counter product through Boots, Lloyds and other high street pharmacies beginning in July.

Found in tomatoes, lycopene has been recognized as an antioxidant with properties that can protect against heart disease.

Ateronon is a reformulation of a lactolycopene complex originally developed by Nestle, in its search for an easily absorbed, bioavailable formulation of lycopene. Recognizing unique patent position of CTL in screening and development of a new treatment for atherosclerosis, Nestle licensed the formula to CTL, but retains a financial interest in the end product.

CTL scientists developed the lycopene formulation further to optimize its absorption, creating the product Ateronon.

Further trials are underway at Cambridge University and Harvard Medical School to see how well it performs in other studies. “We are very excited about the potential of Ateronon,” said Gunter Schmidt, a senior cell biologist and chief executive of CTL. “The research so far has produced extremely encouraging results, and we are confident there is much more to come.”