The Alternative Medicine Review recently published a study on Meriva (from Indena of Milan, Italy) showing that the curcumin¬–soy phospholipid ingredient helped reduce inflammation, stop pain and increase mobility in osteoarthritis patients. These results were seen in patients taking a dose of 200 mg/day. 

Wild Flavors of Erlanger, KY has tapped Univar to distribute its Sunwin stevia products, sweetener blends and taste modifiers in Europe and the Middle East.

ChromaDex Corporation of Irvine, CA partnered up with Kappa Bioscience AS, based in Oslo, Norway, to develop reference standards, quality control methods and testing services for vitamin K2 (Menaquinone-7) in raw materials and finished goods.

The US Patent and Trademark Office gave Irvine, CA-based Cyvex Nutrition a Notice of Allowance for the way it uses flavonoids to enhance memory in its Cognisetin ingredient. According to Cyvex, “The patent describes fisetin as a neuroprotector capable of generating neuron cells in the presence of damage, promoting antioxidant synthesis, and reducing overactive brain- and spinal cord-specific immune defenses that contribute to age-related decline and/or conditions.”

Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., with U.S. headquarters in Burlington, NJ, will now cultivate its natural astaxanthin only at its facility in Sweden. Previously, some of these operations occurred at its site in Hawaii using a different technology than that of the Swedish plant. Stated the company, “Consolidating operations into one of the two technologies would avoid duplication of effort and achieve operational efficiency.  One of the reasons the Swedish facility was chosen as the surviving technology was because of its ease of expansion.  It is modular and can be expanded rapidly to accommodate the continued growth of the natural astaxanthin market.”

PhenolicFactory, sister company to Sunrise, FL-based NaturaNectar LLC, has partnered with the Propolis Research Centre A/S to extract bee propolis in the United States using a 100% natural process. NaturaNectar says the extraction process is “a revolutionary, yet time-proofed technology… The achievement elevates these exclusive bee propolis extracts to the next level of performance and science because of the standardization of phenolic acids and flavonoid content and purification from allergens (no delayed contact hypersensitivity).”

Burgundy Botanical Extracts botanical extracts will now be available through P.L. Thomas of Morristown, NJ.

BioAstin Natural Astaxanthin from Cyanotech of Kailua-Kona, WI has been self-affirmed GRAS at 1.5 mg per serving by a panel of experts assembled by GRAS Associates, LLC.

A four-month human clinical trial on NC-518, from Sunbio Corporation of Encinitas, CA, found those taking the ingredient had “statistically significant improvement in their bone density measurements.” (p=0.009) Such measurements were taken via DEXA scans.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, March 2011 (online 1/26/11)