Jennifer Grebow

Curcumin Bioavailability is especially important for curcumin, which is notoriously difficult for the body to absorb. Standard curcumin is unstable at intestinal pH levels, resulting in rapid degradation. In addition, studies have shown that regular curcumin has a poor pharmacokinetic profile for oral absorption, a high rate of metabolic conjugation and reduction, as well as a tendency to be rapidly eliminated from the body, says Indena S.p.A. (Milan, Italy).

Imagine a shopper in the supplements aisle debating buying brand A over brand B. Brand A says, “More bioavailable!” Brand B does not. To most consumers, the choice seems obvious. But is it really?

Grass ingredients also topped SPINS’s ingredients-to-watch list, with more suppliers introducing new launches. Matt Phillips, CEO of Cyvex Nutrition, estimates his company will see up to 40% growth in the category this year. Last year, it launched expanded versions of its alfalfa line, including Alfapro Agglomerated, a dispersible grade, and highly bioavailable Alfalfa 95%.

Marketers eyeing the pet-health industry are barking up the right tree. From omega-3 liquids and functional dog treats to oral-health probiotics and glucosamine/chondroitin supplements for joints, the animal supplements category is starting to show its teeth.

Like any good partnership, delivery systems and ingredients must work together seamlessly.

Excipients might not always be the star of a dietary supplement product-that role most likely goes to the active ingredient-but make no mistake that excipients are more than just “filler.” And, excipients will need to answer to stricter FDA regulation in the near future, according to David Schoneker, director of global regulatory affairs for Colorcon (Harleysville, PA) and past chairman of the International Pharamceutical Excipients Council (IPEC). Schoneker spoke at a recent webcast sponsored by the Council for Responsible Nutrition and Virgo Publishing.

Consumers may have embraced superfruits, but superfruits also face some probing questions, including whether enough human science has been done to justify their marketing hype.

With new Novel Foods approval in Canada, phytosterols are ready to eat up market share.

CEOs and companies sure do love to throw that word around nowadays. It’s often tied to a promise that a company is being more open about its efforts and practices. But in our industry, what does transparency really mean? And how far does it go?

What’s making the FTC tick these days? Recent consent orders-not to mention POM’s lawsuit-have industry speculating.

Considering that enzymes catalyze virtually every biological process in the human body, it can be a serious problem if a person’s enzyme balance is out of whack.

When it comes to adverse-event reports (AERs), what constitutes too much public information?

It’s a fact often repeated: Heart disease is still the leading killer in the United States. The good news is that there are drugs and natural aids that can help consumers fight some of the mechanisms of heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

As a supplements category, immune health has come a long way-especially when it comes to consumer awareness and appreciation.

When it comes to immune-health supplements, consumers are looking beyond just pills and capsules.

By now, most consumers know the skin health benefits touted of sunscreen. The good news is that thanks to growing awareness, more consumers are now applying sunscreen on a regular basis. The bad news? Consumers may not be applying sunscreen properly or in adequate amounts required for protection. That’s where a sunscreen nutricosmetic can help.

In September, an article titled “Dangerous Supplements: What You Don’t Know About These 12 Ingredients Could Hurt You” was published in Consumer Reports. It calls out 12 ingredients deemed unsafe by the article’s authors.

With current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) for dietary supplements now fully in place, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to conduct cGMP inspections of facilities of all sizes. As FDA inspectors hit the ground, so, too, are inspectors from NSF International (NSF; Ann Arbor, MI).

In June, herbal product manufacturer Gaia Herbs (Gaia; Brevard, NC) introduced Meet Your Herbs, an industry-first herb-traceability program to provide customers with as much information as possible about the herbal products they purchase.

While writing this issue's State of the Industry report, I recalled the parting line of my editor's page in our November/December issue last year: "Looks like we're headed into an action-packed 2010." And indeed, the dietary supplements industry has certainly seen its share of activity so far this year, positive and negative-from (for some) increasing sales and innovation to tighter regulations and media scrutiny.

As dietary supplement companies reported their financial results this year, they seemed to confirm that despite a down economy, things are looking up. This year kicked off with increased business for many-not all, but many-signaling either recovery from 2009, or growing business that had never dropped off, even during the recession. (Read some positive reports in the sidebar.)

Talking to representatives from The Elizabeth Companies, a leading manufacturer of tablet presses and other equipment vital to the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, it's clear that today's nutraceutical companies are demanding far more from their equipment.

With talk heightened over America's obesity problem and proposals to tax sugary drinks, opportunities are ripe for stevia, the all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener extracted from the plant Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.

Counterfeiting and other forms of adulteration periodically strike dietary supplements, just as they do pharmaceuticals. In February, a Roanoke Rapids, NC, newspaper reported that police had arrested a man found transporting counterfeit Centrum vitamins.

FDA has been faced with evaluating and regulating an increasing range of health-related product claims from food and supplement companies. Does the agency have the tools to judge whether proposed claims are valid?

On December 29 of last year, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) announced the publication of a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored study claiming that Ginkgo biloba extract does not appear to slow the rate of cognitive decline. The announcement, made during what is typically a slow news week, became a headliner.

Reader's Digest's April issue ran a story that rankled many, not only in the dietary supplements community but the general public at large, judging by the article's feedback. The cover story, titled "The Vitamin Scam," went on to put down a number of well-researched vitamins, such as multivitamins and vitamin C, essentially claiming that for most people, taking these supplements is not really beneficial.

Nearly 38% of American adults and 12% of children use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to the latest statistics by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It's good to see, then, that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that President Obama signed into law on March 23 did not leave out this important category of medicine.

When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) slapped General Mills with a stern warning letter over its Cheerios heart-health claims last May, it signaled the start of increased scrutiny by the agency of misleading food labels.

Consumers ranked omega-3 as their number-one supplement of choice-even over multivitamins-in ConsumerLab's 2010 vitamin survey. That's good news for the omega-3 industry.