Kimberly J. Decker

How and where caffeine helps, whom it might hurt-and what we just don’t know yet.

Now that organic production-not to mention fair-trade, sustainable, traceable, et al.-is increasingly table stakes for the wellness industry, what’s the next hurdle for companies to clear in demonstrating their commitment to a healthy planet and healthy consumers? Regenerative agriculture.

Retailers and brands might want to consider signing up to the subscription model-at least for a trial run.

2018’s most unexpected supplement sales trends, according to SPINS.

How to put the spotlight on your protein product

We quizzed the experts on their top strategies for balancing wellness with “Wow!” in frozen desserts.

According to SPINS, female-positioned supplements grew at a rate of 6%, netting a total of $628 million in U.S. sales in the 52 weeks ending July 15, 2018.

Although the public has yet fully to appreciate vitamin K2, advocates are working overtime to change that. Here’s how an official recommended daily intake (RDI) value could help.

Infant formula brands have to ramp up the innovation to build a product that delivers what’s best for baby-which nowadays means what comes closest to the breastmilk ideal.

By focusing on how much protein they pack into their formulations, product developers not only have a chance to help their audience meet their protein goals; they might also give their protein applications an edge in a crowded marketplace.

Despite their rising profile, probiotics have yet to reach their full potential with Americans, whether as supplements or functional-food ingredients.

Can formulators do better?

Companies must still do their due diligence in evaluating reference standard suppliers, as they would elsewhere on the supply chain.

The convergence of contemporary science and a passion for all things “natural” has shot herbal and botanical dietary supplements onto center stage.

We asked the experts which ingredients have caught not just retailers’ and regulators’ eyes, but their own.

Research on lutein continues to unveil benefits for eye health as well as in emerging interest areas like brain and skin health, expanding its consumer base from old to young.

Collagen foods and beverages are expanding the ingredient’s fan base.

As plant-protein demand grows, plant-protein ingredients are overcoming growing pains, including challenges of scaling up, as well as formulating hurdles.

Even when DNA barcoding functions in concert with other methods in a comprehensive testing toolbox, it still faces hurdles to optimal utility.

Here’s what we’ve learned so far.

A look at the science behind some of today’s most successful weight-management dietary supplement ingredients.

Researchers are digging into the possible prebiotic potential of polyphenols, including those from cranberry.

Sports supplement users are looking for everything from the absence of banned substances and artificial ingredients to non-GMO, organic, sustainable, and vegetarian formulations.

Exploring nootropic opportunities in sports nutrition.

A look at the science behind folic acid, and why it’s relevant.

Survey results from Mintel show that among 1,876 U.S. internet users aged 18 and older who eat plant-based proteins, taste is the top reason they choose to do so, with 52% of those surveyed ranking it ahead of health (39%), the environment (13%), animal protection (11%), and dietary concerns (10%) as a motivator.

The four-year, $2.6 million grant was awarded to help develop and validate a laboratory test panel for assessing human choline status.

The study found that supplementation with a commercially available adaptogenic mushroom blend including Cordyceps militaris may improve endurance performance in healthy young adults.

In the study, Pterocarpus marsupium extract lowered diabetic rats’ blood glucose and HbA1c levels while increasing their levels of insulin.

Results from Probi's largest clinical trial affirmed the immune-improving effects of its branded probiotic immune concept, Probi Defendum, while suggesting a mechanism of action that might underlie the product’s benefits.