Beauty

Blood Sugar

Brain Health

Contract Manufacturing

Delivery Systems

Digestive Health

Food & Beverage

Heart Health

Herbs & Botanicals

Immune Support

Joint & Bone Health

Omega-3

Pet Health

Protein

Science

Sports & Energy

Stress & Sleep

Vitamins & Minerals

Weight Management

Women's Health

News

All News

Regulatory

Trends & Business

Media

Webcasts

Podcasts

Awards

Fun Facts

Publications

E-Books

Conferences

Subscribe

Resources

e-Learning Tools

Industry Insights

Nutritional Outlook is the leading news resource for manufacturers of dietary supplements, healthy foods, and nutrition beverages, from research to regulations.

About Us

Advertise

Contact Us

Editorial Submissions

Editorial Advisory Board

Do not sell my Information

Terms and Conditions

Privacy

Nutritional Outlook

Facebook

LinkedIn

Spotlight

 Contract Manufacturing

Topics

1rem

Authors

Four gold standard clinical studies have demonstrated AprèsFlex® efficacy starting at five days — with a low dose, both rapid and sustained improvements in joint comfort, stiffness, flexibility and physical function were observed.

Enhance Collagen Joint Health: Boost Flexibility, Mobility & Cartilage Support – Infographic

Supercharge Your Collagen Joint Healthcare Product

Jeremy Appleton, ND, (Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs, PLT Health Solutions) discusses how vitamin K2 has helped support women's health in the supplement market. 

Heart and Soul: Vitamin K2 and Women’s Health

Consumers almost always prefer a non-drug approach when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight.  Download this infographic to learn how Slendacor® Weight Management Complex offers a natural alternative in the "Ozempic® Age."

Discover Natural Alternatives in the Ozempic® Age

Immune Health  - XSTO – 9am EDT – 9:45am EDT

Heart Health – HP Ingredients – 10am EDT – 10:45am EDT

Sports Nutrition – Gelita – 11am EDT – 11:45am EDT

Bone Health – PLT Health – 1pm EDT – 1:45pm EDT

Beauty Ingredients – Nutrition 21 – 2pm EDT – 2:45pm EDT

Women’s Health – GE Nutrients – 3pm EDT – 3:45pm EDT


Nutritional Outlook’s 2021 Condition-Specific Symposium

***Live: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 2pm EST | 1pm CST | 11am PST***  Cellular health is the next big target in healthy aging. But what is cellular health, precisely? And how do marketers get shopper buy-in on the value of cellular health products? *** On demand until Feb. 24, 2022***

Cellular Health: The Next Big Market Opportunity  

 and reminds us to soak in all the amazing achievements women have made to the nutraceutical space.

 is putting the spotlight on women by compiling women-related content, new and old. From research to health and wellness, women are such an important part of the nutraceutical space that 

is dedicated to covering closely. Enjoy International Women’s Day 2025!

Read more on women-led omega-3 research advances wellness for all women’s life stages.

Highlighting research on women's health and wellness, part I

In this compilation, we present recent research on menstruation and skin health. Check out studies on pain management, natural supplements for skin appearance, and even stress and sleep support.

Celebrating International Women's Day: Highlighting research on women's health and wellness, Part II

In the second part of our research spotlight, we present recent research on pregnancy and menopause.

To celebrate International Women's Day (March 8) we are highlighting articles and roundtables, produced in partnership with Women in Nutraceuticals, on women’s health research and the role of women leaders driving innovation and equity in the industry.

Stay tuned for more International Women's Day-themed content! We will be updating this landing page throughout this week.

International Women’s Day. International Women’s day 2025 campaign theme: Accelerate action 

Check out our exciting 2025 International Women's Day coverage!

Women In Nutraceuticals

Topic

Nutritional Outlook celebrates International Women's Day 2025

OmniActive Health Technologies (Bridgewater, NJ and Mumbai, India) has announced a partnership with the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, D.C.) to educate and raise awareness about the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in supporting maternal and fetal health during pregnancy among obstetricians, gynecologists, and other maternal healthcare practitioners. This knowledge will be shared at The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s (ACOG) Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting. OmniActive is 

one of six companies CRN has partnered with

 to showcase the latest research and developments in prenatal nutrition through a specially designed “Prenatal Nutrition Center” at the conference. 

“It’s wonderful to have OmniActive as one of our featured partners during the ACOG annual event to help spread the word on the importance of prenatal nutrition,” said Andrea Wong, PhD, senior vice president, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for CRN, in a press release. “CRN continues our efforts in supporting supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers in bringing clinically studied products to consumers to help meet their nutritional needs. Advancing awareness at the physician’s level is a huge part of this equation and this meeting is an effective way of reaching them.”

Citing market research from SkyQuest Technology, OmniActive explains in its press release that prenatal supplement sales were estimated to be at $740 million in 2023 and projected to rise to $1.4 billion by 2031. Similarly, a recent 

 found that about 60% of gynecologists think that 80-100% of their pregnant patients take dietary supplements. There is therefore a great deal of opportunity to grow and advance this category. Lutein and zeaxanthin are known for their support of eye health, but these benefits are relevant during pregnancy as well, says Deshanie Rai, PhD, FACN, vice president of Global Science, Regulatory and Advocacy at OmniActive Health Technologies.

“Current evidence supports the preferential accumulation of lutein and zeaxanthin in the human eye and neural tissues during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester. This suggests that lutein may play a functional and protective role in infant visual and cognitive development. As part of our Lutein for Every Age campaign, our goal is to help educate healthcare practitioners on this latest nutritional science research and the benefits of achieving adequate dietary lutein during pregnancy,” said Rai, in a press release. “OmniActive is proud to partner with the CRN Foundation’s Prenatal Nutrition Centre to promote awareness among healthcare practitioners on the nutritional relevance of lutein for both mom and baby.”

The educational initiative, “Lutein for Every Age,” focuses on raising awareness of early and consistent lutein and zeaxanthin intake to help support eye, cognitive, and general health throughout life, explains OmniActive. The AOCG meeting is taking place from May 17-19, 2024 in San Francisco, CA.

OmniActive Health Technologies has announced a partnership with the Council for Responsible Nutrition to educate and raise awareness about the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in supporting maternal and fetal health during pregnancy among obstetricians, gynecologists, and other maternal healthcare practitioners. 

OmniActive partners with CRN to raise awareness about macular carotenoids for prenatal health

In a March 10, 2025, press release, Logical Square announced results from an open-label clinical study on the ingredient CaFi, comparing its effects to supplementation with senna-based products. According to logic square, use of senna (

 is considered unsuitable for long-term use, or use by children and older adults. Based on 

 (golden shower tree), CaFi has a lower sennoside content, high mucilage content, and a sweet taste, which can allow for more accessible, long-term, safer use. The completed study is intended to soon be published in a journal.

“We believe we have a truly relevant, unique product for the gut health market, one that will impact the lives of millions who suffer from digestive issues,” stated Sanjay Tamoli, PhD, technical partner, Logical Square, in the press release. “Senna is a well-established gut health ingredient but current offerings come with side effects that turn people off from its use. Our product builds on senna’s history of use but is a better, healthier version that will be a gamechanger for people who want a product that works but not at the expense of their quality of life.”

In the comparison study, 67 participants ages 18–67 with irregular bowel habits or constipation received either 1 CaFi Tablet (Cassia Fistula Extract 250 mg) or 1 Senna Tablet (Senna Extract 250 mg Per Tablet) at bedtime with water for 14 days. All participants then stopped taking the supplements for seven days, then follow up was completed to analyze symptoms.

Significantly reduced straining, increase in bowel satisfaction, and reduction in associated constipation symptoms (headache, abdominal distention, etc) in both groups

Significant reduction in blockage sensation in the CaFi group indicating its non-habit-forming nature

Reduced time spent first for defecation after completing the study product in the CaFi group

Laboratory safety parameters and vitals were within normal range for both groups

In the control group, eight participants reported abdominal discomfort, gripping in abdomen, and sensation of defecation, compared with one participant in the CaFi group. Both study products were deemed to be well tolerated by participants.

The press release also noted that dosages of CaFi are able to be formatted in powders, syrups, tablets, capsules, gummies, and bars.

Compared with conventional senna products, the supplement (CaFi from Logical Square) offers potential for digestive health with fewer side effects.

Preliminary study results highlight potential of Cassia fistula as a digestive aid

Aelius Biotech announced their new Benchmarking Ingredients for Tolerability and Efficacy (BITE) trials service

  Through this service, the company offers rapid, small-scale, and results-driven human trial services to evaluate and support marketing and scientific claims of dietary supplements and functional foods. The service is supposed to be cost effective and will have trial protocols designed for the client’s specific needs. Trials for this service will take place in Newcastle where the company is based, overseen by the Aelius Biotech team under the ethical guidance of Newcastle University (Newcastle upon Tyne, England).

BITE trials will be measuring biometric changes, questionnaire responses, and blood markers. It will be used exclusively with food-safe products and will help move products forward with the human data collected.

According to the company's press release, 

 “As a nutrition-first company, research is paramount for us to comprehensively understand how Huel positively influences our physiology and empowers individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles. The team at Aelius Biotech has been an invaluable partner in several projects, consistently demonstrating a flexible and thoughtful approach to addressing challenges that arise. Their expertise and dedication were instrumental in facilitating the successful publication of our first peer-reviewed scientific paper in 2022, marking a significant milestone in our journey to provide evidence-based insights into the transformative potential of Huel,” said the Huel team, in a statement.

The BITE trial service will be launching at Future Food Technology, taking place in San Francisco, CA, between March 13-14, 2025.

Press release: Aelius Biotech Launches Human Bite Trials 

https://aeliusbiotech.co.uk/blog/project/press-release-aelius-biotech-launches-human-bite-trials/

https://aeliusbiotech.co.uk/blog/project/is-huel-healthy/

The BITE Trial service will debut at Future Food Technology, San Francisco 2025

Aelius Biotech announces rapid small-scale human trial service for supplements and functional foods

Women across the Western Hemisphere are choosing to have children later in life, with the average maternal age in the U.S. steadily rising over the past few decades. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that nearly 20% of births in the U.S. were to mothers over the age of 35. Additionally, the proportion of first-time mothers in their 30s and 40s continues to grow each year.

 At these ages, women are often more financially stable and willing to invest in premium prenatal products that support their baby’s growth and development. This demand for high-quality ingredients,

 personalized needs, and differentiating claims, presents a significant opportunity for innovation in the premium supplement space. The market for prenatal nutrition is projected to grow steadily, with an estimated 3.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2027.

 At the same time, as research and product development in this space advance, consumers are seeking clearer education and guidance to make informed decisions and give their babies the best start.

One of the most sought-after nutrients in prenatal supplements is Vitamin B

 However, not everyone is aware that folate exists in multiple forms, including folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-5 MTHF), each with varying levels of bioavailability. Here’s what manufacturers need to know to help moms and babies thrive and lead in this growing market.

The ABCs: Folate for the building blocks of life

Folate supplementation is widely recognized for its critical role from preconception through pregnancy and breastfeeding. During pregnancy, folate requirements surge, yet over half of expectant mothers (52%) fall short of the necessary intake,

 highlighting a significant nutritional gap with potential implications for maternal and fetal health.

In its bioactive form (L-5 MTHF), this powerhouse nutrient supports the overall well-being of moms and babies every step of the way. For example, it plays a crucial role in DNA and RNA synthesis – a process that is in high demand during rapid growth periods such as pregnancy and infancy, when folate sustains cell replication. The key to folate’s impact is its role in one-carbon metabolism and methylation reactions. Folate acts as a donor, providing methyl (CH

) groups to be added to various molecules in the body such as DNA and proteins. This process contributes to multiple vital functions, such as maintaining the integrity and stability of genetic material and helping to control which genes are expressed by acting as an “on and off” switch on DNA.

Folate is also important for brain health. By regulating homocysteine levels through its methyl donor function, this ingredient contributes to supporting healthy brain tissues

 and promoting normal cognitive function.

 What’s more, during the early weeks of pregnancy – often before a woman knows she’s expecting – adequate folate combined with a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of having a child with brain or spinal cord birth defects.

 But the benefits of folate don’t stop there. It also works overtime to support the cardiovascular system, supporting the formation of healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.

It's elementary: Folic acid versus folate

It’s clear that adequate folate levels are important for the health of both moms and babies, so how can we help them achieve this?

Many prenatal dietary supplements contain folic acid or folate.

 These terms are often used interchangeably, but this is not the whole story and hides an important bioavailability issue. While many expecting women integrate folic acid supplements into their routines – sometimes even exceeding recommended doses 

 – they might not be reaping the full benefits.That’s because without an active and bioavailable form of folate, the results might fall short, and excessive folic acid can even pose potential health risks.

L-5-MTHF is the bioactive form of vitamin B

, which is naturally found circulating in the body. Whereas folic acid is a synthetic, biologically inactive form found in dietary supplements and fortified foods. To provide important benefits for expecting mothers, folic acid needs to undergo multiple enzymatic conversions to be transformed into L-5-MTHF. But with excessive intake of folic acid, this metabolism can quickly become overwhelmed. Plus, genetic variations carried by up to 40% of the U.S. population can also reduce the activity of the enzymes responsible for the conversion of folic acid,

 leading to unmetabolized folic acid building up and entering the blood stream.

 Not only does this mean that many mothers who take folic acid supplements aren’t getting the same benefits as they would from an active folate, but circulating unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) has been linked to health risks. Although the long-term effects are uncertain, high levels of UMFA have been linked to impaired immune function

 and could even interfere with the activity of active folate.

L-5-MTHF on the other hand, doesn’t require any enzymatic processing to be absorbed and begin supporting various vital biological processes. So, when taking supplements containing this active form, moms can get the full health benefits they expect from folate supplementation, without the risks associated with UMFA.

Reaching the next level: Understanding the difference between folate forms

Even when choosing an active folate ingredient, there are different options to choose from – such as calcium folate and glucosamine folate – which have differing levels of stability. Choline-enriched folate is an innovative solution that offers additional benefits compared to other folates. With choline-enriched folate, one folate molecule is combined with two molecules of choline, to provide a total of seven methyl groups compared to the one in L-5-MTHF. This means that each molecule has more methyl groups available to donate for DNA and RNA synthesis and homocysteine metabolism.

Choline-enriched folate also provides advantages for formulators in terms of stability and solubility, opening up new opportunities for supplement manufacturers to explore new innovations. Most L-5-MTHF product forms on the market today can be tricky to work with - recent data from the National Institutes of Health reported that over 40% of products containing L-5-MTHF failed dissolution criteria, and shelf-life testing showed variances ranging from –42% to >100%.

  So, a more stable ingredient like the choline-enriched folate form helps to ensure supplements maintain their efficacy and safetythroughout their shelf-life and continue to support the health of expecting moms.

It’s time to equip moms-to-be with the knowledge they need

For years there have only been a few folate options to choose from, but thanks to increased investment in the understanding of maternal health, new, improved ingredients are now available – so it’s time to shake things up. With a growing number of women now willing to invest in premium prenatal supplement products, nutraceutical brands have the opportunity to innovate and keep improving the health of moms-to-be. To do this, it’s essential to pair innovation with education, empowering expectant moms to make choices on the best ingredients to support their own health and the well-being of their babies – and the right form of folate is the place to start.

Lauren Eisen is Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager, Minerals and Nutrients at Balchem Human Nutrition & Health. Balchem is a premium ingredient supplier on a mission to make the world a healthier place through innovative, science-based health solutions like Optifolin+, the supercharged folate.

Osterman, M. J. K.; Hamilton, B.E.; Martin, J.A.; Driscoll, A.K.; Valenzuela, C.P. Births: Final Data for 2021. 

Nutrition Business Journal Condition Specific Report 2024.

Crawford, S. A. ; Brown, A.R. ; Camargo, J.T. ; Kerling, E.H. ; Carlson, S.E. ; Gajewski, B.J. ; Sullivan, D.K. ; Valentine, C.J. Micronutrient gaps and supplement use in a diverse cohort of pregnant women. 

Cochrane, K. M.; Hutcheon, J.A.; Karakochuk, C.D. Supplementation practices among pregnant women and those trying to conceive: a population-representative survey in Vancouver, Canada. 

Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism

Bayer. “60% of Parents & Parents-to-be Do Not Realise That Nutrition Directly Impacts a Baby’s Growth and Development During Pregnancy.” October, 27, 2020. 

https://www.bayer.com/media/en-us/60-of-parents--parents-to-be-do-not-realise-that-nutrition-directly-impacts-a-babys-growth-and-development-during-pregnancy/

USDA, Agricultural Research Service. Usual Nutrient Intake from Food and Beverages, by Pregnancy/Lactation Status, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015-2018. 

https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/usual/Usual_Intake_gender_WWEIA_2015_2018.pdf

Menezo, Y. ; Clement, P. ; Clement, A. ; Elder, K. Methylation: an ineluctable biochemical and physiological process essential to the transmission of life. 

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Moretti, R.; Caruso, P. The controversial role of homocysteine in neurology: from labs to clinical practice. 

Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, 1998.

Code of Federal regulations, Section 101.79: Folate and neural tube defects. (Updated 02 Dec 2024) Available at: 

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101#101.79

Chita, D. S.; Tudor, A.; Christodorescu, R.; Buleu, F.N.; Sosdean, R.; Deme, S.M.; Mercea, S.; Moldovan, A.P.; et al. MTHFR gene polymorphisms prevalence and cardiovascular risk factors involved in cardioembolic stroke type and severity. 

Sweeney, M. R.; McPartlin, J.; Scott, J. Folic acid fortification and public health: report on threshold doses above which unmetabolised folic acid appear in serum. 

Troen, A. M.; Mitchell, B.; Sorensen, B.; Wener, M.H.; Johnston, A.; Wood, B.; Slehub, J.; McTiernan, A.; et al. Unmetabolized folic acid in plasma is associated with reduced natural killer cell cytotoxicity among postmenopausal women. 

Servy, E. J.; Jacquesson-Fournols, L.; Cohen, M.; Menezo, Y.J. MTHFR isoform carriers. 5-MTHF (5-methyl tetrahydrofolate) vs folic acid: a key to pregnancy outcome: a case series. 

Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics

. (2024). Analytical Testing of 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate in Dietary Supplements: Label Accuracy, and Dosage Form Performance. 

Leverage consumer education to make your mark in the prenatal health space. 

The due date for folate innovation has arrived 

If you attend omega-3 scientific symposia or industry conferences, two themes stand out. First, a lot of recent omega-3 research findings especially impact women’s health and wellness — fertility, pregnancy and fetal brain development, gestation, hormonal balance and menstruation, sexual and reproductive health, gut-brain axis signaling, inflammaging, etc. Second, women lead much of the cutting-edge omega-3 research and nutritional recommendations—but not just recently!

 in 2024 that the natural products industry is composed only of 1/3 female senior managers and just over 1/4 of women-led companies. Yet one of the fastest-growing nutraceutical market sectors is for products focused on women’s health and wellness goals at various life stages. In 2023, Nutrition Insight found

 the market for supplements with women’s claims growing at 40% annually.

The demand for evidence-based research and innovation in this women-empowered market has a long way to run, and for good reason. Women’s health and wellness support needs are different than men’s. Yet natural life-stages like pregnancy (and related fertility support) and menopause are often disqualifying conditions in dietary intervention trials. The need remains for insightful research and nutraceutical innovation meeting women’s life course wellness goals.

As noted UK author and nutritionist Pauline Cox MSc observes, “Investment in female-specific research acknowledges that the ‘male default model’ cannot be accurately used for both genders, that women have the right to research that reflects the complexities and differences that exist between male biology and female biology. It is through better female-specific research that the millions of women whose health concerns have been misdiagnosed or ignored can have their needs understood and met. Emerging research provides insight into the differences in male and female biology, pain pathways, hormonal systems, our risk of different health conditions and how our biology and hormones influence this.”

This difference is certainly true in omega-3 lipid metabolism, where women and especially pregnant women are known to metabolize omega-3 precursor lipids more efficiently than men, and who during pregnancy require greater omega-3 DHA to build their child’s brain and help prevent early- or pre-term birth.

Brands like Ritual, FullWell, MegaFood, TrueGrace, Daily Nouri, Bond.Life, and Levelle understand this. They offer a range of women’s need-based and life-stage centered products supported by omega-3 research. Not surprisingly, many of these and other companies are founded by women. 

The essential role that omega-3 sources play in modulating or benefiting many physiological systems is widely recognized. In many cases these effects occur differently in women than in men, leading to different dietary intake recommendations at different life stages. Omega-3 research led by women has actively contributed to understanding how these effects translate to different life-stage outcomes for women and also how omega-3 status improvements can be achieved more sustainably.

Some of the early pioneers in omega-3 research were women, notably Mildred Burr who co-discovered

 the biological essentiality of omega-6 linoleic acid (1929) and omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (1932), relating notably to skin health and the 

 in rats. Others who are still active in omega-3 research have careers going back nearly 50 years. What started as a trickle has become a flood of exciting research from laboratories led by women and/or carried out by women.

Canadian Professor Sheila Innis (d. 2016) is credited with discovering that dietary fats dynamically alter cell membrane composition and, hence, membrane function. Her early work in the 1970’s and 80’s is credited with demonstrating the profound importance of dietary omega-3 fatty acid intakes for maternal health, fatty acid quality in breast milk, and infant neurocognitive development—and for changing related dietary guidelines and policy around the world.

Professor Susan Carlson at Kansas University Medical Center has led research for more than 25 years establishing through larger-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) the pivotal role of omega-3 DHA in life stages of pregnancy and infancy. Her work led to the widespread inclusion of DHA in infant formula starting in 2002. And she confirmed

 in 2022, “It is now clear that pregnancy and infancy are times in life when DHA is conditionally essential. We know that because studies that provide additional DHA during both pregnancy and infancy have shown a variety of benefits. The most studied outcomes are preterm birth and infant visual acuity and cognitive development.”

In parallel work from Australia led by Professor Maria Makrides, her team established the biological necessity of making up for the lack of DHA from placental transfer in early pre-term infants (<34 weeks) who miss much of the last trimester in utero, when the neonatal brain is developing so rapidly. Her findings have contributed to omega-3 precursor ALA and preformed DHA reformulations of infant formula and parenteral (IV emulsion) feeding and related specifications in 180 countries. These changes have helped assure better neurocognitive and visual development benefits for millions of children born prematurely.

Dr. Christina Valentine, MD is a physician, dietitian and neonatologist who has also dedicated a 25+ year career bridging industry engagements (Mead Johnson, RB, Kate Farms) and hospital neonatal intensive care units (University of Arizona, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital). Her work has improved pregnancy, immune response, and neonatal health outcomes from omega-3 DHA fortification in dietary, enteral (tube fed), and parenteral (IV emulsion) applications. Her work has yielded considerable success in improving maternal gestation, avoiding pregnancy complications, and raising quality of life for pre-term infants.

Dr. Emily Oken, MD whose 25+ year career at Harvard University spans clinical practice, epidemiology, and longitudinal studies, has followed life course wellness outcomes in mothers and early childhood since 2000 (Project Viva). Her research has focused on the health effects of improved omega-3 nutrition, including from fish consumption, while understanding effects of environmental toxicants on health and disease, studying the balance of risks/benefits during pregnancy and child development. This work includes the long-term health effects of breastfeeding for both mother and child. She has 

 “It’s not just the behaviors that you do as an adult… that influence your risk for chronic disease, but even behaviors that happen very early in life, or prenatally.”

Dr. Oken’s view provides a nice bridge from the societally crucial role of omega-3’s in pregnancy, peri-partum, and early childhood life stages onto the headland of women’s life-stage wellness needs rooted in omega-3 modulated inflammation response and hormonal balance — a field bristling with new discoveries.

Professor Sophie Layé and her team at the University of Bordeaux 

 “to decipher the effect of nutrition on cognitive decline and mood disorders, to define a protective nutrition for the brain.” She leads the international Food4BrainHealth research consortium whose work is progressively uncovering how omega-3 lipids and their metabolites contribute to neuroplasticity and protect against neuroinflammation, including sex-based differences in the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, which disproportionately affects women.

Across the Channel, in Wales, Professor Valerie O’Donnellleads research at Cardiff University 

 on understanding “the role of new lipids in vascular inflammation, including abdominal aortic aneurysm, cardiovascular disease, dementia and wound healing.” A lipidomics research specialist, Dr. O’Donnell leads efforts to build the global 

 database resource which helps lipid researchers around the world identify and analyze lipids that modulate everything from blood clotting, fighting infection, and wound healing to inflammation response and oxylipin regulation.

Up the road at the University of Manchester, Professor Anna Nicolaou’s laboratory is 

 on molecular mechanisms mediating the role of omega-3 metabolites in skin and reproductive system inflammation, cancer, immunity, cellular crosstalk, and tissue responses.

Finally, American Professor Penny Kris-Etherton’s nutritional research on lipids at Penn State since the 1970’s has made major contributions to the field of cardiovascular disease prevention with omega-3 lipids. Her work in creating guidelines for the use of omega-3s in clinical practice has had major impacts around the world.

These established principal investigators and their collaborating research teams around the world exemplify the breadth of work around omega-3s in all life stages. From the discovery of the underlying cellular signaling mechanisms and metabolites derived from omega-3 lipids to changing clinical practice guidelines, these women have helped improve the health and lives of women (and their children) all over the world.

Their efforts, in turn, are supported by a rising tide of newer female researchers whose award-winning research is discovering distinct anti-inflammatory activity, metabolites, and pathways affecting women’s cardiovascular health, gut wellness, hormonal balance, and sex-differences in LC-PUFA synthesis. Some are showing how plant-based omega-3 precursors ALA and SDA can work alongside conventional preformed EPA and DHA sources, eliciting different and/or complementary responses, while contributing to greater overall sustainability in meeting recommended omega-3 intakes globally. All are reinforcing both the essentiality of omega-3 lipids in the diet and the importance of more closely balancing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid intakes to pre-industrial levels.

This newer cadre advancing omega-3 research impacting women’s life course health includes: 

Women-led omega-3 research advances wellness for all women’s life stages.

PLT Health Solutions

Articles

Latest Updated Articles