Omega-3

Consumers Not Responding to Probiotic Cheese

In a new report, "Omega Fatty Acids: Trends in the Worldwide Food and Beverage Markets, 2nd Edition," market research publisher Packaged Facts estimates that the omega fatty acid global market grew 36% between 2007 and 2008.

Consumers knows omega-3s are good for them, but that’s about all they know on the topic, says the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED; Salt Lake City).

Martek Biosciences Corp. (Columbia, MD) announced the launch of two new products containing \"life\'sDHA,\" a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid found in the body. The company subsequently reached 100 products containg DHA, Martek announced on November 18. “A growing number of experts around the world are recognizing the importance of DHA for healthy brains, eyes and hearts. They are also recognizing that most people\'s diets do not include adequate amounts of DHA,\" said Steve Dubin, Martek\'s CEO.

SourceOne (Chicago) has partnered with Nutri Pharmaceuticals Research (Las Vegas) to develop powder forms of Source’s products with the hopes to broaden the company’s appeal in the nutritional market.

More than 80% of Americans are currently consuming or would consider consuming foods with added health and wellness benefits.

Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC; Nova Scotia, Canada) announced that Arnold Bread has launched Grains & More Double Omega, a new bread formulated to improve heart health.

Researchers supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD), will conduct a nationwide clinical trial to invesigate whether omega-3 fatty acids slow Alzeimer's disease.

In response to the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) notice of proposed rulemaking prohibiting nutrient content claims on products with EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED; Salt Lake City) has urged the FDA and/or the Institute of Medicine to review the clinical science on omega-3s and make an authoritative statement on a recommended intake for EPA and DHA.

Omega-3s May Protect Against Type 1 Diabetes Source: JM Norris et al., "Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake and Islet Autoimmunity in Children at Increased Risk for Type 1 Diabetes," Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 298, no. 12 (September 26, 2007): 1420–1428. Children who are at risk of developing type 1 diabetes may improve their odds if they eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado (Denver).

Health-minded consumers are increasingly turning to functional foods and beverages. According to a new report from Datamonitor (London), 65% of Americans and Europeans are taking active steps to eat healthier. These steps include not only the avoidance of excess calories, fat, sugar, and salt, but also the pursuit of nutrient-rich foods that may improve their well-being.

Inflammation afflicts a wide swath of Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta), nearly 46 million people in the United States suffer from arthritis and painful joint swelling. But other conditions linked to inflammation, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and asthma, strike millions more and cost tens of billions of dollars per year to treat.

  Over the past few years, researchers have questioned several long-standing assumptions about the ability of dietary supplements to influence gender-related health conditions like prostate cancer and menopause. Other experts, however, have criticized some of these findings, noting that they were not based on randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, but rather on other types of studies intended to answer different scientific questions.

Lack of communication between doctors and patients poses a serious problem for the healthcare industry, especially when it comes to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM; Bethesda, MD), only about 12% of Americans who tried CAM between 1997 and 2004 consulted a licensed healthcare practitioner.

At an American Heart Association (AHA; Dallas) conference on trans fat last October, health experts worried about the law of unintended consequences. Although most food manufacturers are trying to eliminate trans fat from their products, some are simply replacing it with saturated fat, which is just as harmful. To encourage the use of healthier fats and oils, AHA embarked upon a new public relations campaign in April to urge food manufacturers, restaurants, and consumers to switch to healthier vegetable oils.

  Except for the 1918 flu epidemic, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States every year since 1900. And the latest data from the American Heart Association (AHA; Dallas) suggest that the deadly effects of cardiovascular disease (CVD) aren’t likely to abate any time soon: In 2004, the most recent year for which AHA has compiled statistics, CVD was an underlying cause in more than one-third of all U.S. deaths.

Functional foods and supplements that address specific health conditions are finally poised for strong growth and could lead the packaged goods category to greater heights in 2007, according to several market research sources. The trend reflects consumer movement away from general wellness products in favor of items that claim to help prevent more serious ailments such as heart disease or arthritis.