10 Most-Read Stories of 2016 So Far

#10 - 2016 Ingredient Trends to Watch: Brain-Health Ingredients
With market researcher IRI reporting sales of brain-health supplements (excluding omega-3s) grew nearly threefold last year to more than $40 million, it’s easy to see why Nutritional Outlook included brain-health ingredients in its 2016 list of ingredient trends to watch.

“The staggeringly high growth rate of the brain-health items that we are tracking is quite telling,” said Lisa Buono, client insights principal, healthcare vertical, IRI. Buono added that the IRI figure does not include sales from specialty stores like GNC or Vitamin Shoppe, so the actual figures for brain health supplements is probably quite a bit higher than $40 million. “Consumers want these products, that’s for sure.”

The full story can be found here. And if you’re still not convinced of the star power of ingredients for cognitive health, look for the two other stories in this countdown that are similarly brainy.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/FotografiaBasica

#9 - Natural Ingredients for Energy Dietary Supplements
From schisandra to theacrine, this popular slideshow from February covered several ingredients that may be of particular interest to manufacturers of energy supplements.

While a few energy supplements make headlines every year for containing unapproved stimulants, approved ingredients like these boast growing research profiles and sometimes include extra nutrients to benefit overall health and wellness. Some are widely available, and others are more difficult to source in large quantities, which makes premium pricing possible.

The full slideshow can be found here.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/alexmak72427

#8 - Latest Studies on Brain-Health Nutraceuticals
As promised, here is our second brain-health story to make the top 10 of 2016’s most read stories so far. This slideshow is all about the science.

Among the most promising studies investigating the benefits of nutrients for memory and cognitive health, a few particular ingredients stand out. Healthy fats from fish and olives, polyphenols from fruits and other sources, and curry spices such as turmeric all shine in these recent studies.

The full slideshow can be found here.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/Jacob Wackerhausen

#7 - National Institutes for Health: A Sneak Peek at Upcoming Dietary Supplement Research Studies
It’s always informative to keep an eye on which studies the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its various branches are sponsoring. That’s why this story from February highlighted a few of the standout NIH studies in the pipeline.

Niacin, tart cherry, aronia berry, resveratrol, and more ingredients were all scheduled for cardiovascular-health studies this year. The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED; Salt Lake City) also pointed to three significant omega-3 fish oil studies on its radar.

The full slideshow can be found here.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/sb-borg

#6 - FDA’s Latest CBD Warning Letters Cite Health Claims, Drug Applications
The debate over hemp CBD’s legal status continued in February after FDA sent eight warning letters to manufacturers of CBD dietary supplement and food products. The warning letters cited impermissible health claims used to market the products, as well as CBD’s invalid status as a dietary ingredient due to its presence in two drug applications currently under consideration.

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive variety of Cannabis sativa and a relative of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It has become increasingly prevalent in food and dietary supplement products, although FDA has not officially recognized CBD as a legal dietary ingredient.

The full story can be found here.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/AlenaPaulus

#5 - Nutricosmetic Ingredients on the Rise
The aging process may come as unwelcome news to many, especially in terms of beauty and skin health, but this story explores why those invested in the nutricosmetics sector have reason to celebrate. In fact, the aging population, combined with growing disposable incomes and health awareness worldwide, will boost the valuation of the global nutricosmetics market to a whopping US $7.1 billion by 2020, according to recent projections from Transparency Market Research.

This slideshow explores the research profile and marketing appeal of several emerging beauty ingredients, including methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), carotenoids, black raspberry, and more.

The full slideshow can be found here.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/imagestock

#4 - Four New Phosphatidylserine Studies for Memory, Stress, Mood, and ADHD
Here’s one more reason to keep an eye on brain-health ingredients, and specifically, in this case, phosphatidylserine. The fourth place on our countdown goes to this slideshow of promising studies supporting the key phospholipid.

Findings from some of the latest research on phosphatidylserine include potential benefits for memory, stress, attention, and hyperactivity. The slideshow also touches on other health areas where phosphatidylserine research is unfolding, such as sports nutrition and skin health.

The full slideshow can be found here.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/kirstypargeter

#3 - 2016 Flavor Trends for Food and Beverage
Our annual flavor story is a hit every year, and 2016 was no exception. Flavor firms weighed in on some of the top flavor ingredients they expected to turn heads.

Frankly, there are too many ingredients mentioned in this story to even begin listing them here, but some of the 2016 trends include a focus on natural and organic flavors, a return to “retro,” all-American flavors, a growing interest in tea flavors, and a continued emphasis on regional flavors from all over the world.

The full story can be found here.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/fcafotodigital

#2 - 2016 Ingredient Trends to Watch: Algae
Whether its algal sausages, algal drinks, algal cereal bars, or algal cooking oils, there seems to be no limit to the versatility of algae ingredients. It’s no surprise then that this story sits at the #2 spot on our list.

At the time this story was written, Solazyme (San Francisco) said its algae-based ingredients could be found in more than 10 aisles of the grocery store in the United States. Much of that wide reach seems to stem from emerging partnerships built around algae ingredients for food purposes, including their potential usage as meat substitutes or preservatives.

The full story can be found here.



Photo of Solazyme’s AlgaVia Protein Powder courtesy of Solazyme

#1 - Cocoa Flavanols: Emerging Research Is Taking Us Deeper Inside the Cacao Bean
Chocolate fans probably won’t be surprised that our most-read story of the year so far is about new research on cocoa flavanols, bioactive compounds naturally present in the cacao bean. While many of the supposed health benefits of chocolate celebrated in consumer media might not be backed up research, there have been some solid findings on the effects cocoa flavanols have on the human body.

This slideshow explores recent and upcoming cocoa flavanol research on overall cardiovascular health, blood-vessel function in kidney dysfunction patients, and memory and other cognitive improvements.

The full slideshow can be found here.



Photo © iStockphoto.com/AndreyGorulko