Natural blue pigments from oyster-friendly bacteria and red pigments from prickly pear, and concerns for men over soy consumption have been the highlights of this month's science.
The effects of dietary supplements containing soy isoflavones on
various body tissues will form the basis for a multidisciplinary
study by scientists at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign.
Taking supplements of soy isoflavones, thought to help women fight
menopause symptoms and offer other health benefits, may not be
equally beneficial for men, suggests new animal research.
The price of soy ingredients could ease in the next twelve months
for manufacturers and processors as the US government predicts
farmers, on the back of rising soybean prices, will plant more
soybeans for the 2004-05 marketing year.
Red clover isoflavones may help to protect women, recently advised
to stop using HRT, from the risk of osteoporosis, suggests new
research that shows a protective effect of the supplement on the
lumbar spine.
Leading isoflavone producer Novogen has launched a research centre
that will provide consumers and the media, increasingly drawing
attention to isoflavone supplements, with the latest information on
the plant-derived compounds.
ADM Natural Health and Nutrition has expanded its range of soya
isoflavone concentrates for use in food and food supplements.
Novasoy 700 has a minimum 70 per cent isoflavone content and
Novasoy 200 is a 20 per cent isoflavone concentrate.
ADM, a leading supplier of health ingredients, will exhibit a range
of products derived from natural sources at the forthcoming Health
Ingredients Europe exhibition in Paris from 17-19 September 2002.
Acatris, the Dutch health ingredients company, has called for
greater harmonisation of the methods used to test soy isoflavones
to help consumers avoid "the proverbial problem of comparing
apples to oranges rather than apples...
Archer Daniels Midland has been awarded its fifth and sixth patents
for the use of concentrated isoflavones in combination with other
plant-derived phytochemicals.
