Wellness Foods - April 2008 - (Page 8)

Cover Story phosphatidylserine, rhodiola, taurine, tea, theobromine, vinpocetine, vitamin C, A-GPC, ALA covery and rehabilitation are key essentials for consumers seeking to revive while shedding the effects of stress. Blue California (www.bluecal-ingredients.com), Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., markets a microencapsulated, water-soluble form of CoQ10 proven to be five times more bioavailable than standard CoQ10. DSM Nutritional Products (www.dsm. com), Parsippany, N.J., uses Actilease beadlet technology for its All-Q, a branded CoQ10 with improved stability and bioavailability. As a medical student, Vinicio Montes created Nerd Energy drink … and now San Antonio, Texasbased Nerd LLC (www.nerdenergy.tv). The beverage has focus- and memory-enhancing ingredients such as dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), vinpocetine and huperizine along with taurine, caffeine, glucuronolactone, B vitamins and guarana for a boost in energy. DMAE, a naturally occurring amino alcohol, is a precursor to choline and acetylcholine – chemicals responsible for nerve transmissions and cognitive function. DMAE is known to increase the body’s production of acetylcholine, a deficiency of which is associated with memory loss. Vinpocetine (ethyl-apovincaminate), a derivative of vincamine and an extract of the periwinkle plant, is believed to help increase cerebral blood flow and improve memory. Its markedly bitter taste is masked with citrus flavors. Huperzine A, an alkaloid found in fir moss Huperzia serrata, slows the breakdown of neurotransmitter acetylcholine to aid memory and focus retention. Huperzine is being investigated as a possible treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s. recently, is only now available here in the U.S. Research shows omega-3 oils may help lower risk of dementia and AD. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid, prevents neuron-suffocating plaque, found in high levels in AD patients, according to Greg Cole, professor of medicine and neurology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and associate director of the UCLA Alzheimer Disease Research Center. Studies on canola oil, flaxseed oil and walnut oil have demonstrated these oils can reduce risk of dementia by 60 percent in comparison to people who do not regularly consume such oils, especially if they do not carry the APoE4, a gene associated with AD and carried by the majority of humans. Beverages are an ideal vehicle for delivering omega-3s. Greater than 60 percent consumer awareness of the mental benefits of DHA has prompted Canadian dairy companies to offer omega-3-enhanced dairy beverages. Ottawa-based Neilson Dairy (www. neilsondairy.com) feeds its cows with added fishmeal to create milk with intrinsic omega-3 DHA. Neilson Dairy Oh! beverages deliver 20mg of DHA omega-3 per 250ml serving (the 1 and 2 percent versions contain half as much). Ottawa-based Dairy Fresh Farms (www.dairyfresh.ca) removes and replaces saturated fats in milk with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats derived from canola oil, a rich source of short-chain omega-3 alphalinolenic acid (ALA), converted by the body into DHA and EPA. Dairy Fresh milk yields 400mg of ALA per one-cup serving. “Despite some 8,000 human clinical trials with omega-3s, the FDA currently allows only qualified health claims for heart health benefits,” bemoans Joyce Baird, head of sales for Chicago-based NuMega Corp. (www.nu-mega.com). But companies realize the appeal of omega-3 in a range of products. Nu-Mega’s omega-3 is showing up in such mainstream products as Heinz Omega-3 Spaghetti. Product developers appreciate Nu-Mega’s HiDHA tuna oil for its refined and deodorized omega-3, usable in a range of food and beverage applications without affecting the taste, texture – and most importantly, the aroma – of the finished product. Citicoline (cytidine diphosphate choline), naturally present in every cell of the body, has been Caffeine, the classic energy ingredient, is being re-evaluated as an enhancer of memory and focus. Purely critical Ingredient purity is critical when formulating nutritional products for the brain, since some of these ingredients are formulated to increase blood flow to the brain. Product developers must ensure that not only cognitive function ingredients but all other components alongside are pharmaceutically pure lest the brain get exposed to unfriendly or antagonistic impurities. Health-driven boutique beverage formulators such as Scott Ohlgren believe non-caffeinated cognitive-enhancing beverages are a better path. Ohlgren’s Brain Toniq incorporates a number of botanicals, including rhodiola and eleuthero root extracts, to help improve mental clarity under extreme stress and fatigue. Brain Toniq also uses wild-grown blue-green algal extract for antidepression and boosting cognition, alpha-glyceryl phosphoryl choline (A-GPC), the primary building block for acetylcholine, and DMAE. A-glyceryl phosphoryl choline, available in Europe as a pharmaceutical prescription until Concentrate … on the web Find out more about ingredients that help you concentrate, focus and think better. The search term “memory” will get you 81 well-focused hits on www.FoodProcessing.com. “Cognition” will bring you 62 more. 8 | April 2008 www.wellnessfoodsonline.com Food Processing’s Wellness Foods™ http://www.nerdenergy.tv http://www.neilsondairy.com http://www.neilsondairy.com http://www.dairyfresh.ca http://www.nu-mega.com http://www.FoodProcessing.com http://www.wellnessfoodsonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Wellness Foods - April 2008

Wellness Foods - April 2008 Healthbites New Ingredient Profiles Feed Your Head Enhanced Water: Hydration and Health Your Choices for Top Ingredient Suppliers A Chocolate Treat

Wellness Foods - April 2008

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