Wellness Foods - December 2007 - (Page 18)

pycnogenol, resistant starch, rose hips, soy, xanthones, yang mei, yuzu, zeaxanthin Soy Surge According to Datamonitor, soy product sales more than tripled in Western Europe in the period 2001-2006. Sales here nearly doubled in the same time period. The broader nutritional benefits of soy (which led to its superfood classification) is a key driver. Mark Messina, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading authorities on soy and health, reports on the legume’s growing popularity, despite perceived setbacks from recent research. “The potential health benefits of soyfoods continue to attract the attention of researchers,” says Messina. “In past months results from three clinical studies in particular were especially impressive. One found that over a two-year period, bone density in postmenopausal women who consumed one of the phytoestrogens from soy increased significantly whereas the bones of women in the placebo group became weaker. Another study found that over an eight-week period, soynuts markedly lowered blood pressure in women with both normal and elevated blood pressure. “In the third study, soyfoods were shown to favorably impact several abnormalities common to women with metabolic syndrome. Soyfoods are not a panacea and many questions about their health effects remain. But surely, those concerned about their health would be well-advised to make them a part of their diet.” — Mark Messina, Ph.D., is president of Nutrition Matters Inc. and an adjunct associate professor in the Dept. of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Calif. The introduction of fresh mangosteen could create a boom for this antioxidant-rich exotic. America expand, so too will currants’ popularity. Bounty of Botanicals Meanwhile, the Europeans have taken notice of the burgeoning American interest in botanicals and are bringing over old favorites to these shores. Companies such as Naturex (www.naturex.com), Avignon, France, are promoting both the flavor and health aspects of extracts of elderflower, bergamot, rose hips, fig, juniper, gentian, muscat grape and blood orange. Those and other combinations of “old” and “new” were profiled by Mark Blumenthal, director of the Austin, Texas-based American Botanical Council (www.herbalgram.org) in a standing-roomonly presentation at Supply Side West International Trade Show and Conference in Las Vegas in November. Blumenthal specifically called attention to an emerging trend of “older herbs with new uses” and the ongoing science supporting same. Other “old” botanicals showing new promise include hibiscus as an antihypertensive, rhubarb – common as a laxative in Germany – as an anti-anxietal, vitamin C-rich rose hips and hops as anti-inflammatories, chokeberries for diabetes management and blood orange for its hesperidin flavonoids and anthocyanins. Processors continue to recognize the increasing impact health and wellness have on consumers. When Datamonitor surveyed nearly 1,000 global industry executives from the consumer packaged goods industry, health was identified as “the most important of the 10 Datamonitor mega-trends shaping new product development and marketing.” The independent marketing group found nearly two-thirds of consumers take more steps to eat more healthily and “more than half of European and U.S. shoppers use nutritional information on packaging with greater regularity to make food and drink choices.” Research clearly shows Americans are seeking foods and beverages that fill dual needs for both greater health and more convenience. The good news for processors is modern consumers are more open-minded than ever to having those needs met via unusual and innovative ingredient sources. antioxidant and berry categories. They saw continued growth in consumer awareness and demand last year, according to the Wild Blueberry Assn. of North America (www.wildblueberries.com), Old Town, Maine. “From consumer research, we know today’s health and wellness-oriented public wants more information about antioxidants than ever before,” notes Ruth Lowenberg, of the Folsom, Calif.-based U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (www.blueberry.org). “They want to know which antioxidants are in their foods and how they work, and want to take their knowledge to another level – to go deeper into understanding antioxidant research.” Currants, once held back by legal issues, have been set free in the U.S. at just the right time. The little berries, as with the other fruits in this category, turned out to be concentrated with antioxidants. Moreover, the popularity of currant juice in Europe made it easier to introduce an increasingly worldly American palate to the tart and tiny fruit. As crops in North 18 | December 2007 www.wellnessfoodsonline.com Food Processing’s Wellness Foods™ http://www.herbalgram.org http://www.wildblueberries.com http://www.blueberry.org http://www.wellnessfoodsonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Wellness Foods - December 2007

Wellness Foods - December 2007 Well Noted Healthbites New Ingredient Profiles Wellness Trends in 2008 On the Shelf Expert Opinion

Wellness Foods - December 2007

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