Weekly Digest: Pasta found to be diet friendly, curcumin-piperine health benefits affirmed

06 Apr 2018 --- This week, gains were made for worldwide pasta-lovers as a new study suggested that the carb could aid weight-loss efforts when eaten as part of a healthy diet. Further, the beneficial weight loss and healthy aging effects of the Sabinsa nutrient combo, curcumin and piperine, was affirmed in an independent study. Both vitamin K2VITAL and Quetrefolic reported positive global gains this week, as K2VITAL signed a US distribution agreement and Quatrefolic received Taiwanese approval.

Pass the pasta! Three servings a week could be weight-loss friendly
A new study has suggested that pasta has a low glycemic index, meaning that it is not rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream like most “refined” carbohydrates, and therefore does not cause the blood glucose spike associated with less satiety. This could mean that pasta has been unfairly categorized as diet enemy number one, along with bread and other infamous refined carbs. The study, published in BMJ Open, found that pasta did not contribute to weight gain or an increase in body fat in participants.

The researchers identified 30 randomized control trials involving almost 2,500 people who ate pasta instead of other carbohydrates as part of a healthy low-glycemic index diet. The people involved in the clinical trials on average ate 3.3 servings of pasta a week instead of other carbs. One serving equaled about one-half cup of cooked pasta. In total, they lost about one-half kilogram over a median follow-up of 12 weeks.

“We can now say with some confidence that pasta does not have an adverse effect on body weight outcomes when it is consumed as part of a healthy dietary pattern,” says Dr. John Sievenpiper, a clinician scientist with the hospital's Clinical Nutrition and Risk Modification Centre. Exciting news for all the pasta lovers out there.

Curcumin-piperine combination affirmed to benefit weight loss and aging
An independent study has affirmed that the combination of active nutrients Curcumin C3 Complex and BioPerine, both produced by Sabinsa, can aid caloric restriction in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Caloric restriction is a means of modulating energy expenditure and fat metabolism, and it has also been connected with longevity and cellular health that contributes to healthy aging through the lengthening of telomeres. Nutrients that contribute to the lengthening of telomeres are believed to possess anti-aging properties.

“On the whole it was concluded that this nutrient combination, curcumin-piperine, works well to reduce total body fat, reduces cellular aging as indicated by preserving telomere length, and enhance the CR effects for the prevention of metabolic syndrome by reducing the low-grade chronic inflammation that always persists in obese conditions,” says Nagabhushanam Kalyanam, PhD, President of Sabinsa.

Researchers found that the combined effects of the nutrients, as opposed to their singular usage, demonstrated their synergistic activity. The scientists also measured the loss of fat in the HFD-fed animals using an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). The nutrients-combination was also effective in reducing certain inflammatory cytokines as measured by the levels of circulating cytokines.

Kappa Bioscience's K2VITAL to expand in US market with new distribution agreement
Kappa Bioscience, the maker of K2VITAL, has announced the appointment of AIDP as their US distributor, signifying the continuous growth and demand for vitamin K2 MK-7 within the dietary supplement industry. The broad commercial applicability of vitamin K2 for bone and heart-health products is a key driver of this trend. Vitamin K2 activates the protein that integrates calcium into bone and activates another protein that binds excess calcium to protect the arteries and circulatory system from calcium deposit. K2 is an essential vitamin and studies demonstrate that most diets are likely deficient – two factors that portend continued growth.

AIDP Inc. was chosen based on a leadership position in functional ingredients and a focus on “cutting-edge solutions” for wellness and healthy aging. Kappa president and CEO, Egil Greve, notes that ADIP provides a fit for Kappa and K2 VITAL because of their broad portfolio, which compliments Kappa’s innovations in K2 formulations and dosage formats. Consumer awareness of K2 is building, and ADIP is the fit to carry the trend for Kappa Bioscience.

Quatrefolic gains approval as non-traditional food ingredient in Taiwan
Gnosis has announced that its ingredient, Quatrefolic, has gained approval in Taiwan from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to be classified as non-traditional food ingredients. Quatrefolic is a biologically active form of the naturally occurring predominant form of folate, and is mostly recommended for individuals in all stages of life and also to those affected by the MTHFR enzyme, who do not produce enough methyltetrahydrofolate Reductase, thus encountering problems associated with a lack of vitamin B9.

By Laxmi Haigh

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