Linked banner for FIC 2026 in Shanghai, Mar 17–19, featuring grandfather and child with “Better lifelong health starts here” by Novonesis
Women in board room

International Women’s Day 2026: WIN urges gender equity across nutraceutical industry

Today’s 115th annual International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, but also marks a call to action to advance gender equality. Women in Nutraceuticals (WIN) urges for measurable progress within the nutrition sector. Although women drive a significant share of healthcare decisions, WIN says they remain underrepresented in the nutraceutical industry’s senior leadership, investment, and scientific roles. The international non-profit organization aims to create an environment where women have an equal place in the global nutraceutical industry. 
Smiling woman taking supplements
Mood boosters: New era of “self-care” supplements spotlights psychobiotics and calm clarity
The mental wellness market emphasizes self-care as consumers increasingly lean toward holistic lifestyle rituals instead of medicinal approaches to boost mood. This transition has given rise to psychobiotics — probiotics and postbiotics to manage stress and sleep via the gut-brain axis, without the jitters of traditional stimulants. In botanicals, black cardamom extracts offer caffeine-free focus, while fermentation-derived salidrosides help conserve endangered rhodiola. Overall, consumers are prioritizing “steady” performance over overstimulation.
mother supporting her daughter at dining table, mental health and diet concept
Healthy diets may boost teen mental health more than supplements
A review has found that dietary patterns may significantly impact adolescent mental health, with healthier diets correlating to fewer depressive symptoms. Nutrition Insight speaks with the corresponding author to learn about the 19 studies reviewed and the likelihood that diets influence teens’ mental health relative to other factors. She details why adolescence is such an important period for mental health and what research gaps need to be addressed before applying findings to dietary guidance policy.
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Expo West 2026: ADM on innovating around next wave of GLP-1 and postbiotics
Expo West 2026: ADM on innovating around next wave of GLP-1 and postbiotics

Vaughn DuBow, senior director of marketing, North America Health & Wellness at ADM, discussed leveraging consumer insights to drive innovation. These range from specialized support for GLP-1 users to the expansive potential of postbiotics in food and beverages. DuBow highlighted how ADM simplifies reformulation and uses rigorous science to bridge the gap between complex health benefits and mainstream consumer understanding.

Most read stories
Nutrition industry 2025 in review: Most read stories
This year, scientific and technological advances, along with growing scrutiny of health claims and regulations, shaped the nutrition industry. Research on the gut microbiome, growing interest in healthy aging, and increasing popularity of GLP-1 medications have driven innovations in targeted solutions, spanning biotics, collagen, botanicals, and protein ingredients. Meanwhile, policy shifts, climate impacts, and geopolitical pressures influenced nutrition security and access to healthy diets. Let’s review this year’s industry-shaping highlights.

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Biotin supplementation may interfere with cancer testing, researchers warn
Bald cancer patient with doctor
US researchers caution that biotin (vitamin B7) supplements, for hair, skin, and nail health, may interfere with cancer lab results. They also suggest there is limited scientific evidence that these products promote hair and nail growth for those living with or recovering from cancer. Specifically, biotin can mask changes in prostate, thyroid, ovarian, and breast cancers, note the researchers. Some lab tests rely on a chemical reaction involving biotin, so when patients take biotin supplements, lab results may falsely be high or low.
Lone Star Funds to acquire Lonza’s Capsules & Health Ingredients
vitamins and supplements background
Lone Star Funds has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Capsules & Health Ingredients (CHI) division of Lonza Group under the affiliate Lone Star Fund XII, L.P. No financial details have been disclosed. Lonza will retain a 40% equity position in the business. 
IQ Pouch launches nootropic oral pouches for cognitive energy
IQ Pouch
IQ Pouch has launched its next-generation oral pouch delivering Enfinity paraxanthine, which is the primary metabolite of caffeine and the body’s active energy compound. It is designed to deliver “clean, repeatable focus and energy” in a format designed for daily routines, without nicotine, sugar, or traditional caffeine crashes. The portable product was created by entrepreneur Brad Pyatt, founder of global sports nutrition company MusclePharm and functional nutrition brand Trubar. He says the inspiration for IQ Pouch came from a deeply personal challenge.
Gnosis by Lesaffre champions women’s health supplements at Expo West 2026
Gnosis by Lesaffre Expo West 2026
Women’s health is taking center stage at the ongoing Natural Products Expo West 2026 trade show. Gnosis by Lesaffre is showcasing women’s wellness ingredients that support prenatal health, digestion, and bone density, as well as heart, vaginal, and brain health. On the showroom floor in Anaheim, California, US, Nutrition Insight catches up with Alina Slotnik, the company’s marketing director for the Americas, to discuss opportunities to address women’s health needs and consumer demands. 
Fantastic Fungi’s Paul Stamets: Functional mushrooms for protecting bees and...
Turkey's tail mushroom
Live from the Expo West 2026 trade fair in California, US, Nutrition Insight speaks to renowned mycologist and Fungi Perfecti founder Paul Stamets. Featured in the Netflix documentary “Fantastic Fungi,” Stamets spotlights how mycelium’s potential reaches far beyond human immunity, offering a critical defense for bees and livestock against emerging viral threats.
Wilmar’s crushing margins defy global oilseed slump as profit rises to US$1.28B
Wilmar full-year results.

Food Ingredients First

Wilmar International, Asia’s largest agribusiness group, has posted a 10% rise in core net profit to US$1.28 billion for FY2025, driven by a sharp improvement in oilseed crushing margins that propelled its Feed & Industrial Products segment to a 62% profit jump in the second half. Full-year revenue climbed 4.5% to US$70.4 billion. The results come against a backdrop of escalating trade tariffs, geopolitical disruption across key commodity corridors, and shifting regulatory landscapes — conditions that chairman and CEO Kuok Khoon Hong describes as making 2025 “a challenging year for the group.” Palm oil production dipped during the year, though the group’s integrated model helped absorb margin pressure across its consumer-facing businesses.
Highlighted features
Nutrition Insight February in Review
Nutrition & Health News
February in review: GLP-1 nutrition strategies, probiotic...
February’s highlights include accelerating innovations around GLP-1s, advancing gut microbiome research, growing scrutiny of infant formula safety, and ongoing debates over supplement quality, protein policies, and food reformulation. In our February review, Nutrition Insight features some of the month’s biggest stories, including how supplements can help bridge nutrition gaps related to GLP-1 use and rapid weight loss. In the UK, researchers identified gut microbes that could unlock next-generation probiotics, and we examined Novonesis’ biosolutions toolbox for healthier foods. 
woman who makes a heart shape by hands on her stomach
Nutrition & Health News
New microbiome tool: Gut bacteria cooperation vs....
Scientists have discovered a new way to differentiate healthy microbiomes from diseased ones, based on gut bacteria interactions. They coin this method as the Ecological Network Balance Index (ENBI), which assesses whether microbial communities are dominated by competition or cooperation. Nutrition Insight speaks with study author Martin Blaser, M.D., the director of Rutgers Health’s Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine in the US, who says the metric shows potential links to nutrition, metabolic health, and disease resilience. 
GLP-1 medication
Food Research
GLP-1 formulation: IFT on tailoring functional food and...
GLP-1 medications are progressing into the mainstream US market and redirecting formulation strategies toward complementary nutrient-dense food and beverage options. This emerging class of products is enhanced with functional ingredients such as specific fibers, bioactives, and micronutrients. These inclusions help sustain satiety, muscle mass, and long-term weight management to address consumers’ needs during rapid fat loss. As the new “appetite economy” takes hold, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) highlights that brands are seeking practical strategies to anticipate market changes, enhance product appeal, and maintain regulatory compliance in a dynamic nutrition environment.

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Collagen support solutionsFeb2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that over half of global consumers are paying attention to collagen in their diets. The majority of these consumers prefer collagen supplements in on-the-go or powder...

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Mood-enhancing ingredients Mar 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that 34% of consumers globally have used supplements to enhance mood and emotional regulation, boosting supplement launches with mood health claims, which grew by 10% annually from 2021 to 2025. Growth in ingredients like alpha-GPC, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Bifidobacterium lactis, linked to the gut-brain axis, is also evident.

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Omega-3 supplement market trendsMar 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that consumers are actively including omega-3 in their diets. It remains a steady performer in supplement innovation, but new product development is accelerating as sustainable, eco-friendly, and vegan omega-3 options begin making waves in the market. Most often, omega-3 supplements come in soft gel format, but there has been an increase in omega-3 capsule supplement launches.

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Expo West 2026: ADM on innovating around next wave of GLP-1 and postbiotics
Video04:43
Expo West 2026: ADM on innovating around next wave of GLP-1 and postbiotics

Vaughn DuBow, senior director of marketing, North America Health & Wellness at ADM, discussed leveraging consumer insights to drive innovation. These range from specialized support for GLP-1 users to the expansive potential of postbiotics in food and beverages. DuBow highlighted how...

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Expo West 2026 live: FrieslandCampina Ingredients innovations for athletics and GLP-1 support
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