Beyond The Headlines: Chr. Hansen probiotic granted functional food claims, PillWork aligns with Precision Nutrition Association

10 Nov 2023 --- In nutrition news this week, Chr. Hansen’s probiotic DDS-1 was granted two new functional food claims by Health Canada, and Glycoguard launched a probiotic gel for improved gut health in foals. Meanwhile, in a study published in Nutrients, the consumption of strawberries daily decreased memory interferences and depression in overweight adults with mild cognitive decline and Herbalife and LA Galaxy hosted a Thanksgiving cooking class to promote healthy lifestyles.

Nutrition news
Chr. Hansen’s probiotic strain L. acidophilus, DDS-1, has been authorized by Health Canada to help improve abdominal pain severity and symptomology in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adolescents and adults. The existing Natural Health Product license for the DDS-1 strain in Canada has been amended to include the functional claims that it alleviates stress and improves IBS symptoms in adolescents and adults with the condition. People with IBS frequently report feeling sad, embarrassed and self-conscious.

PillWork has formed an alliance with the Precision Nutrition Association and together, they plan to implement national projects and pioneer ESG activities. The collaboration will merge the technical capabilities and know-how of the companies to set a new benchmark in personalized nutrition. Precision Nutrition Association develops big data tailored for personalized nutritional management, standardizes nutritional indicators, forms external cooperation networks and fosters academic research. The new entity will launch at the end of 2023.PillWork and the Precision Nutrition Association are collaborating on several national projects.

A real-world study of Abbott’s Healthy Food Rx, a food as medicine program providing home-delivered medical prescriptions of healthy food to address diabetes, showed clinically important benefits for people with diabetes. The real-world study conducted by the Public Health Institute’s Center for Wellness and Nutrition over 12 months found that the program participants had lower A1C levels, improved diabetes self-management and improved overall diet quality and food security. The program, part of the company’s broader Future Well Communities initiative, leverages Stockton-based organizations to help diabetes patients by delivering free recipe-based food boxes to approximately 450 participants and providing awareness about managing their diabetes through nutrition.

Product launches
GlycoGuard has launched an advanced probiotic gel that can be combined with mare’s milk to support foals during the crucial early stages of intestinal health development. The patented formula containing B. infantis and L. plantarum can be used at birth and rapidly colonizes the foal’s gut within 24 hours. The gel improves nutrient absorption, enhances immune function and reduces the risk of gastrointestinal disturbances. GlycoGuard will exhibit at the 69th American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention in California, US, from November 29 to December 3.

Festive tidings
In the lead-up to the festive season, Herbalife and LA Galaxy hosted a Thanksgiving cooking class for more than 70 students from Leapwood Avenue and Annalee elementary schools following a soccer clinic led by LA Galaxy coaching staff. The students learned how to prepare a three-course meal of succotash, chimichangas and pumpkin spring rolls. LA Galaxy player Daniel Aguirre and Cozmo, the team’s mascot, helped the kids with the recipes. After dinner, the children were given a tour of the LA Galaxy community garden. To extend the objective of promoting a healthy, active lifestyle, LA Galaxy and Herbalife have partnered with the Garden School Foundation program through the Joint Community Partnership Fund.

Scientific studiesHerbalife and LA Galaxy hosted a Thanksgiving cookout and garden tour to students to promote a healthy lifestyle.
A new study conducted by the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center and published in Nutrients observed that daily consumption of strawberries for 12 weeks reduced interference in memory and depressive symptoms among middle-aged, overweight adults with mild cognitive decline. The double-blind, randomized controlled trial included five men and 25 women. The findings show that participants who were given the whole fruit strawberry powder made fewer “intrusion errors” during a word list learning task (e.g., remembering/repeating words not included in the learning task), which has relevance in terms of identifying cognitive decline. Memory interference is not uncommon in the context of aging, especially in late-life dementia. Participants who were given the whole fruit strawberry powder reported lower levels of depressive symptoms, a sign of improved emotional coping capabilities. The findings can likely be attributed to the anti-inflammatory actions of the anthocyanins found in strawberries.

Research conducted by the University of Georgia and published in Public Health Nutrition found that army families were 131% more likely to use a food bank than Air Force families. In addition, lower-ranking service members were more likely to use food distribution resources than higher-ranking individuals. Asian, Black and multiracial families were about 50% more likely to use food distribution services than white families, according to the study. Approximately one in eight military families with at least one child reported using a food bank, pantries or other charitable food distribution resources in the past year. More than 8,325 families with an active duty service member in the US Army or Air Force were surveyed in 2021 and 13.2% reported having to use food distribution resources at least once in 12 months. The odds of using a food pantry increased by 35% for each dependent child. The study relied on data from the National Military Family Association.

A six-month produce prescription clinical trial, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023, observed a significant improvement in blood sugar control, food security and nutrition security among low-income adults with type 2 diabetes enrolled in Medicaid. In this randomized controlled trial, researchers investigated the impact of providing six months of free produce deliveries every week on participants’ blood sugar control. Participants in the higher- and lower-level produce groups had improved hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) compared to the control group that received no fresh fruits and vegetables or nutrition counseling. Patients who received both levels of the free produce program had a significant improvement in blood sugar levels, with an overall average HbA1C reduction of 0.32 points, in comparison to participants in the control group.

By Inga de Jong