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NEW SCIENCE FURTHER DEMONSTRATES CURCUWIN®'S SPORTS NUTRITION AND EXERCISE BENEFITS
Mediterranean Diet During Pregnancy Associated with Improved Maternal Health Outcomes
NEW SCIENCE FURTHER DEMONSTRATES CURCUWIN®'S SPORTS NUTRITION AND EXERCISE BENEFITS
OmniActive Health Technologies' CurcuWIN®
Enhanced Curcumin was the subject of a new publication in Nutrients entitled, "Eight Weeks of High Dose of Curcumin Supplementation May Attenuate Performance Decrements Following Muscle-Damaging Exercise".
The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel designed, 8-week human clinical trial examined the effects of 250 mg of CurcuWIN®, 1000 mg of CurcuWIN®, or placebo on preserving muscle performance and reducing soreness following strenuous exercise. The science showed positive results and supports a growing body of research that CurcuWIN benefits athletes and active lifestyle enthusiasts alike.
"Intense exercise causes muscle damage, inflammation and oxidative stress, resulting in subsequent declines in athletic performance. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties," said Dr. Ralf Jager, MBA, FISSN, Co-founder and Managing Member of Increnovo LLC and lead author of the publication. "Our study showed that consuming CurcuWIN - a highly bioavailable form of curcumin - prior to exercise can improve training quality and help muscles recover faster."
Recent research has shown that working muscles have specific needs that can make a remarkable difference in exercise performance. This new research is helping shape the ever-evolving sports nutrition landscape. The global sports nutrition market is expected to hit $24.43 billion by 2025 (Grand View Research, Inc., 2018) and that growth represents a shift in consumer preference for sports nutrition supplements to support an active lifestyle. In short, sports nutrition isn't just for traditional bodybuilders or professional athletes anymore.
"OmniActive has made significant investments with a strong commitment to bring scientific validity to curcumin for sports nutrition applications. CurcuWIN®'s ability to help support athletes and active lifestyle enthusiasts was first demonstrated in our FloMeD (Flow Mediated Dilation) Study, which showed health benefits including healthy blood flow, circulation and cardiovascular health," said
President, OmniActive Health Technologies, Ltd. "This new publication is in line with OmniActive's scientific approach in building deeper insights into CurcuWIN®'s potential benefits in sports nutrition including its ability to help maintain athletic performance and muscle recovery as well as reduce muscle soreness after strenuous exercise. While there are clear positives from the study, even the limitations give our scientists and researchers additional insights on how to make our products serve our consumers better."
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About OmniActive Health Technologies OmniActive Health Technologies (omniactives.com) offers a wide range of premium, scientifically-validated ingredients to address complex challenges for customers in the dietary supplement and functional food and beverage space. OmniActive brings added value, with a focus on healthy living as well as healthy aging through IP-protected, science-backed branded ingredients from natural sources. |
Mediterranean Diet During Pregnancy Associated with Improved Maternal Health Outcomes
Tree nuts, predominately walnuts, and extra virgin olive oil featured as key foods in a new clinical trial that assessed the impact of a Mediterranean diet on maternal and fetal outcomes
A new clinical trial found women who followed a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy, including a daily portion of tree nuts (half being walnuts) and extra virgin olive oil, had a 35 percent lower risk of gestational diabetes and on average, gained 2.75 pounds less, compared to women who received standard prenatal care.1
A Mediterranean-style diet rich in good, unsaturated fats, found in foods like walnuts and extra virgin olive oil, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in adults, according to the landmark PREDIMED study.2 Walnuts, in particular, are a traditional food in the Mediterranean diet because of their omega-3 ALA content (2.5g/oz – the only nut significantly high in this essential fatty acid) and bioactive compounds. While there has been extensive research on the Mediterranean diet to date, the diet's potential to improve maternal and offspring outcomes has not been widely evaluated, making this study particularly valuable.
Conducted by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Warwick, this study included 1,252 multi-ethnic inner-city pregnant women with metabolic risk factors, including obesity and chronic hypertension. In addition to receiving folic acid and vitamin D supplementation, the women were randomly assigned to either a Mediterranean-style diet or a control group that received dietary advice per UK national recommendations for prenatal care and weight management during pregnancy.
Those who followed the Mediterranean diet consumed a daily portion of nuts (30g/day; 15g walnuts, 7.5g almonds, 7.5g hazelnuts) and used extra virgin olive oil (0.5L/week) as their main source of cooking fat. In addition, the diet emphasized fruit, vegetables, non-refined grains and legumes; moderate to high consumption of fish; small to moderate intake of poultry and dairy products; low intake of red meat and processed meat; and avoidance of sugary drinks, fast food, and food rich in animal-based fat.
Participants received dietary advice at 18, 20, and 28 weeks' gestation to help improve compliance and make sure the diet was made culturally sensitive. Investigators measured dietary compliance using self-reported feedback from the participants, so it's important to note that there could have been human error in the reporting.
The investigators also assessed the effect of a Mediterranean diet on other pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure, preeclampsia, stillbirth, small for gestational age fetus, or admission to a neonatal care unit, but did not find any significant associations.
One in four mothers enter pregnancy with pre-existing obesity, chronic hypertension or raised lipid levels, which can lead to pregnancy complications, long-term risk of diabetes and cardiovascular complications for mothers and their children.3,4,5 These findings provide additional support for following a Mediterranean-style diet which has been linked to additional health benefits such as improved cognitive function.
The California Walnut Commission (CWC) provided walnuts for this research. The CWC has supported health-related research on walnuts for more than 25 years with the intent to provide knowledge and understanding of the unique health benefits associated with consuming walnuts. While the CWC does provide funds and/or walnuts for various projects, all studies are conducted independently by researchers who design the experiments, interpret the results and present evidence-based conclusions. The CWC is committed to scientific integrity of industry-funded research.
References
1 H. Al Wattar B, Dodds J, Placzek A, Beresford L, Spyreli E, Moore A, et al. (2019) Mediterranean-style diet in pregnant women with metabolic risk factors (ESTEEM): A pragmatic multicentre randomised trial. PLoS Med 16(7): e1002857. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002857
2 Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, et al. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(25):e34. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1800389.
3 Galtier-Dereure F, Boegner C, Bringer J. Obesity and pregnancy: complications and cost. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71(5):1242s–1248s.
4 The Public Health England Obesity website [Internet]. Available from: https://khub.net/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=a5768682-fb3d-4fda-ab4a-937a8d80f855&groupId=31798783
5 Osterman MJK, Martin JA, Curtin SC, et al. Newly released data from the revised U.S. birth certificate, 2011. National Vital Statistics Report 62(4), 2013. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
SOURCE California Walnut Commission