1st November 2011

To our friends and supporters,

There’s NO PROBLEM ~ so why do we need a SOLUTION?

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard similar comments when speaking about the Food Supplements Directive on vitamins & minerals.  But these words were echoed loud and clear at Consumers for Health Choice (CHC) annual Parliamentary Reception last month by a high profile MP.

The well-known environmental journalist Zac Goldsmith MP described the EU legislation that is closing in on the natural supplements industry as “a classic case of an enormous solution being brought in for a problem that doesn’t exist”.

Goldsmith admitted that when, as editor of The Ecologist, he had first been sent letters by members of the public about the issue he had “binned them”, convinced they were part of a “whacky conspiracy theory”.  But, after being urged by readers to look closely at the detail, he realised the campaign was “completely legitimate”, soon signing up as a now long standing CHC patron.

Goldsmith was passionate in his views: “Let’s be clear. This is bad legislation that will destroy jobs, that will destroy shops and that will destroy choice for millions and millions of people. And it’s completely unnecessary because we already have laws in place to offer proper protection.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself.

The Minister for Public Health, Anne Milton MP was on excellent form too and it was heartening to hear her say “I’m a big fan of Consumers for Health Choice. It really has an impact!”   She also added that the consumer support for CHC was first class and they must keep badgering MPs and MEPs to let them know that these issues matter!

Earlier in the evening Anne Milton said she was “proud of the UK’s liberal market for health food products”, adding that she had learnt of “the enormous benefits people gain from taking supplements” during her training as a nurse.  She also was “aware of the gap that sometimes exists between what we are told by officials and the reality on the ground”. And making a personal pledge on the issue of consumer choice, she said: “Sometimes people make choices that make others uncomfortable, but personally I will always do what I can do to protect consumer choice.

Back to our day to day campaigning, it remains imperative to make sure not just MPs but all MEPs from every Member State understands how damaging the Food Supplements Directive could be to everyone if no substantial changes are made.  The crucial part still to be decided is the setting of ‘Maximum Permitted (dose) Levels (MPLs)’.

It seems the Directive is a low level priority at the moment, especially with Commissioner Dalli, but we know this apparent lack of movement is deceptive and are continuing to campaign hard by briefing and re-briefing those in Brussels in a position to help consumers keep their much valued supplements.  While it is unlikely that progress to set levels will be achieved before the end of this year the delays we have achieved so far will not last forever, especially as the determination from France and Germany for low doses remains constant.

We are fortunate in that Giles Chichester MEP has agreed to sponsor an event in the European Parliament next year for CHC on the subject of MPLs. This will be a great opportunity for us to again brief a number of MEPs of various nationalities on the issue and gain their support.  It will also give us a further opportunity to correct much of the misinformation circulating within the Parliament.  Timing is all important here so we are looking at dates in May and June 2012.  That should give us time to raise the required funds, bring other European supporters together and produce materials that will make a lasting impact.

So, our work continues.  Can you help us please by making a small donation?

A new Petition will soon be in British Health Food Shops for your signature.  We are working with the National Association of Health Stores to raise further awareness of the Directive – and this Petition is aimed specifically at MPs and MEPs.   Next time you are out shopping, pop into your local HF store and add your name.  It will only take a moment and will encourage local MPs and MEPs to back their local businesses help consumers ~ they need to work together to hold back the heavy hand of Brussels.

Finally, this is how you can continue to help.

Your friends and family, all consumers, retailers, practitioners and everyone you know all have an important part to play and I urge you once again to seek their support.

1.  Have your family and your friends signed our Petition?  Please encourage them to add their names if not.  www.consumersforhealthchoice.com/phpPETITION/ 

2.  Can you join those already generous consumers by making a donation to keep the campaign going and help with the Brussels event please?  Any amount you can manage will help make a difference.  Thank you.  The on-line donation system is quick, simple and safe.  www.consumersforhealthchoice.com/donate.htm

3.  Finally, please forward this note to your own E-contacts, both in the UK and Europe, asking them to also take action as we have suggested.  Writing to their own MEPs would also be very helpful.

Thank you again so very much for anything you can give and for everything you are doing.  I know you understand how this is so important for us all.

Very best wishes

Director, Consumers for Health Choice.

Fig 1. Blood concentration of astaxanthin
after supplementation for 12 weeks.

If you eat 3 mg/day the uptake will also be about 3 times higher compared to eating 1 mg/day.  It was also shown that the amount of astaxanthin in the blood will be higher if you take astaxanthin during a longer period of time.  After 12 weeks of supplementation the blood level from taking 3 mg/day of astaxanthin was about 4 times higher compared to only 4 weeks of supplementation.

In addition, astaxanthin was also detected in the red blood cells indicating a strong ability of astaxanthin to protect red blood cells from oxidation.

Reference: Miyazawa T et al. Plasma carotenoid concentrations before and after supplementation with astaxanthin in middle-aged and senior subjects. Biosci Biotechnology Biochem. 2011;75(9):1856-1858.

The appreciation of the Chinese RMB continues at a modest pace.  However, it is sufficient to ensure that many Chinese producers are reluctant to offer fixed-price 12 month contracts.  The appreciation so far against the US$ has been 4% this year and it is anticipated that this will reach 6% by the close of the year.  This is a 20% appreciation in the last 4 years.

The Chinese governmental export tax rebate available throughout our industry is in real risk of being either reduced or removed during the latter part of this year.  The reason behind this is a wish to encourage growth of the domestic market in China as well as continuing environmental pressures.

The headline price for Brent Crude Oil hit $112/barrel recently, compared to prices over $125/barrel that were seen earlier this year.

http://www.cyanotech.com/pdfs/bioastin/NeuroprotectiveEffectofAstaxanthin.pdf

Cyanotech Astaxanthin materials are available from Nutra Ingredients Limited.

Fig 1. Mean plasma levels of Isoprostane, a biomarker for
lipidperoxidation. abc values are significantly different (P from non-smokers and baseline (for smokers).

Furthermore, astaxanthin did not only decrease the biomarker for oxidative stress, it also increased the level of the body´s own antioxidant defense and both superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity were significantly increased. However, there were no significant differences between dosages which indicates that a higher dose than 5 mg/day is not necessary. In addition, the study clearly showed by doing several medical experiments that astaxanthin was safe to use and well tolerated by the subjects.

“Our results suggest that, due to its well documented safety profile, astaxanthin is one of the most potent preventive agents for smoking-induced oxidative stress and that astaxanthin supplementation may be effective for reducing the risk of pathological conditions related to oxidative stress in general” the authors of the article claimed.

Reference Kim JH et al. Protective Effects of Haematococcus Astaxanthin on Oxidative Stress in Healthy Smokers. J Med Food. 2011 Sep 1. [Epub ahead of print] Link to PubMed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21883001

Commenting on the final batch of opinions published recently by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), EHPM said there is ample proof that the article 13.1 assessment process is breaching the proportionality of the claims regulation and that European Commission and Member States should reassess the criteria to ensure that all of the available data is considered, and not accept the pharmaceutical approach with the reliance on intervention trials which appears to be followed by EFSA.

EHPM has sent extensive comments to the European Commission on the EFSA opinions, expressing concerns.

It argued that to ensure consumers have access to information on a variety of products and that manufacturers can continue to provide them with a choice of products that can benefit their health, it is essential that the totality of the evidence is weighed by assessing the strength and consistency of all the available data.

“Surely when an approach like the one adopted by EFSA is not capable of confirming that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables promotes heart health despite many health recommendations expressing the contrary, this should at least raise questions about its appropriateness,” said EHPM Chairman Peter van Doorn. “We have consistently voiced concern over the way in which the claims assessment process is being carried out, not least because of inappropriate criteria being used to evaluate article 13.1 claims which does not weigh or take into account the totality of the available data.”

“The outcome of the process shows we have been right and we hope that the authorities will seriously consider the implications for both consumers and market innovation of the EFSA approach and halt the establishment of the article 13.1 list until a proper framework is put in place that is able to assess all health effects of food components and not only those that are equivalent to medical interventions,” he added.

The trend from the EFSA opinions is that the vast majority of claims for substances other than vitamins and minerals have been rejected.

Hyaluronic Acid is considered to be an essential anti-ageing nutrient for the skin and joints, to prolong a healthy and active lifestyle. The properties of Hyaluronic Acid have been researched extensively and reported benefits include:

* Treatment of Osteoporosis
* Improved joint function and flexibility
* Reduction in the appearance of wrinkled skin
* Anti-inflammation
* Cardiovascular

Hyaluronic Acid provides viscosity to synovial fluid, providing extra ‘shock absorbing’ capacity to our joints. It also ‘glues’ collagen fibres together in cartilage and skin. It is found naturally in the eyes, hair, gums, skin, joints and even heart valves!

So why is Microencapsulated Hyaluronic Acid important??
In its natural state, Hyaluronic Acid is too big a molecule to be absorbed by the body, hence supplementation and topical application has traditionally been a bit ‘hit and miss’.

Hydrexelin provides Hyaluronic Acid microencapsulated in a proprietary liposomal delivery system and contains varied chain lengths of the hyaluronic disaccharide. This provides superior absorption and improved assimilation processes within the body.

Hydrexelin offers fantastic opportunities for Joint-Care, Skincare and General Health Nutritional Supplements. We have a lot of technical and bioavailability data available for this product!

o There were positive opinions for creatine and increase in physical performance (though negative for creatine and other health relationships) and for ‘monacolin K from fermented red yeast rice’ and maintenance of normal blood LDL cholesterol.

The Red Yeast Rice supplied by Nutra Ingredients Limited is batch tested for and guaranteed citrinin free.

Writing in the journal Environmental and Experimental Botany, researchers from the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Spain, suggested that the new antioxidant, known as Feruloylnoradrenaline (FNA), could be used by the food industry as a preservative because of its action as a retarder of lipid oxidation.  They suggested that the powerful antioxidant would prevent changes such as fats and oils becoming rancid, which diminish food quality, and added that the antioxidant could also be used in supplements and functional food products.

The Spanish researchers reported that the antioxidant power of the new compound is 14 times higher than that of resveratrol – a well-known antioxidant found in red wine, which has been suggested to delay cellular aging.

The team have now registered national and international patents for the new antioxidant and the laboratory procedures used to isolate and synthesise it chemically.