By Eamonn McKay

Organic, Fermented, and Grass-Fed are some of the hottest dairy trends of 2017. Answering the call for high-quality, milk-based nutrition, a new generation of functional dairy superfoods have arrived, some rediscovered from times past, others invigorated by modern science, and all packed full of nutritional goodness and offering consumers unique options to diversify their health and wellness regimens.

BUTTER GHEE

The era of “low-fat” has come and gone, and natural health consumers are increasingly seeking out high-quality nutritional oils to supercharge their diets.

Butter Ghee occupies a unique space in this category. Unlike most unrefined cooking oils, the ancient Ayurvedic butter oil is both incredibly resistant to rancidity, and packs a very high smoke point (450 degrees), making it well-suited to an endless list of high-heat applications, from baking to buttered coffee.

On the nutritional side of things, ghee is one of the best sources of gut-loving butyric acid, as well as the naturally-occurring, healthy trans-fats. You heard right, healthy trans-fats! In contrast to the noxious industrially-produced trans-fats found in hydrogenated oils and margarines, naturally-occurring rumenic and vaccenic trans-fats found in ghee have demonstrated promising cognitive (Jenkins, 2016), cardio-protective (Benjamin, 2009) and cancer-protective (Benjamin, 2009) benefits.

Driven by low-carb and ketogenic lifestyles movements, butter ghee is trending upwards with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

COLOSTRUM

Colostrum, the “first-milk” newborn calfs receive after birth, is a serum rich in immune-fortifying proteins and growth factors. When dehydrated, colostrum is transformed into a dairy superfood boasting  benefits for digestive, skin, and oral health.

Colostrum is chalked full of immunoglobulins, proteins which confer serious gut-protection against bacterial infection and travellers diarrhea (Wlodzimierz, 2011), can help heal a damaged gut lining (Hagiwara, 1995), and decrease intestinal permeability (“leakiness”) caused by NSAID use (Playford, 2001). With a roster of benefits running this deep, colostrum is poised to emerge as a novel ingredient in the fight against inflammatory digestive and gut conditions.

Colostrum is also rich in lactoferrin, an immune-bolstering, anti-viral super-protein that could factor into the next generation of natural acne remedies. A handful of studies have already demonstrated lactoferrin’s protective effects against acne and other skin diseases (Hassoun, 2017).

And rounding out colostrum’s unique nutritional resume are lysozyme and lactoperoxidase, enzymes that fortify our saliva against gum disease-causing bacteria and dry mouth (Tenovuo, 2002). Look to colostrum lozenges to help consumers harness these oral benefits.

FERMENTED DAIRY PROTEINS

What happens when one of the hottest health trends collides with the world of milk proteins? You get fermented [dairy] protein powders like Greek Yogurt Protein and Fermented Goat Protein, offering natural health consumers whole-food, digestion-friendly alternatives to whey.

Greek Yogurt Protein is pre-digested by the same bacterial cultures used in yogurt manufacturing, packed with calcium and vitamin D, and offers a complete spectrum of amino acids.

Fermented Goat Protein is a naturally grass-fed product thanks to year-round pasturing of the goats who produce it. It’s also lacto-fermented with probiotic cultures and naturally low in A1 casein, qualifying it as a less-allergenic alternative to cow-based protein supplements.

Are you looking to get in on the inevitable back-to-school shopping frenzy? Yahoo has provided key insights in the best way for you to make the grade this year.

Drawing from a variety of studies about search and purchase behavior, Yahoo found the following:

• The busiest day for consumers to search for back-to-school discounts on mobile was August 14, with a rate of 660 per cent above the daily average
• Nearly half of back-to-school purchases happen in July and August, with August back-to-school purchase volume about three times higher than average
• Online back-to-school shopping has increased more than 75 percent over the last five years
• Consumers also search for back to school deals during winter break, with December 21^st acting as the 2^nd busiest day for bargain hunting

“Shoppers aren’t necessarily in-market for all things at once, nor does back-to-school shopping end in August,” adds the report. “Marketers should consider tailoring their messages to the types of products consumers need at specific times through the summer and early fall months and throughout each week.”

With this information in mind, your sales may benefit from targeted online advertising during these times. Regardless of what you’re selling, knowing how to optimize SEO for this time of year can help to boost your bottom line.

University of Illinois researchers have found that lutein, found in leafy green vegetables, could aid with cognitive function.

In a recent study, researchers looked at 60 adults aged 20 to 45. They found that middle-aged participants with higher levels of lutein had neural responses on par with younger individuals, rather than with their peers. While many other studies have focused on older adults, the Illinois researchers compared young to middle-aged adults to see whether there was a notable difference between those with higher and lower lutein levels.

“As people get older, they experience typical decline. However, research has shown that this process can start earlier than expected. You can even start to see some differences in the 30s,” says Anne Walk, a postdoctoral scholar and first author of the paper. “We want to understand how diet impacts cognition throughout the lifespan. If lutein can protect against decline, we should encourage people to consume lutein-rich foods at a point in their lives when it has maximum benefit.”

In order to determine their participants’ lutein levels, the Illinois researchers measured lutein in the study participants’ eyes by having participants look into a scope and respond to a flickering light. Then, via electrodes on the scalp, researchers measured neural activity in the brain during attention-based tasks.

“The neuro-electrical signature of older participants with higher levels of lutein looked much more like their younger counterparts than their peers with less lutein,” says Walk. “Lutein appears to have some protective role, since the data suggest that those with more lutein were able to engage more cognitive resources to complete the task.”

In upcoming trials, Khan’s group aims to understand lutein’s effects on cognitive performance.

“In this study we focused on attention, but we also would like to understand the effects of lutein on learning and memory. There’s a lot we are very curious about,” Khan said.

According to a Cornell University study, those with an impaired sense of taste often choose sweeter, higher-calorie food options—something that could put them in danger of gaining excess weight.

“We found that the more people lost sensitivity to sweetness, the more sugar they wanted in their foods,” says lead author Robin Dando, assistant professor of food science.

While a connection has often been suspected between diminished taste and obesity, it had never been tested before. In order to look at the effects of lowered taste, Dando dulled the taste buds of participants, giving them an herbal tea containing Gymnema Sylvestre, which is known to block sweet receptors. Then, they were asked to add their preferred amount of sugar to bland concoctions, allowing them to obtain optimal sweetness.

The study showed that for a regular, sugary 16-ounce soft drink, a person with a 20 percent reduction in the ability to taste sweet would crave an extra teaspoon of sugar to reach an optimal level of sweetness, as compared to someone with unaltered taste response. Exposure to repeatedly high levels of sugar could lead to weight gain.

“The gustatory system — that is, the taste system we have — may serve as an important nexus in understanding the development of obesity. With this in mind, taste dysfunction should be considered as a factor,” Dando said.

Certain medications, including those for thyroid health and cancer, may cause dulled taste. What’s more, certain nutritional deficiencies, like vitamin B12 and zinc, may contribute to this ailment. If your patients are experiencing dulled taste, treating these underlying causes—or counteracting the side effects of different medications—may help them to regain this important sense. With this, they’ll have another tool in their weight loss and weight maintenance arsenal.

How well cancer patients fared after chemotherapy was affected by their social interaction with other patients during treatment, according to a new study by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Cancer patients were a little more likely to survive for five years or more after chemotherapy if they interacted during chemotherapy with other patients who also survived for five years or more. Patients were a little more likely to die in less than five years after chemotherapy when they interacted during chemotherapy with those who died in less than five years. The findings were published online July 12, 2017, in the journalNetwork Science.

“People model behavior based on what’s around them,” Jeff Lienert, lead author in NHGRI’s Social and Behavioral Research Branch and a National Institutes of Health Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program fellow. “For example, you will often eat more when you’re dining with friends, even if you can’t see what they’re eating. When you’re bicycling, you will often perform better when you’re cycling with others, regardless of their performance.”

Lienert set out to see if the impact of social interaction extended to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Joining this research effort were Lienert’s adviser, Felix Reed-Tsochas, Ph.D., at Oxford’s CABDyN Complexity Centre at the Saïd Business School, Laura Koehly, Ph.D., chief of NHGRI’s Social and Behavioral Research Branch, and Christopher Marcum, Ph.D., a staff scientist also in the Social and Behavioral Research Branch at NHGRI.

They based their findings on electronic medical records data from 2000 to 20009 from two major hospitals in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. The researchers examined the total time a patient spent with the same patients undergoing chemotherapy and their five-year survival rate. The five-year survival rate is the percentage of people who live at least five years after chemotherapy treatment is completed. For example, a five-year survival rate of 70 percent means that an estimated 70 out of 100 people are still alive five years after chemotherapy. They also reviewed a room schematic to confirm the assumption that patients were potentially positioned to interact. 

“We had information on when patients checked in and out of the chemotherapy ward, a small intimate space where people could see and interact for a long period of time,” Lienert said. “We used ‘time spent getting chemotherapy in a room with others as a proxy for social connection.”

When patients were around those during chemotherapy who died in less than five years following chemotherapy, they had a 72 percent chance of dying within five years following their chemotherapy. The best outcome was when patients interacted with someone who survived for five years or longer: they had a 68 percent chance of dying within five years. The researchers’ model also predicted that if patients were isolated from other patients, they would have a 69.5 percent chance of dying within five years.

“A two percent difference in survival – between being isolated during treatment and being with other patients –  might not sound like a lot, but it’s pretty substantial,” Lienert said. “If you saw 5,000 patients in nine years, that 2 percent improvement would affect 100 people.” 

“Mr. Lienert’s research is the first to investigate, on a large scale, how social context in a treatment setting can play a significant role in disease outcomes,” said Koehly.  “As cancer care moves more towards targeted therapies based on genomic tumor assessments, NHGRI is interested in understanding how these social environmental factors might impact treatmentefficacy.”

The researchers didn’t study why the difference occurred, but hypothesize that it may be related to stress response. “When you’re stressed, stress hormones such as adrenaline are released, resulting in a fight or flight response,” Lienert said. “If you are then unable to fight or fly, such as in chemotherapy, these hormones can build up.”

While the researchers also didn’t investigate the impact of visitors on cancer patients undergoing therapy, the effect would likely be similar, he said.  

“Positive social support during the exact moments of greatest stress is crucial,” Lienert said. “If you have a friend with cancer, keeping him or her company during chemotherapy probably will help reduce their stress. The impact is likely to be as effective, and possibly more effective, than cancer patients interacting with other cancer patients.”

A recent paper out of the Food Market Institute (FMI) notes that growth in digital-only and specialty retailers is beginning to chip away at brick-and-mortar’s retail supremacy. This is reflected in a 2 per cent dip in shopping frequency at traditional full-service supermarkets over the past year.

“E-commerce is substantially gaining users,” said David Fikes, FMI’s vice-president of consumer/communication affairs and communication, said during the Food Retail Implications for U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2017 presentation. Fikes notes that online-only food stores have jumped 6% in frequency of visits since last year.

According to the research, nearly half of all Millennials are part of this shift to exclusively digital stores.

The study found that Millennials prefer to buy fresh bakery items, meats, seafood, produce, and refrigerated dairy foods at traditional stores, while baby food, pet products, household cleaning items, salty snacks, and sweets are more often bought online. Additionally, Millennials also prefer to pick up non-prescription drugs at stores, rather than on the Internet.

This information suggests that independent grocers and health food stores should focus on their fresh offerings, rather than non-perishable goods: this category is one that is less easily disturbed by e-commerce.

“It’s one of those realities that we have to deal with and we have to understand that while we have defined food retail in a certain way for 50 years, it is being redefined for us,” Fikes said. “We can either be a part of that redefinition or we can be left out of redefinition.”

Roo Brands Ltd has announced a partnership with iLevel Management, Inc. iLevel Management will act as the company’s sales broker to Natural Health stores in Canada. The two organizations will work closely together to promote, distribute and increase sales of Roo’s award winning brand Roobar through effective promotional and marketing programs across Canada. iLevel’s industry, sales and marketing expertise will assist Roo Brands Ltd on their path to long-term success.

“We at Roo Brands Ltd are thrilled to partner with iLevel Management,” comments Roo Brands Ltd Co-founder and COO, Kalin Klasanov. Mr. Klasanov added, “iLevel is a full service sales & marketing agency ensuring the perfect representation we want in the Natural Health channel. iLevel provides a tremendous platform for the further advancement of our brand—Roobar.”

About Roo Brands OOD

Roobar is a European producer of organic raw bar and vegan cookies. The company reaches 50 countries on 5 continents and it’s the market leader in the organic raw food bar category in Europe, with close to 1 million bars sold monthly. In their state-of-the-art factory Roo Brands sets the highest quality standards in producing the bars and cookies.

ROO’BAR are 100 per cent organic raw bars with superfood ingredients. Each bar has a simple recipe consisting of 4 to 5 plant-based, vegan, and gluten-free ingredients. Roobars’ main ingredient is dried fruit, which has a naturally sweet taste. This means there’s no need to add sugar or artificial sweeteners. About iLevel Management Inc.

iLevel Management, Inc., opened its doors in 2013. Its core principles are centered on innovation, integration, and invigoration of its brands and marketing strategies.

Implementing custom technologies into everyday business operations allows their brands to receive detailed information that is retailer driven and has long term plans for success.

For further information, please visit: info@ilevelmanagement.ca

Le Beau Excel has announced three new additions to its team: Belinda Ruckman, Louise Renshaw, and Debbi DePape.

Belinda Ruckman:

Ruckman has joined LeBeau Excel Sales & Marketing as Territory Manager for Lower Mainland BC. Belinda is a veteran salesperson with 15 years of experience with companies such as U-Be Living Foods, Villa Anna Sales & Marketing and most recently Habibi’s Mediterranean Foods.

Belinda is taking on many of the lower mainland independents from Eamonn McKay as he takes on some new accounts such as Wholefoods West, Choices Markets and others. She resides in Burnaby BC and will answer to Deborah Ritcey. She has already started and completed her training period and starts back in her territory on July 31^st.

She can be reached at belinda@lebeauadvance.com and on cell at 604-842-5107.

Louise Renshaw:

Renshaw has joined LeBeau Excel Sales & Marketing in the new role of Sales Analyst/Coordinator. Louise holds a Bachelor of Administrative Studies from York University and an MBA from Leicester University UK. She has 17 years of experience in Sales Coordinator type roles for a variety of top firms in the IT sector.

Louise has just recently made the move to Guelph and will be working from our Head Office on a day to day basis. Her primary duties will be focused on supporting our sales people in the field with administrative support and will mostly be behind the scenes to our suppliers and customers. She resides in Guelph, ON and will answer to Deborah Ritcey. She has already started and completed her training period and starts officially on July 24^th.

She can be reached at louise@lebeauadvance.com and at the office at 519-900-5585.

Debbi DePape:

We are pleased to announce that Debbi DePape has joined LeBeau Excel Sales & Marketing as Territory Manager for Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands. Debbi hold a B.Sc degree through the University of Victoria. She is a veteran salesperson with 12 years at Pfizer Consumer Health and most recently as Territory Manager for Nature’s Way – Ascenta Health. Debbi is replacing Carolyn Bills who departed due to cross-country move. She will manage all health food stores as well as chain accounts such as Thrifty’s Quality Foods & IIBG (Country Grocer). She resides in Victoria and will answer to Deborah Ritcey. She has already started and completed her training period and starts back in her territory on July 31^st.

She can be reached at debbi@lebeauadvance.com and on cell at 250-858-2669.

With wildfires sweeping across B.C., SISU Vitamins has extended a hand to the brave firefighters working to quell the situation. See below for a letter from Trish Duncan, the brand’s marketing manager:

As many of you know, there are currently more than 160 wildfires burning in BC, resulting in about 40,000 people to be evacuated from their homes. It is the worst fire season we’ve seen in 15 years. 3000 firefighters from across Canada and even Australia have been working tirelessly to save homes and prevent further devastation.

As a proud BC company, we actively looked at ways we could help. Ester-C Energy Boost is the best product we have to supply both vitamins and electrolytes for hydration, but we were faced with the challenge of how to ship it to the areas where the firefighters need it most. None of our couriers are delivering to central BC.

After much sleuthing (and a lot of coordinating), we are proud to announce that we’ve worked with BC Hydro to deliver 12,000 sample sticks to Williams Lake – the heart of the action. The fire logistics centre in Williams Lake is looking forward to the products arrival by this weekend.

We hope that Energy Boost plays at least a small part in helping the firefighters do their job – in the meantime, let’s all keep our fingers crossed for some much-needed rain.

The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation and the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation have announced a partnership of $1 million over five years in the establishment of the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation Chair in Best Practices for Musculoskeletal Health at the University of New Brunswick. 
 
Dr. Jeff Hebert, who is joining UNB’s faculty of kinesiology from Murdoch University in Western Australia, was welcomed to Fredericton today through a funding announcement at the Richard J. CURRIE CENTER on the university’s Fredericton campus. 
 
“The availability and delivery of health services has a significant impact on the quality of life for all New Brunswickers,” said New Brunswick Deputy Premier Stephen Horsman. “We are committed to improving access to primary care by maximizing the use of our allied health professionals such as chiropractors. Investing in research and applying those findings to policy and practice is a key component to improving patient care and the health of our residents.”
 
Dr. Hebert has had an impressive career to date, spending the past 18 years in faculty, clinical and administrative positions in the United States and Australia.  Most recently, he was the associate dean of research in Murdoch University’s School of Psychology and Exercise Science. 
 
“Musculoskeletal disorders, such as spinal pain and osteoarthritis, are the leading cause of disability worldwide,” said Dr. Hebert. “However, little is known about the effects of these disorders on other important health problems such as sedentary behaviour, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The research we conduct at UNB will attempt to unravel these relationships to inform clinical and policy decision-making.”
 
Dr. Paul Carey, chair of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation, said he appreciates the partnership with the University of New Brunswick and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation in bringing Dr. Jeffrey Hebert on board as the CCRF Chair in Musculoskeletal Health at UNB. 
“We are confident that Dr. Hebert’s experience and international research network will greatly benefit the health of individuals in Canada and beyond,” said Dr. Carey. 
 
One way the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation succeeds in supporting and promoting health research in New Brunswick is through their Health Research Chairs Program. 
 
“Our Health Research Chairs Program has been instrumental in capacity building of the health research enterprise in New Brunswick to develop expertise, excellence and to train and mentor students. All this in partnership with multiple stakeholders,” says Dr. Bruno Battistini, president, CEO and scientific director of the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation. “We continue, in bringing Dr. Hebert to UNB, an exceptional new faculty and health researcher, to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in musculoskeletal health.”
 
Karen Cunningham, UNB’s vice-president administration and finance, said the university is pleased to welcome Dr. Hebert to UNB’s growing list of researchers who are helping to improve the health of New Brunswickers. 
 
“UNB is responsible for about 75 per cent of all publicly funded research in our province and Dr. Hebert has an impressive record of research productivity.  He has proven himself a true leader in the field of musculoskeletal health and I look forward to seeing the results of his work.” 
 
Dr. Hebert started his new chair position this month and will focus on the following three areas of research:
 
–        Understanding the clinical outcomes of surgical and non-operative interventions for musculoskeletal disorders and their associations with physical activity behaviour and health comorbidities;

–        Investigating the impact of musculoskeletal disorders on physical activity behaviour and cardiovascular health in young people and adults;

–        Discovering determinants of clinical outcome for people with musculoskeletal disorders undergoing surgical and non-operative therapies.