Vitamin Information Center

Lonza is to expand its production of vitamin B3 in a bid to meet growing demand for the ingredient from the food industry, the company has said.

The construction of a new nicotinate plant - an investment of CHF50m (€31.5m) - will ramp up current capacity by 40 percent, an addition of 15,000 metric tons of product per year.

Nicotinates, which include both nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, are vitamin B3 supplements used in the food, animal feed and pharmaceutical industries.

“The new capacity in nicotinates is important for us to be able to meet the long-term demands of our customers,” said Lukas Utiger, executive vice president of Lonza Life Science Ingredients.

Vitamin B3 growth

Indeed, strong growth for its nicotinates ingredients has been responsible for driving the overall performance of the firm’s nutrition ingredients, which fall under the Life Sciences arm.

In January this year, Lonza reported a 36 per cent increase in earnings, with total sales up by some 25 per cent to CHK2.8bn (€1.8bn).

According to an analysis of the European Vitamin B Market by Frost & Sullivan, the market was worth €415m (£280m) in 2005. This is anticipated to grow to €901m (£607m) by 2012, equivalent to a compound annual growth (CAGR) of 11.7 per cent for the sector.

Analysts at the firm said the growth of B-complex vitamins was being driven by a consumer interest towards self-medication.

The B vitamins act as coenzymes in numerous biochemical reactions in the body. They are essential for proper growth and maintenance of cells, tissue and organs.

Price hikes

The growth in demand for Lonza’s vitamin B3 has come in spite of price increases during the past year.

In July 2007, Lonza hiked vitamin B3 prices by 12 per cent.  In December 2007, the firm further increased its prices by as much as 17 percent.

The Swiss biotech company blamed the increases on a “continued” increase of raw materials, energy and transportation costs.

New plant

Lonza said it is still evaluating options for the location of its new plant, and will take into consideration the location of new market growth and opportunities for manufacturing and market synergies.

The new facility will also take advantage of innovations in technology and process development that are currently in pilot operations, said the firm.

“These innovations will provide cost and efficiency advantages to all the company’s nicotinate facilities,” it said.

According to Utiger, the “continued implementation of technologies and new processes (…) will secure our long-term cost leadership in this market.”

Lonza’s current manufacturing plants for nicotinates are located in Visp (Switzerland), Guangzhou (China), and Nansha (China).

A healthy skin tone projects youthfulness, energy, and vitality to the world around us. After all, your skin is an indicator of your overall health. As consumers, we are constantly bombarded by slick marketing proclaiming the discovery of the fountain of youth. Contrary to their claims, the human body is magnificent and more than capable of keeping us looking young and healthy. We only have one responsibility. That is to fuel the body properly with superfoods containing skin-friendly nutrients and regular exercise. This is your guide to discovering your own fountain of youth.
Continue Reading…

While supplements, superfoods and vitamins get all the attention, minerals play an important part in your body detox program. So what are some of the important minerals involved with a whole body detox?

Calcium: Everyone knows that calcium is important to strong bones and teeth, but what many don’t know is calcium does a whole lot more. The contraction of your muscles, blood clot formations, and nerve activity all benefit from this mineral. Calcium is also behind the absorption of vitamin B12, enzyme activity, and the structure and function of cell membranes. It protects your from cancer, helps all those nutrients make it down to the cellular level, and regulates blood pressure and heart rate. It really does do a body good.

Magnesium: Calcium isn’t the only one involved in strong bones or muscle contraction. In addition, it functions as a partner to vitamins B, C, and E to make them work. It is important in a lot of different biological processes. Helps with absorption of other minerals, effective in reducing blood cholesterol and regulating body temperature.

Phosphorus: This is part of RNA and DNA. Like calcium and magnesium, it plays an integral role in bones and muscle contraction. It’s important for a variety of things, such as nerve impulses, secretion of hormones, and membrane structure. You can’t utilize fats, proteins or carbohydrates without it and it is a helper to the B-complex vitamins. The use of this mineral is dependent on Vitamin D.

Manganese: As with the other minerals, an important part of bone health. It also supports your body’s natural ability to produce insulin, and therefore plays in an important role in regulating blood sugar. This mineral activates enzymes to use vitamin C. It is also a catalyst regarding the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates can’t metabolize without it.

Boron: Keeps away osteoporosis.

Zinc: If blueberries are a superfood, zinc could be called a super mineral. Over 200 enzymes require it to function. It is important in the production of RNA and DNA. In addition to this, it is important to the structure and function of cell membranes. It helps your cells regenerate, and is good all around for growth. Your body needs zinc for your immune system, skin, vision, taste and smell. Don’t leave home without it!

Chromium: Pass the sugar, sugar! Chromium plays an important part in using glucose. It assists in binding insulin to cells which allows cellular glucose uptake. It decreases the insulin requirement in diabetics. It does some work with carbs too.

Iodine: This mineral is essential to your thyroid, which in turn affects your basal metabolic rate. It helps burn fat, turn beta-carotene to vitamin A, and helps with the absorption of carbs from the small intestine.

Potassium: Helps transmit nerve impulses. It also helps the release of insulin and makes those digestive enzymes work right. Important in balancing fluids, and stimulates kidneys to remove toxins. An important part of any whole body detox.
by John Khu

Until now the debate over hair loss vitamin deficiency has been raging. One side says that hair loss is not due to a lack of vitamins in the body. The other side says that losing your hair due to nutrient deficiency is very real. What is the truth about hair loss vitamin deficiency?
Continue Reading…

Being bald is not something people welcome. Unfortunately, the hair loss condition is very much a reality for most people today. The good thing about it, though, is that anyone can do something in preventing hair loss.
Continue Reading…

Being bald is not something people welcome. Unfortunately, the hair loss condition is very much a reality for most people today. The good thing about it, though, is that anyone can do something in preventing hair loss.
Continue Reading…

An increasingly number of the world’s population is now eager and interested in looking after their health and in keeping tune with their well-being. It is important to note that this awareness is progressively contributing to the creation of several health supplements to benefit both the adults and the young ones. Dietary and vitamin supplements have constantly proven their worth to health conscious individuals.
Continue Reading…

For centuries, legumes or dry beans, have played an important part in the fight against heart disease in the Mediterranean countries. Here’s why…

• Legumes contain essential minerals and vitamins such as iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, zinc, potassium, folic acid, and some of the B-complex vitamins Continue Reading…
  Tags: b complex vitamins, bile, dry beans, essential minerals, gallbladder, heart attacks, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, intestine, intestines, legumes, manganese, mediterranean countries, natural laxative, perfect food, risk of heart disease, soluble fiber, toxic waste