Old NH360

Conventional synthetic fabrics, battings, and fibers usually are derived from nonrenewable petrochemicals, which don’t biodegrade and are difficult to recycle. These include polyester, nylon, acetate, and acrylic. Some natural plant fibers, derived from sustainable materials without the use of petrochemicals, are fully renewable and biodegradable. Natural textiles include cotton, hemp, bamboo, and tencel—wood pulp harvested from sustainably farmed trees.

Also known as eco-friendly or environmentally friendly, the term green applies to products, services, and policies intended to protect the environment, or at least inflict minimal harm. Sustainability is a growing global concern that works to balance the demand on the Earth’s resources with the available supply—and seeks alternative solutions if resources are being tapped out.

Whether young, middle aged, or mature, women care deeply about their health and the health of their families and loved ones. Women make the majority of shopping decisions for their families.

Men constitute a growing sector of the natural products lifestyle; and with researchers now estimating that men do 40 percent of all grocery shopping, they are also becoming an increasingly influential shopping demographic.

Home is a place of residence for an individual, a family, and perhaps pets. A growing number of Americans are interested in making sure their homes are as free of toxic chemicals, or green, as possible—partly in response to news about the pervasiveness of toxic pollutants in our food, our water, and the products we use on our bodies and in our homes.

More people are cooking at home, for health and financial reasons—and more of them are choosing organic produce, meats, dairy products, and packaged foods. Read more on how to make your home a healthy one.

A gift is something offered to another person without the expectation of receiving anything in return. Products commonly given for special occasions like birthdays and other holidays include home accessories, food, toys, clothing, personal care items, and accessories, all of which are often given with cards.

Protein is one of the critical macronutrients required by the body for proper functioning, and is one of the key ingredients in functional foods bars and drink mixes.

Specialty ingredients, which go beyond the standard vitamins, minerals and herbs to provide nutritional support for specific conditions and systems, have been the driving force in supplements sales in recent years, and made up 18% of total supplements sales in 2008. These ingredients are also common in functional foods and beverages, which outpaced overall food sales in 2009 (2.7% versus 1.6%) in spite of difficulties with the overall economy.

Specialty ingredients include omega-3s and EFAs; probiotics and prebiotics; glucosamine and chondroitin; CoQ10; SAMe; and enzymes. In the functional foods arena, digestive products enhanced with probiotics and prebiotics have been one of the leading growth categories. The GoodBelly brand of probiotic-enhanced juices, for example, saw a 200% growth rate in 2009. EFA-enhanced foods and supplements have also shown strong growth, bolstered by new research and an FDA qualified health claim linking EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids to reduced risk of coronary heart disease.

Green foods include water-based ingredients such as spirulina, chlorella and blue green algae as well as cereal grains like wheatgrass and barley grass.