Functional Foods – What are their benefits and uses?

Functional Foods are defined as foods that give health benefits beyond nutritional value i.e., secondary components of foods that have the disease-preventing ability. Scientifically functional foods are defined as foods that bring morphological and physiological changes upon regular consumption. The advantages of “functional foods,” which are said to be capable of anything from lowering cholesterol to preventing cancer, are extolled in magazine articles and news broadcasts. Many foods and beverages with comparable health advantages that are touted on their packaging may be found at the grocery store.

Most meals serve a purpose. Protein for muscle repair, carbs for energy, and vitamins and minerals for cell function may all be found in food. However, the Japanese government developed a category of “functional foods” in the 1980s that offered extra health advantages over and beyond those provided by basic nutrition.

Functional foods provide additional health advantages over and beyond their nutritional value. Some of them include additional components or supplements designed to improve health.. The global functional foods market size is estimated as USD 281.14 billion in 2021 to USD 529.66 Billion in 2028 with a CAGR of 9.5% (Fortune business insights)

Functional Foods Components that are presently widely used in the Supplement and food industry are

• Carotenoids – These are various classes of pigments used as Natural colours in the Food and Beverage Industry and Poultry industry. The Health Benefits of Carotenoids are identified are in preventing heart diseases, chronic eye diseases and cancer.
• Dietary Fibers – Soluble and Insoluble fibres ingested through fruits and vegetables are undigested in the stomach and when reach the large intestine fermented by Colonic bacteria to form short chain fatty acids that help in lowering cholesterol and reducing the chances of diabetes and coronary heart disease.
• Fatty Acids – Fatty Acids or Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) cannot be synthesized by the human body and hence are required to ingest in form of food. Commonly known fatty acids are Omega 3 and Omega 6 whose balance is very important as they function together. Deficiencies of Omega 3 may lead to deteriorated memory, nerve health, increase risks of blood clots, irregular heartbeats, diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis and skin diseases.
• Flavonoids found in plants are a large group of polyphenolic compounds that help act as Antiviral, Antifungal, Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory thereby helping to build our innate immunity.
• Isothiocyanates – Found in green vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale have many anticancerous properties however their bioavailability is affected by food processing techniques like boiling or microwaving at high temperature.
• Phytoestrogens – Plant compounds found to play a major role in Carbohydrate, lipid, protein and mineral metabolism
• Polyols – Another most widely and abundantly used a functional ingredient is a group of low-calorie carbohydrate-based sweeteners commonly used to produce sugar-free products like chewing gums, ice cream, candies, frozen desserts, biscuits, beverages, yoghurt and tabletop sugar-free sweeteners
• Probiotics and Prebiotics – Probiotics are living micro-organisms like lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and yeasts that have age-long been identified as health-building bacteria to fight pathogens in diarrhoea, dysentery, build a strong immune system, prevent irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and cancer. Prebiotics are Non-digestible foods that stimulate the growth of intestinal flora to act as antimicrobials, and anticarcinogens and help in preventing diabetes mellitus.

History of Functional Foods

Functional Foods were first termed in Japan in 1980 to combat the health costs of the ageing population. Ministry of Health and Welfare initiated a system FOSHU (Food for Specified Health Uses) that approves certain foods with documented health benefits, presently 1,063 foods have received FOSHU approval however European countries have much stricter rules for foods claiming health benefits.

Health Benefits

-Contributes to Growth and Development

When you include a variety of nutrient-rich functional foods in your diet, it helps you meet your nutritional demands. Additionally, it is advantageous to incorporate meals that have been enhanced with certain nutrients crucial for growth and development.

For instance, vitamins like folic acid, which are crucial for foetal health, are frequently added to cereals, grains, and flours during the fortification process. Neural tube abnormalities, which can impair the brain, spinal cord, or spine, are more likely to occur in people with low amounts of folic acid. According to estimates, increasing folic acid intake might reduce the occurrence of neural tube abnormalities by 50–70%.

-Acts as a Shield In Front of Diseases

Functional foods offer vital nutrients that can aid in illness prevention. Many of these are particularly high in antioxidants. By neutralising dangerous substances, they prevent cell damage and a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Other functional foods have a lot of fibre, which helps in maintaining blood sugar levels and guards against diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and stroke. Additionally, diverticulitis, stomach ulcers, haemorrhoids, and acid reflux may all be prevented with fibre.

-Prevents Deficiency of Nutrients

You can ensure you get the nutrients you need and prevent nutritional deficiencies by eating a range of functional foods in your diet, both traditional and fortified.

Moreover, the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies has considerably decreased globally since the introduction of fortified foods. Other ailments brought on by vitamin deficits, such as rickets, goitre, and birth abnormalities, have been avoided through fortification.

Uses

Functional foods, such as nutrient-dense whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, should make up a significant portion of a healthy diet. These meals enhance general health in addition to giving your body the vitamins and minerals it requires.

Functional foods that have been altered can be included in a healthy diet. In fact, they can improve health by increasing your consumption of vital nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fibre, heart-healthy fats, or probiotics. This can assist cover any nutritional gaps in your diet and avoid nutrient shortages.

In addition to guarding you against vitamin inadequacies, they help shield against sickness and support healthy growth and development.

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