FUNCTIONAL FOOD SCIENCE AND BENEFITS ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING Flashcards
WHAT ARE FUNCTIONAL FOODS?
FOODS THAT CONTAIN BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE COMPONENTS WHICH OFFER THE POTENTIAL OF ENHANCED HEALTH OR REDUCED RISK OF DISEASE !BEYOND BASIC NUTRITION!
- resemble conventional food in appearance
- are a part of normal diet
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL FOOD AND SUPPLEMENTS?
Supplements do not look and are not presented for use as conventional food. They are also more treatment focused while functional food is more prevention focused. They also have a legal definition (ff doesn’t).
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONAL FOOD?
SALMON, NUTS, OATS, BARLEY, QUINOA, GARLIC, YOGHURT, WHOLEGRAIN PASTA/BREAD, KIMCHI, BERRIES…
DOES EU HAVE LAWS AROUND FUNCTIONAL FOODS?
No
WHAT REVENUE IS THE FUNCTIONAL FOOD MARKET PREDICTED TO GENERATE IN 2025?
300 bn dollars
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BROAD CATEGORIES OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS?
PROBIOTICS, PREBIOTICS, PLANT STEROLS, OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS
WHAT IS A NUTRITION CLAIM?
A claim that says something about the level of a nutrient in a food in a way that implies it is beneficial (e.g. fat free, high fibre…)
WHAT IS A HEALTH CLAIM?
A claim that explains the link a food or one of its constituents has to health. It must be properly substantiated to protect the customer, to provide fair trade, encourage academic research and innovation in the food industry.
WHICH PRODUCTS CAN CLAIM THAT THEY ARE ‘LOW FAT’?
solids: if they have no more than 3g of fat per 100g
liquids: if they have no more than 1.5g per 100ml
FUNCTIONAL FOODS SHOULD HAVE ONE OF WHICH TWO HEALTH CLAIMS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE DIET?
ENHANCED FUNCTION or REDUCED DISEASE RISK
WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS?
Foods with beneficial live cultures which improve intestinal microbial balance. They are able to colonize the intestine and perform functions like pathogen exclusion, intestinal barrier function improvement (by increasing tight junction expression), immune system regulation etc.
EXAMPLES OF PROBIOTICS:
SOUR CREAM, MISO SOUP, PICKLES, YOGHURT, KEFIR, AGED CHEESE, BITTER CHOCOLATE..
WHAT ARE PREBIOTICS?
Non digestive (or low digestibility; complex carbohydrates) components that feed, enrich and stimulate the healthy bacterial gut flora.
3 CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SOMETHING AS PREBIOTIC:
- resistant to stomach’s pH, cannot be hydrolysed by mammalian enzymes, not absorbed in the GI tract
- can be fermented by intestinal microbiota
- positively stimulates the intestinal bacteria
PREBIOTICS EXAMPLES:
ONION, SOY BEAN, ASPARAGUS, BANANAS, LEEK, BREAD, GARLIC, ARTICHOKE
WHAT ARE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF PREBIOTICS?
They improve general cognition, calcium absorption, mood, learning, antibody response..
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF PLANT STEROLS?
VEGETABLE OILS, WHOLEGRAINS, LEGUMES..
WHAT ARE PLANT STEROLS?
Plant substances that resemble cholesterol. They compete with cholesterol for inclusion in lipid micelles and inhibit enzymes that esterify cholesterol, so that less enters the circulation.
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS?
OILY FISH (SARDINES, SALMON), FLAX SEEDS, CHIA SEEDS, WALNUTS, SOY FOODS, CANOLA OIL…
WHAT IS THE MAIN BENEFIT OF OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS?
they prevent hypertriglyceridemia
possible that they also help fight hypertension and CHD
WHAT ARE CAROTENOIDS?
Pigments in plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria which have anti-oxidant properties and some are converted into Vit A.
WHAT ARE THE 5 ESSENTIAL CAROTENOIDS?
Beta-carotene, Lutein, Alpha-carotene, Lycopene, Zeaxanthin
WHAT CAN SOY-BASED PHYTO-ESTROGENS BE USED FOR AND WHY?
To improve menopausal symptoms and protect from heart disease (because their chemical structure resembles estrogen so they can bind to its receptors, but not as firmly)
WHICH COUNTRY IS THE ONLY ONE TO RECOGNIZE FUNCTIONAL FOODS AS DISTINCT CATEGORY?
Japan
