What is the science behind 'Functional' foods?

To meet the new age health demand the popularity of disease-preventing agents like functional foods is spiking.

Functional foods are traditional foods comprising whole or fortified, enriched, enhanced items with useful nutrients

Delineation

1. Carry functional constituents to avert specific diseases
2. Not taken as medicine or therapy
3. As a part of daily diet offers health benefits

Categorization

• Conventional foods- vegetables, fruits, dairy products & grains with unchanged and naturally containing bioactive health-benefiting components.

• Modified foods- enriched and fortified items (calcium-added fruit juices, folate-rich bread & iodized salt).

• Synthetic food ingredients- laboratory-created inulin-type fructan functional components.

Functional foods development

Blending & formulation

Help reduce nutrient deficiencies.

Animal breeding & cultivation

Food genetic compositions tweaking along with biotechnology & molecular biology tools.

Preservation of bioactive compounds

Microencapsulation with a polymer matrix of solid particles, liquid droplets & gas coating controls the exchange between food’s internal & external parts and protects minute bioactive food molecules from enzymes, hormones, and bacterial & yeast cells.

Edible films and coatings

It extends the food shelf life and controls moisture, gas transfer & oxidation.

Vacuum impregnation

Desirable solutes are introduced into the porous food structures to alter their native composition without changing food integrity.

New technologies

Health recommendation as per the individual’s genetic nature through nutrigenomic practices.

Functional food benefits

1. Supports, contributes & maintains immunity, cell integrity, muscles, nerve functioning & digestive processes
2. Manage hormone synthesis & metabolism
3. Protects against chronic lifestyle diseases

Functional food bioavailability

Post consumption, the food matrix delivers the bioactive constituents, followed by digestive enzyme metabolization, bloodstream absorption, transportation to selected tissues, and excretion through urine or feces.

Bioavailability defines nutrient absorption in the intestine as per internal factors like age, gender, nutrient status & health condition, and external factors such as food molecular structure, matrix release, compound pharmacokinetics, epithelial absorption, biochemical degradation, and distribution.

Functional foods are made up of complex matrices & bioactive constituents. Only a fraction of these healthful compounds arrive at biological targets after distribution & absorption from the gastrointestinal tract into the circulatory system.

The wide range of usage of health-promoting functional foods should be supported by their bioactivity evaluation after exposure to gastrointestinal conditions.

Challenges

Substantial scientific studies are needed 

• Interactions, metabolism & mechanism of action of bioactive food constituents of functional foods
• Identification appropriate active ingredients & their accurate concentration
• A direct link between functional food & claimed health benefits
• Firm demonstration of efficacy & safety
• Ideal food vehicle for the maintenance of bioactive compound molecular form till consumption and transportation to the physiological target

Conclusions

To build functional foods as boon & not curse, their utilization should be carried under the professional health guide assistance at a suitable time & to an accurate age group population. 

References

1. J Biomed Res Environ Sci, 2022 Nov 10; 3(11): 1307-1316.
2. Front. Nutr,2023; 10:1184535
3. Ann Nutr Food Sci.2017; 1(1): 1001.
4. Trends in Food Science and Technology.22(9):498-508. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2011.05.004.
5. Ijppr.Human, 2018; 14 (1): 139-152.

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