Food and pharmacy at the same time?
Until a few decades ago, the only reason for eating was the eradication of hunger. Now, however, most people in developed countries achieve this goal with ease and look for something more when eating. Some, for example, associate food with pleasure, others with health and choose foods according to their influence on the body.
In fact, in recent years, numerous research on food has been carried out. For some time now, food not only provides elements to meet basic nutritional needs. On the contrary, some of your questions have a psychological or physiological effect. These are bioactive substances and by their influence the concept of functional food is created.
Many of the well-known foods always contain substances that favor health: garlic, red wine, blue fish, olive oil, fruit and vegetables. Although they were known to be beneficial, they have now shown that they have one or more bioactive substances. Therefore, they are functional foods.
But the revolution comes from the functional foods created by the industry. These are products of high added value that are obtained in very different ways, adding a bioactive component to a food, or eliminating another that causes damage, for example.
On other occasions, a theme changes to increase its impact or avoid its negative effect. Instead of transforming the compound, sometimes all the food is treated and thus it is achieved, for example, that the desired theme is more affordable for the body.
Food almost medicines
Due to their incidence in health, functional foods are medicines. And it is true that some of these bioactive products are sold in pharmacy like syrup or pill. However, being in food, they are not medicines, so they do not have to comply with the standards that the drugs meet. Except Japan.
In fact, in Japan the FOSHU regulations were developed in 1991. FOSHUs are foods with specific health effects and foods included in this category require authorization from the Ministry of Health. The authorization will be subject to the presentation of exhaustive scientific studies that demonstrate the influence of bioactive substances containing these foods.
However, in most other countries there is no specific regulation for functional foods, nor in the European Union. Next year they want to create the regulations and, although it will not depend on the Department of Health, at least they will control the labeling and the effect attributed to the food must be perfectly demonstrated. And it is that now there is a great confusion and it takes advantage to deceive the consumer.
The regulations, therefore, will control the products presented as functional foods. These products may use two types of arguments. On the one hand, there are products that improve body functions. Its bioactive substances affect the normal functions of the body, thus improving physiological or psychological activities. This is the case of fermented milks or caffeine itself, which stimulates various functions of the brain.
On the other hand, there are foods that help prevent disease. Its bioactive substances help prevent or cure the disease. For example, for people at risk of osteoporosis, calcium enriched foods have been extracted. Also included in this group are foods in which the harmful component of a population group has been eliminated, such as lactose-free milk for people with lactose intolerance.
In any case, from the application of the regulations, all products that are sold as functional foods must guarantee that the effect of the bioactive product is scientifically demonstrated, that the effect of the food is perceived in combination with a complete diet and that the information contained in the label is clear and true. At least that is what they intend with the regulations.
Dairy products, the first
Specifically, milk and dairy products are the most likely functional foods. They were also the first to investigate. Long ago they saw that yogurt and kefir were healthy. Subsequently, it was shown that the bacteria that have had beneficial effects not only in the intestine but also in the immune and circulatory system. Epidemiological studies have shown that they also reduce the risk of colon cancer.
From there, dairy products have become one of the main transporters of bioactive substances, since the consumer easily accepts this type of change in dairy products. In addition, they are suitable for the food industry and, as food is consumed daily, it is not difficult to open them on the market and create a habit of eating.
In this way, a large number of functional foods have been generated in the dairy sector. For starters, there are several types of milk: calcium-enriched milk, with omega-3 fatty acids, low lactose, no lactose... On the other hand, there are products that help reduce blood cholesterol levels, such as Kaikuren Benecol. Yoghurts, margarine, and milk bearing this name contain plant ponds that appear to influence the level of cholesterol.
Other dairy products contain peptides that help maintain proper blood pressure. And many have bacteria that strengthen the immune system and help digestion.
There are even products that combine cosmetics and health. For example, some milks and yoghurts contain L-carnitine, a substance that seems to help lose weight. And the products made with aloas appear to act both from the outside and from the inside. In fact, the aloe plant is very good for the skin and, according to advertising, its use in dairy improves the appearance of the skin, closing ulcers and wounds.
Endless list
After dairy products, research was conducted on various fruits and vegetables. In fact, there are plenty of fruits and vegetables that contain bioactive substances and have shown that substances also influence in isolation. So, added to other foods, they create new functional foods.
Soy is the star of this group. Some of the topics contained in soy, such as isoflavones, are similar to estrogens and, according to studies, contribute to palliating the unpleasant symptoms of menopause, preventing certain cancers, and avoiding circulatory problems. For this reason, in recent times, many products containing soy itself or its derived ingredients have been launched on the market.
Another important group are foods that have undergone changes in fats. Experts discovered long ago that vegetable oils were generally healthier than animal fats. The first margarines made with vegetable oil were very successful. Since then, the opportunity has spread enormously and there are now everything: eggs with omega 3, fish oil without cholesterol... Above all they are sold thinking that they help to avoid problems in the circulatory apparatus.
Antioxidants are also fashionable. Antioxidants avoid the harmful effect of oxidizing substances on cellular DNA and act in many aspects. The activity of many is still being investigated, but others are already used in functional foods, for example, there are many products enriched with vitamin C and E.
There are doubts about this question
The researchers advance through different pathways and the genetic transformation has not been left aside either. For example, a tomato with more lycopene and beta-carotene than usual has recently been obtained. These substances are antioxidants and have had enough to silence a gene to increase its content.
These tomatoes or their products may soon be on the market. And if the trend does not change, many more will emerge in the coming years. In fact, consumers are well welcomed and give great benefits to the food industry.
However, not everyone has such a positive opinion on functional foods. For example, consumer associations have warned on more than one occasion that we must be careful with fraud. On many occasions, their possible impact on health is not as high as they claim, and on other occasions they are attributed unproven effects. For this reason, they consider it necessary to prepare the regulations on functional foods as soon as possible.
Although there is no guaranteed fraud, nutrition experts consider that most people do not need this type of product. A balanced and varied diet is enough to appreciate the benefit of bioassets. In addition, the diet is a component of lifestyle and many other factors influence health such as physical exercise, stress... In spite of “what to eat”, more than eating enter the pot of life.
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