Functional Food
A health-supporting effect, such as maintaining optimal health or potentially reducing the risk of illness is demonstrable in Functional Foods, which are foods containing functional ingredients. It's important to know that they do not contain any substances harmful to health. They are characterized by minimal unwanted side effects. Since the addition of functional ingredients to food appeals to a broad consumer base, these foods are provided with a health claim.
Functional ingredients are used for various tasks. For energy provision, carbohydrates and fats are added. For building and maintaining, proteins, water, and minerals are mixed into the food. Important for protection and metabolism regulation are vitamins, minerals, PUFAs, and secondary plant substances. For function maintenance, dietary fiber, water, flavorings, aromas, and colorants are important.
History of Functional Ingredients
The history of functional ingredients can be briefly divided into three levels. The development began in 1928 with the goal of compensating for deficiencies. Here, iodization of cooking salt was carried out. White flour was enriched with B-vitamins and the addition of vitamins A, D, E to skim milk and margarine was introduced. The next necessary step occurred around 1970 to compensate for excesses and one-sided nutrition. Reductions in fat, sugar, energy, and cholesterol were made, leading to light products appearing on store shelves. Around 1985, active support of health through targeted use of functional ingredients was decided upon as research recognized a connection between nutrition and disease.
Good for Health
Functional ingredients that positively affect the cardiovascular system and cholesterol are antioxidant vitamins, such as A, C, and E, dietary fibers, polyunsaturated fatty acids, Omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, and peptides from milk proteins. Positively affecting cell growth, thus against cancer, are functional ingredients like antioxidant vitamins, such as A, C, and E, free radical scavengers like phenolic acids, catechins which are contained in whole grains, green tea, and cocoa, and flavonoids from fruits and berries. Also important additives in this area are phytohormones like flavonoids from soybeans and lignans from whole grains. The stimulation of detoxifying enzymes, such as glucosinolates and thiocyanate are used preventatively against cancer. Acceleration of bowel passage through dietary fiber is no longer avoidable here.
Positively affecting growth and aging processes are functional ingredients like phytohormones, phytoestrogens, ginseng, and antioxidant vitamins and free radical scavengers. Preventative against osteoporosis and diabetes are carbohydrates, complex and simple sugars, sugar substitutes such as polyols, calcium, vitamin D, inulin, and oligofructose. Positive effects on behavioral functions are achieved through the addition of functional ingredients like caffeine, serotonin, and tyrosine. Most often, optimal effectiveness is achieved through complex mechanisms and synergies between individual substances.