Functional foods go beyond providing basic nutrition and nutrients; they offer health benefits that can protect against chronic diseases. While whole foods provide essential carbohydrates, proteins , fats, vitamins, and minerals for overall health, functional foods contain unique compounds that provide additional advantages. This concept gained prominence in the 1980s in Japan when the government funded research to explore the impact of certain foods on human health.
In 1991, Japan introduced the "Foods for Specialized Health Use (FOSHU)" category, allowing certain foods to be approved by the government and carry the FOSHU seal on their labels. Also Read: Why Functional Beverages Are Trending In The World Of Health, And Why It's Time To Embrace Them Health Benefits Of Functional Foods: Functional foods are rich sources of antioxidants like carotenoids, flavonoids, lycopene, anthocyanin, and polyphenols, which combat free radicals and protect against brain damage, ageing, cataracts, and cancers. They also play a role in reducing and controlling inflammation, a key factor in various chronic health issues.
Additionally, functional foods provide probiotics, which enhance immunity. Foods containing prebiotics also act as functional foods by nourishing beneficial gut bacteria, preserving gut integrity, preventing infections, and aiding in sugar regulation, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. 5 Functional Food Components And Nutrients: 1.
Dietary Fibre: Dietary fibre incre.
