Functional Foods: What They Are And How They Work

In the brain, a typical protein can live for approximately ten days. The thoughts, feelings and memories of a human being are made up of what was in the stomach only a few days before. As you can see, in choosing one's diet, you actually can determine who and what you are going to become.

About 2500 years ago, Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."

Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals are designer foods and supplements that are combined with nutritional value that are disease-preventative and have medicinal benefits. These are usually natural products which may reduce or prevent chronic and acute disease or promote good health.

Many chronic and acute diseases are caused or irritated by nutritional imbalances or deficiency. The link between diet, disease and the ability to process thought are sometimes subtle and complex. Many studies suggest that some 40% of cancers are linked to dietary choices. Unhealthy eating habits are sometimes caused by farming practices, lack of money, and a manufacturing industry that promotes the ignorance of true, beneficial nutrition.

There is conjecture and speculation in the field of Nutritional Science that mood and aggressive behavior has more to do with diet than what was first thought. The most effective way to raise neural serotonin levels, which is the chemical that helps the body relax, is to eat a high carbohydrate meal. The insulin released lets more tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier by moving competing amino-acids out of the blood stream. A high-protein diet will tend to lessen the serotonin function at the expense of norepinephrine and dopamine, with a more aggressive and temperamental reaction from the subject.

Functional Foods and Nutraceutaicals work by balancing out the human bodies deficiencies or excessive chemical make-up. When foods are broken down in the mouth and stomach, they become massive ingredients for thousands of chemical reactions. Everything that a human consumes becomes a storehouse for chemical reactions that maintain the bodies life force. An example of this would be the cholesterol lowering effects of eating Oatmeal. How does this work? When a person consumes oatmeal, they consume carbohydrates called glucans, small fibers that fill the intestines which decreases the ability to absorb carbohydrates, it increases the movement of the food in the intestines and colon, and cleanses the body as it moves out as waste. The following would be other examples of how functional foods are working:

Erythema may be reduced by eating tomato paste ( Stahl W, Heinrich U, Wiseman S, Eichler O, Sies H, Tronnier H. J. Nutr. 131: 1449-1451, 2001 ).

Tomato and Tomato products may reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

(Sanjiv Agarwal and Akkinappally Venketeshwer Rao Canadian Medical Association Journal 2000; 163(6):739-44. )

Soy may prevent bone loss in menopausal women. (Arjmandi BH, Smith BJ Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2002, Vol. 13:130-137 )

Soy with isofalvones can reduce cholesterol. ( Vitolins MZ, Anthony M, Burke GL Current Opinions in Lipidology 2001, 12:433-437)

Garlic may reduce Cancer risk. (Dorant et al., 1993)

Cranberries aid in treatment of Urinary Tract Infection. (Schmidt and Sobota, 1988)

Dairy products aid in the prevention of Osteoporosis and Colon Cancer. (Fuller, 1994)

There are many, many more studies by accredited universities that have been done on a variety of plants and animals for functionality in nutritional therapies.

A diet of Functional foods can not only maintain better health, it can also repair chronic health issues. Functional foods would be foods that help to maintain better glucose control for diabetics, while having components that aid in repairing the pancreas. Foods that help to lower cholesterol levels in heart patients, foods that build the immune system in autoimmune patients.

Functional Food Specialists will be the physicians of tomorrow and those who manufacture functional foods will be the pharmacists that aid in healing the world of chronic and acute diseases.

D.S. Epperson is the top formulator for Home Blend Gourmet / South Pacific Health, a leader in the functional food industry in the U.S. With 20 years of experience in Nutritional Biochemistry, she has written reference books on botanicals and manufacturing of medicines from botanicals, and published articles on health, fitness and foods. She has formulated over 240 formulas and inventions for health, the environment and agricultural uses, and continues to research and study microbial advantages in nutraceuticals and functional foods. For more information or to view the articles that she has written: http://www.sugarblend.com

---

Calorie Deficit

I am sure you have heard you have to build... Read More

The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High Fructose Corn SyrupBefore we get to high fructose corn... Read More

Food Additives Affect Behavior

On average 30% of foods in our daily diet are... Read More

What is Organic Farming?

Organic farming is the production of food using all natural... Read More

Nutrition N Diet

Nutrition facts have become a part of everyday life because... Read More

The Sneak Attack of Trans- Fats

If you are like most people, you are probably confused... Read More

Fruitceuticals - The Evolution of Fruit

Since the beginning of time, everyday fruits have been known... Read More

MonaVie Acai Berry Juice - The Tree of Life from Amazonian Rainforest...

What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More

Balanced Diet: Know More on Healthy and Nutritional Balanced Diet!

In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very... Read More

You Are What You Eat

You really are what you eat. You are also very... Read More

Not all Fats are Bad

Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad... Read More

10 Flaxseed Facts to Improve Your Nutrition

Flaxseeds may be the smallest seeds you will find in... Read More

Childhood Epidemic Rises 6,000% What Can Be Learned About Autism?

The latest tallies show that over three million people in... Read More

Alternative Therapies for Acid Reflux Disease

Acid Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common disease which... Read More

Got Sprouts?

They're not only good for you, but they taste good,... Read More

The Ugly Truth About Food

At any grocery store in North America right now, there... Read More

Fat: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More

Antioxidants and Your Health

Get back to the basics - eat fresh at home... Read More

Fluoride in Drinking Water

Are there any benefits to be obtained from drinking water... Read More

Seven Habits of Highly Healthy Eaters

"What exercises can I do to ?? As fitness professional... Read More

Why People Get Sick

The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion... Read More

Principles of The Zone Diet Plan

The Zone Diet has been around since around 1995, when... Read More

Explanation of Ambrotose

There are basically four major components, or essential molecular components... Read More

Aspartame -More Dangerous Than High Fructose Corn Syrup

It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More

Redeeming Unsaturated Fat

The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'.... Read More

Foods Can Lower Cholesterol and C-reactive Protein

If you have high cholesterol, the American Heart Association's low-cholesterol,... Read More

When You Eat at the Fridge

I spent a few days at a resort in Mexico... Read More

There is No Miracle Cure for Arthritis, but Improving Your Diet can Help

Arthritis - if you suffer from this illness, I don't... Read More

Whats That In My Food!

If you drop a bomb, you kill not only your... Read More

Carbohydrates ? Good or Bad?

Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More

MSG: If Its Safe, Why Do They Disguise It On Labels?

Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, was thought of as... Read More

Blueberries: Healthy and Easy on the Tummy After WLS

All of my life I believed the best way to... Read More

Lawsuits on Foods and Diets

The dangers of processed foods and diets Why is that... Read More