Transcript Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals

Functional Foods and
Nutraceuticals
Fast Growing Area in Food
Industry- 4% of all Food sales
in 2002 and 10% in 2007
SALES OF FUNCTIONAL
FOODS

1992: $5.4 billion/year
 1996: $8.9 billion/year
 2001: $18.3 billion/year
 2002: $20.2 billion/year
 2007: $37.7 billion/year (projected)
Motivation ?

Health conscious Westerners
 Aging population
 Consumers don’t want to spend a lot of $$ on
medications if foods can help
 Chronic diseases:
–
–
–
–
Coronary heart disease
Diabetes
Various cancers
Obesity
Motivation (continued)

Link between diet and disease more
established
 More relaxed FDA guidelines on claiming a
link between diet and disease on food labels
What are Functional Foods &
Nutraceuticals??

No universally accepted definition
 Several
– International Food Information Council (IFIC)
– International Life Sciences Institute of North
America
– Institute of Medicine of the National Academy
of Sciences
Most Common Definition

Foods that provide health benefits beyond
basic nutrition.
Nutraceuticals

Chemicals found as natural components of
food
 Have been determined to benefit the human
body in preventing disease or improving
physiology
Old School

Nutrient deficiencies and requirements
 Vitamins and minerals cannot be made in
the body and we need to get them in the
diet.
 Need fat, protein and carbohydrate.
 Organisms will die without these nutrients
in their diets.
New School

Nutrition has had a paradigm shift.
 There are substances in food that when they
are absent do NOT result in death and are
not considered “essential”.
 However, these substances when present,
will enhance our health and quality of life.
Examples

Broccoli, carrots and tomatoes (Lycopene,
beta-carotene)
– Phytochemicals

Modified foods (fortified foods)
– Cereals with supplements added

Biotechnology modified foods
– Rice engineered to have beta carotene
Examples

Foods with sugar
alcohols
Examples

Cereal with added
folate
Examples

Psyllium containing
products
Low Fat Foods- Olestra Pringles
Frito-Lay's Wow Chips Hit Hoosiers Hard
-- "Hundreds Suffer Diarrhea, Cramps, Incontinence" --- CSPI Announces TV Spot to Publicize Wow Problems --
Wow Chips or How to keep from leaking
Wines with polyphenolic compounds
Oatmeal-Reduce blood cholesterol
Calcium Fortified Beverages-Orange Juice
Herbs- Echinacea
Ephedra---Metabolife
Banned by the FDA-but re-introduced 1 year ago
Have We Gone Too Far?
Active Compounds

Carotenoids-plant pigments and anti-oxidants
 Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
– Present in milk and beef
– Potent in combating cancer cells

Flavenoids – plant compounds (soybeans, beans,
peas)
– Reduce osteoporosis (have estrogen activity)
– Decrease cancer
– Are antioxidants
Active Compounds

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
– Fish oils and flax seeds
– Decreases blood clots and heart disease

Terpenoids
– Plant oils. Allows plants to repel insects
– Limonoids in citrus fruit peels have anti-cancer
properties
Active Compounds

Capsaicin
– From peppers
– An analgesic

Bowman Birk Inhibitor
– Found in soy
– Anti-cancer properties
Other Products
Ensemble: Made by Kelloggs’ Failed due to
costs, taste, and side effects. Products contained
psyllium
 SuproXG-Soy Protein Shake

– Lowers blood cholesterol

Rehydrate
– For hospitalized patients
– K-State football team, Dallas Cowboys, US Marines
Flax Fed Study

Cattle fed 10% flax
 Beef fed to rats
 Results:
– lower blood cholesterol
– Decreased adhesion molecules
Are there Problems with
Functional Foods and
Nutraceuticals?

Taste, mouth feel, and general sensory
attributes
 Many compounds that are beneficial have
been removed from the food supply by the
industry
 Toxicity could be a problem, or drug
nutrient interactions
The Future

Regulation of Health Claims
 Toxicity and safety
 Consumer education
 Costs