What is a functional food?
There is no accepted international definition of functional foods. The terms functional foods and nutraceuticals are often used interchangeably and are variably defined: “Functional Foods” are foods or dietary ingredients that provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. The obvious example of this concept comes from the consumption of most fruits and vegetables due to their low fat and high vitamin content. Many people may not understand why and how consumption of foods high in vitamins is specifically good for them, but they know vitamins are beneficial to their overall health. Example: Oranges are considered functional food items because they possess specific levels of certain vitamins, such as vitamin C for example, that have been shown to reduce certain diseases such as scurvy. Furthermore, other studies have shown that various doses of daily vitamin C consumption can have multiple beneficial effects to a person’s overall health including: • Possible reduction in incidence and
