FUNCTIONAL FOODS AND CHRONIC DISEASES
Functional Foods:
One of the principles of Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician was “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food”. This principle emphasizes the importance of a well-balanced diet for good health. Still there is a general agreement that diet is related to health, well-being and prevention of disease. Discovery of vitamins and minerals, in early 1900’s explained the deficiency disorders like scurvy, rickets and beriberi.
But nowadays, over-nutrition is prevailing. Diseases like coronary heart disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes have become chronic. Research in 1990’s has recognized that certain nutrients have potent biological effects in addition to their nutritional value. This recognition created interest in studying the effect of micronutrients and other biologically active food ingredients on diseases. Functional foods include potent agents that induce health benefits in addition to their nutritional value. Some examples of such food ingredients are lycopene in tomatoes which reduce the risk for cancer, phytosterols in benecol margarine which reduce cholesterol levels thus reducing risk of coronary heart disease.
Nutrition Related Diseases and Relevant Functional Foods:
Majority of the functional foods are designed to alleviate the problem health-related diseases developed due to over consumption. Most bioactive food ingredients are originated from plants and belong to phytochemicals. Some bioactive food ingredients are derived from animals, for instance, omega-3 fatty acids from fish.
CANCER:
Diet has a major influence in cancer prevention. The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for cancer research have examined the effect of nutrition...
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...f Congress Control Number: 2005902635
ISBN-10: 0976753502: ISBN-13: 978-0976753506)
Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches.
2. Functional Foods for Chronic Diseases, Volume 2, The Modern Day Cure without the Side Effects of Traditional Treatment
Library of Congress Control Number: 2006903730
ISBN-10: 0976753529; ISBN-13: 978-0976753520
Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
3. Functional Foods for Chronic Diseases, Volume 3, Advances in the Development of Functional Foods
Library of Congress Control Number: 2007909262
ISBN 10:0-9767535-4-5, ISBN 13: 978-0-9767535-4-4
Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.7 inches
4. Functional Foods for Chronic Diseases, Volume 4, Obesity, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disorders and AIDS
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009906605
ISBN 10:0-9767535-5-3, ISBN 13: 978-0-9767535-5-1
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
Holistic nutrition is increasingly becoming popular in healthcare practice due to the growing detoxification culture amongst the people with the aim of improving individual health. Consumption of toxic elements toxifies the body, the consumption of processed food products is the primary cause of diseases amongst the people. There is increased use of Holistic Nutrition by both healthy people and people with health conditions with the aim of achieving optimum body function and health. The increased use of holistic nutrition in the community improves health outcomes and reduces poor health outcomes that are caused by poor lifestyle choices of using processed food products. Holistic nutrition provides a natural approach of ensuring positive health
All in all, this book is a great read for those seeking to learn more about food and how it relates to all aspects of life and history as well as find that extra push in taking the initiative in improving one’s eating habits and lifestyle. It serves as an easy to follow introduction into a healthy relationship with food including with simple guidelines that are not too forceful or complex to understand.
Heredity plays a prominent part in health and longevity. A person cannot change heredity, but much can be done to strengthen the body's resistance and ward off disease. There include nutrition, plenty of rest, regular exercise, and social supports wards of disease and also increases longevity. In fact, diets high in calcium can promote better digestion, as well as leading to higher vitality and better growth that delays the onset of old age. For most, as people age, they tend to exercise less and their metabolism becomes slower. As people age, proper weight control is also necessary. As well, rest is as important as proper nutr...
Vastag, Brian. "FDA Reviews Expanded Claims On Health Benefits Of Certain Foods." JNCI: Journal Of The National Cancer Institute 96.16 (2004): 1198-1199.
Food science has led to find cures for diseases such as scurvy. Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by swollen bleeding gums and the opening of previously healed wounds, which particularly affected poorly nourished sailors until the end of the 18th century. This disease was very common among sailors because in the 18th century they didn’t have refrigerators, so their diets lacked perishable foods while sailing the sea. Today, if you come across this problem you can just eat a vitamin C tablet. This is just one of the many examples food science has promoted a balanced diet by the study of nutrients in our food.
"Global Dietary Changes Threaten Health." World Health Federation. Medtronic Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. .
The documentary, Forks Over Knives, examines the controversial idea that our society’s typical dietary habits are to blame for many of today's most serious health issues. From the video, we learn that diseases which can be caused, or exacerbated by, poor dietary habits include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and hypertension. The documentary explains that the food we eat on a regular basis does not contain the proper nutrition that our bodies truly need to function at their most optimal and healthful level. Caldwell Esselstyn and Colin Campbell both support the idea that eating a strictly plant-based diet is the most supportive and ideal way to obtain the nutrients necessary to living a life free of disease. In particular, Caldwell Esselstyn asserts that those who are already plagued with disease can reverse the damage and symptoms simply by eating a plant-based diet.
As a child, many people have come across the expression, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' At first, it may seem like just a catchy phrase, but researchers have now been able to prove why this statement holds truth. What many individuals do not know is that there are foods that can ward off an array of illnesses; therefore, taking it easy on those expensive visits to the doctor’s office. A Greek philosopher named Hippocrates who is known by many people as the father of modern medicine once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” (Cleary, Dworkin-McDaniel, Gordon, Foltz-Gray, and Gower 12). Believe it or not, these magic foods are all around us in the form of disease preventers and cures; just don’t be fooled by the ever common food myths.
Today’s movie gave an overview of nutrition and it’s importance for disease prevention and health. The movie began with the quote “nutrition is not adequately taught in medical schools today”; therefore, both patients and physicians need to inform themselves about good nutrition. Since I am attending medical school next year this caught my attention that I will both be a physician and a patient; therefore learning as much as I can in this nutrition is essential to not only my health during the stress of medical school but also for my future patients. Changing dietary habits is an easy way people can make large changes to there overall health. In other words integrated medicine believes there is a large strong connection between diet and health.
The poor food choices that men and women make is the cause of many illnesses, disease and chronic health conditions. Men and women generally have different thoughts and choices on the topic of healthy food. People’s bad health may be genetically occurred or their exposure to their past nutritional education was not helpful, but their bad health is primarily based upon the poor choices that the individuals choose in daily life.
People is always asking: “Why is important to have a balanced diet? Why is necessary to have a balanced diet on a daily basis? And why do professionals tend to recommend a balanced diet?” The human being has essential needs to its existence: breathing, feeding, and keeping the body in constant movement. The majority of the people are aware of this, but they do not have a balance among these things and even more important they do not eat the adequate food to keep their body healthy. Food is one of the most important factors because it gives the energy the body needs daily. In other words, few words food is the fuel that provides glucose, which is carried to each cell of the body through the bloodstream. This process is extremely important and this is influenced by the type of food that each person consumes. A balanced diet is important for human beings, and makes reference to a good nutrition with regard to the food they eat; which contains macro nutrients that are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins; these provide energy and basic materials that the body uses to grow and stay healthy.
Vitamins, a group of organic substances required in our diets in small amounts for growth and nutrition, are usually found in foodstuffs or taken as supplements. Yet vitamins probably present a wider gap between myth and reality in the layman's understanding than almost any other area of our diet. Surveys have found that while a majority of Americans do take vitamin supplements on a regular or occasional basis for reason of health concerns, there exists enormous confusion about the actual purpose and benefits of this practice ("Use of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in the United States," 1990:161). Most people have a recognition that Vitamin C prevents scurvy, that Vitamin A is found in fish-liver oils, or that Vitamin D is found in dairy products; many people believe that Vitamin E preserves youth and prevents sterility, or that Vitamin C can present colds and cancer. Beyond this, however, there is still considerable ignorance and widespread myth.
Weight control is a concern of most individuals, and as a person ages weight becomes more difficult to manage. When this problem occurs, the majority of people look to exercise or diet change for answer. In order to manage one’s weight a person must eat fewer calories than they expend, which can be completed by consuming foods with lower energy density, high fiber, and high water content. When it comes to research and diet it is common knowledge that fruits and vegetables are superior in nutrition when compared to the other food groups. According to the Center for Disease Control, “consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risks for numerous chronic diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease” (Can, n.d.,
Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are good for you and what they do to help the body function.
But, food might not only sustain life, it can also give particular disease if you had the wrong selection. Knowledge about food nutrition and proper selection is too pricey to disregard. The key to have a better and healthy lifestyle is to consume a variety of foods at the right amount to meet your body’s calorie needs. Eating with a healthy meal plan will show you how much you need from each food group I gave you above to sustain your body with the daily nutrients intake that promote not only good health but longer lives. I suggest you will make your own food plan to help your fitness grooming easy to