Consumers pay more and more attention to the quality of food and its positive effect on health. This has contributed to the increase in research on substances found naturally in food products, and at the same time demonstrating a prophylactic effect as well as supporting the treatment of many diseases.
Due to the costs of pharmacotherapy and the possibility of side effects due to the use of drugs, it is in nutracutics that the main tool in the fight against many diseases is considered. More and more manufacturers are choosing enrichment of food with biologically active ingredients. The production of such food is based on increasing the content of an ingredient that has a positive effect on the functioning of the body, contained naturally in a given food product or adding it to products in which it is not normally present. Special ones are placed on the packages of such products nutrition or health claims.
Health-promoting effect of nutraceuticals
In highly developed countries, the most important causes of death are cardiovascular diseases. Many of the ingredients in food can lower the risk of these diseases by affecting the blood lipid profile. These substances include, among others:
- water-soluble fractions dietary fiber (pectin, hemicellulose). They bind bile acids and cholesterol in the digestive tract, which in turn results in lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood. roughage it also binds sodium ions, which has a positive effect on blood pressure.
- Fatty acids play a huge role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. A diet that prevents diseases associated with too high cholesterol in the blood serum should not be missing plant sterols and stanols. Their main source are oils, incl. rapeseed, soybean and corn. Increasingly, these compounds are enriched in margarines, bread and yoghurts.
- They play a huge role in the prevention of atherosclerosis polyunsaturated fatty acids. The greatest amounts are found in vegetable oils, nuts and marine fish fat. The acids of the group omega-3 the whole range of products available on the Polish market is enriched. Starting from mayonnaise, through cheeses and fats, to breakfast cereals.
- In addition to fiber, sterols, stanols and fatty acids, the proper functioning of the circulatory system is also influenced by: lycopene contained in tomatoes, resveratrol appearing in red wine, quercetin,lutein, saponins, phytoestrogens, lactic acid bacteria and many other relationships.
Neoplastic diseases are another common cause of death. Here, likewise, in increasing the content of nutraceuticals in food, hope is placed on reducing the incidence of disease. Many compounds naturally occurring in food products have a preventive effect, including minerals such as selenium and zinc. However, special attention is paid to substances with an effect antioxidant. These include, among others:
— zeaksantyna
– catechins
– anthocyanins
— a-tocopherol
— indole-3
– ascorbic acid.
Their beneficial effect is to neutralize the free radicals that are produced in the oxidation processes, which adversely affect health. The sources of antioxidants include green and white tea, broccoli, corn, citrus, red wine.
Help in the fight against overweight, obesity
Ingredients naturally contained in food, in addition to health-promoting properties, can help control body weight. HCA acid (which is a component of e.g. Garcinia Cambogia) i dietary fiber reduce appetite. In contrast, chromium positively affects carbohydrate metabolism, in turn L-carnitine accelerates fat burning. The proper functioning of the digestive system is regulated by probiotics i prebiotics.
In addition, nutraceuticals have anti-inflammatory effects (especially mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, curcumin, capsaicin). On the other hand calcium, inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides have a protective effect on the bones and therefore may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Compounds such as caffeine i taurine.
Obtaining and safe use of nutraceuticals
Currently, nutraceuticals are mainly obtained in the form of plant extracts, but the efficiency of these processes is not entirely satisfactory due to the low content of the desired substances in the raw materials. Therefore, intensive research is underway to increase the production of nutraceuticals by plants using genetic engineering tools.
Nutraceuticals are defined as intermediates between food and drugs. Their positive effect on health is undeniable. So the direction chosen by many producers seems to be right on enriching food with these bioactive substances. However, with such widespread availability of these compounds, there is a doubt about consuming too much of them. So far, the possible effects of an excess of most nutraceuticals have not been adequately understood.