Functional food is a specific type of food which contains health promoting properties. Most types of food are genetically modified and allow patients to prevent illnesses functional food is based on a combination of traditional food elements and pharmaceutical ingredients. Functional food is a very useful self-monitoring tool it is important to recognize that they are very unlikely to provide an accurate reflection of the patient’s true energy intake. It is well recognized that under-reporting of energy intake is a common phenomenon, particularly among the overweight and obese, or those who have previously been overweight and are now ‘diet conscious.
Specific ingredients of functional food aid certain body parts and functions which help to prevent diseases and promote health. It is useful to emphasize the overall health benefits of eating well rather than focusing solely on weight loss effects, for example reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. hanging eating habits is challenging; the way people eat and what they eat are long-standing habits which cannot be changed overnight. It follows that as obesity is a chronic relapsing condition, regular support is central to successful management. As health professionals we tend to talk to patients in terms of nutrients: ‘it’s important to reduce your fat intake’. However, patients do not make nutrient changes they make food changes, therefore it is vital that such nutritional messages are translated into food changes pertinent to the individual which are sustainable and enjoyable (Functional Foods SCPI: 2008).
Two types of functional food are processed food with health-promoting effects and fermented food based on live cultures. Both types propose enormous benefits for patients and allow them to maintain healthy diet and nutrition. some patients may have been given healthy eating advice previously and found it useful but not specific enough and they may wish for greater direction with regard to portion sizes. The main types of functional food ingredients are carotenoids, dietary fiber, fatty acids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates, Plant Stanols/Sterols, Prebiotics, Soy Protein, vitamins. In ensuring that dietary changes are practical for the patient to implement, consider and discuss time constraints, financial limitations, cooking ability and facilities as well as making sure the diet remains palatable and enjoyable. These types of food and ingredients can be used in the food industry because they can be easily combined with traditional food. Gone are the days of giving the same ‘standard’ diet sheet to all patients with the expectation of this leading to weight loss.
Meal plans, which lay out precisely what should be eaten each day, allow no flexibility for eating out or social events and do nothing to re-educate eating habits. The main advantage of functional food is that it allows a personalized approach to every patient in accordance with his needs and desires. It improves metabolism and is more efficient at digesting and storing fat compared to other macronutrients, with very little wastage of energy during processing. As the most important, the sources of functional food are carrots, pumpkin,sweet potato, cantaloupe, tomatoes and processed tomato products, watermelon, red/pink grapefruit, cereal grains, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, kale, horseradish, etc. Food industry will not need a specific ingredients and can easily adapt to new technologies. Functional food has a medial effect because it allows patients to control their diet and healthy life styles. Helping patients make permanent healthy changes to their eating is a complex process, and is not simply about increasing the patient’s knowledge of nutrition and diet. Rather, it requires effective functional food information to be tailored to the patient’s circumstances and for consideration to be given not only to eating behavior but also to the reasons behind this behavior.
Bibliography
Functional Foods. 2008, SCPI. Web.