315
(Maynard and Franklin 2003). Folic acid, a vitamin of the B group, has found its
place as a supplement to many foods due to a revolutionary discovery about the role
of this nutrient in newborn health. With adequate folic acid intake before and in the
first months of pregnancy, a woman greatly reduces the likelihood of having a baby
with a neural tube or brain damage (Weststrate et al. 2002). Products designed to
preserve the health of the cardiovascular system most often contain the addition of
omega-3 fatty acids, soy, and the phytochemicals phytostanol and phytosterols.
These food-derived substances are thought to have a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Demand for functional foods is growing due to a better understanding of the link between diet and disease or health and an individual’s growing
interest in their own health (Wansink et al. 2005; Devcich et al. 2007).
11.3 Biologically Active Ingredients of Food
Food consists of a large variety of known and unknown natural biologically active
ingredients, which can contribute to improved health. Biologically active ingredients in food are most commonly defined as natural nonnutritive food ingredients
that have beneficial effects on health if consumed in adequate amounts. The term
biological activity can also refer to harmful effects on health, and then we talk about
toxicity of these ingredients. To understand the influence of biologically active components from food, one should keep in mind Paracelsus’ statement: “All substances
are poison and nothing is poison, only the dose determines something that will not
be toxic.” Consumption of a certain food ingredient can have detrimental effects on
health, especially those that have higher biological activity in metabolic processes
in the human body. Therefore, for most nutrients, there are recommended (RDA)
and reference (DRI) daily intakes, as well as maximum intake limits (MIL). That is
why the amount is important for the biologically active ingredient of food, because
excessive amounts can create the opposite effect than desired (WHO 2003).
Therefore, dietary aspects should also be considered, as part of lifestyle, in the process of assessing the need for food intake that contains certain biologically active
components (Marinangeli and Jones 2010).
The term biologically active food ingredient most often refers to compounds that
have no nutritional value but have functional properties in the body and act as adjuvants in the prevention and treatment of disease. Numerous plant species contain
substances that have an impact on the health of the organism. Thus, for example, the
most frequently mentioned nonnutritive biologically active components are sulforaphane, indole, and carbinol in broccoli; lycopene in tomatoes and watermelons;
beta-carotene in carrots, apricots, and peaches; lutein in corn; allicin in garlic; quercetin in onion; ellagic acid in apples; genistein in soy; capsaicin and carotenoids in
hot peppers; and catechins in green tea. These compounds are not classified as nutrients, but they play a significant role in the diet, precisely because of their pronounced protective function. There are no RDA and DRI recommendations for
these compounds yet, but the importance of their consumption has been pointed out
11 Chemical Composition and Nutritional Properties of Functional Food
(Maynard and Franklin 2003). Folic acid, a vitamin of the B group, has found its
place as a supplement to many foods due to a revolutionary discovery about the role
of this nutrient in newborn health. With adequate folic acid intake before and in the
first months of pregnancy, a woman greatly reduces the likelihood of having a baby
with a neural tube or brain damage (Weststrate et al. 2002). Products designed to
preserve the health of the cardiovascular system most often contain the addition of
omega-3 fatty acids, soy, and the phytochemicals phytostanol and phytosterols.
These food-derived substances are thought to have a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Demand for functional foods is growing due to a better understanding of the link between diet and disease or health and an individual’s growing
interest in their own health (Wansink et al. 2005; Devcich et al. 2007).
11.3 Biologically Active Ingredients of Food
Food consists of a large variety of known and unknown natural biologically active
ingredients, which can contribute to improved health. Biologically active ingredients in food are most commonly defined as natural nonnutritive food ingredients
that have beneficial effects on health if consumed in adequate amounts. The term
biological activity can also refer to harmful effects on health, and then we talk about
toxicity of these ingredients. To understand the influence of biologically active components from food, one should keep in mind Paracelsus’ statement: “All substances
are poison and nothing is poison, only the dose determines something that will not
be toxic.” Consumption of a certain food ingredient can have detrimental effects on
health, especially those that have higher biological activity in metabolic processes
in the human body. Therefore, for most nutrients, there are recommended (RDA)
and reference (DRI) daily intakes, as well as maximum intake limits (MIL). That is
why the amount is important for the biologically active ingredient of food, because
excessive amounts can create the opposite effect than desired (WHO 2003).
Therefore, dietary aspects should also be considered, as part of lifestyle, in the process of assessing the need for food intake that contains certain biologically active
components (Marinangeli and Jones 2010).
The term biologically active food ingredient most often refers to compounds that
have no nutritional value but have functional properties in the body and act as adjuvants in the prevention and treatment of disease. Numerous plant species contain
substances that have an impact on the health of the organism. Thus, for example, the
most frequently mentioned nonnutritive biologically active components are sulforaphane, indole, and carbinol in broccoli; lycopene in tomatoes and watermelons;
beta-carotene in carrots, apricots, and peaches; lutein in corn; allicin in garlic; quercetin in onion; ellagic acid in apples; genistein in soy; capsaicin and carotenoids in
hot peppers; and catechins in green tea. These compounds are not classified as nutrients, but they play a significant role in the diet, precisely because of their pronounced protective function. There are no RDA and DRI recommendations for
these compounds yet, but the importance of their consumption has been pointed out
11 Chemical Composition and Nutritional Properties of Functional Food