What Are Functional Foods - Essay Example

Running header: Functional foods Student’s name: Instructor’s name: Subject code: Date of submission: Introduction What are functional foods? Functional foods can simply be said to be food or food products which may provide demonstrated physiological benefits and/or decrease the risk of chronic disease beyond normal nutritional functions. In other words, functional foods are foods that contain nutritional additives which are claimed to be beneficial to health and are able to prevent and reduce diseases such as hypertension and cancer. Current state of functional foods around the world The functional food industry has experienced very rapid growth in the recent years and is expected to hit a 176.4 billion mark by 2013 according to BCC research. This growth has been as a result of industrial innovation and development as well as the health claims associated with the foods. This shows how vibrant the industry is with almost every country of the world boasting of multiple varieties of functional foods. These range from beverages, animal products and plant products. For instance, Japan which has legalized production of functional foods already boasts of over 100 licensed functional foods (1). The trend is the same even in other countries including Australia. However, there are also those who claim that functional foods could have negative side effects on human health. As such, the field has generated a lot of interest to research in order to establish the truth about functional foods. This paper looks at functional foods with an aim of establishing the benefits associated with them as well as whether there are dangers associated with over-relying on functional foods. In so doing, the paper will pay specific attention to Tip Top Omega 3 White bread (Sand witch), as well as the future of the functional food industry not only in Australia but also in the rest of the world. The Case of Tip Top Omega 3 White Bread Manufactured by Tip Top bakeries, Tip Top Omega 3 White Bread (Sandwich) is a fresh white bread developed from white wheat floor. Other nutritional ingredients have been added with an aim of meeting the nutritional needs of the consumers. The Tip top Omega 3 white bread is an example of functional foods manufactured within Australia. The bread's functional ingredient is Omega 3 DHA fatty acids. The major source of Omega 3 DHA is marine plants and animals and hence it’s extracted from fish and added to the white bread with an aim of providing health benefits. The functional ingredient (Omega 3 DHA) has a number of health benefits to the consumer. Omega 3 DHA is important for the optimal functioning of body parts and body process as well as brain activity. Omega 3 DHA is also associated with improved eye sight, cardiovascular health and memory. DHA is deemed a vital nutrient for the brain and is required in building a normal brain functioning development. Study shows that Omega 3 DHA is essential for normal neuronal functioning since it interacts with cell membranes in optimization of learning (2). As such Tip Top Omega 3 DHA White bread is specifically aimed at school age kids with the company claiming on its pack that the bread has been enriched with Omega 3 DHA for concentration. This is because school going children need to be focused and to concentrate at all times during their studies. Description of competing functional foods in the Australian market The Australian functional food market has many varieties of competing functional foods not necessarily in containing Omega 3 DHA but also in containing other functional nutrients. The functional foods range from food supplements, beverages and functional foods. However, there are a number of foods in the Austr5alian functional foods market that also contain Omega 3 DHA. Such foods include McCain’s super crunchy omega-3 fries, McCain’s Healthy choice pizza with omega-3 DHA, Windsor farm fruit straps with omega -3, Nature's way kids smart, Gringos flour tortillas among others. All these functional foods have health claims ranging from improvement of cardiovascular health, brain development and function to development and maintenance of eye sight. It is worth noting that two other breads that contain omega-3 fatty acids compete with Tip Top White Bread in the Australian market. These include 3X Buttercup Wonder white Omega-3 DHA and the Woolworths White plus Omega-3. They are made from wheat flour and other ingredients including Omega-3 fatty acids as the functional ingredients. Issues relating to the safety of the functional foods It is well documented that Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for a number of functions such as cardiovascular health in that they decrease risks of heart diseases. According to the heart foundation, it is estimated that adults require 500 milligrams of Omega-3 everyday in order to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. Other recently documented functions of Omega-3 fatty acids include reduction of risks of cancer, arthritis and diabetes. This shows that the suggested level of Omega-3 in functional foods adds benefits to consumers' health. However, excessive intake of Omega-3 can have adverse effects on human health (3). According to the United States Food and Drug administration center for Food Safety and Applied nutrition, DHA consumed in excess of 3 grams per day exposes the customer to the risk of; -Hemorragic stroke -Increased risk of bleeding -Increased level of low density lipoproteins cholesterol and appoproteins linked to LDL cholesterol amongst diabetics and hyperlidimics and -reduced glycemic control amongst the diabetics As such, the intake of functional foods containing Omega-3 should be limited to 3 grams per day. Stability of the functional component- Omega-3 DHA It has been established that carbon dioxide protects the fatty acids from oxidation when exposed to high temperatures. The carbon dioxide released during the baking process enriches the bread with Omega-3 fatty acids thus preventing the fatty acids from oxidation if exposed to high temperatures. A study conducted in 2010 aimed at evaluating the stability of Omega-3 fatty acids in bread after baking and during storage. The study found that the amount of Omega-3 was stable during baking and storage with only a minimal loss. Furthermore, the study showed no effect of type of bread prepared on the level of Omega-3 DHA. However, it should be noted that excessive intake of Omega-3 has been noted to cause oxidation of the Omega-3 fatty acids thus forming biologically active oxidation products (4). Literature review: Adams JN. (2008). Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Health. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008; 46, 820-27. The review summarizes the results of various studies carried out on the effects of Omega-3 fatty acids from foods or other dietary supplementary sources in preventing and treating several diseases. The study is mainly concerned with the effect of Omega-3 DHA on cardiovascular disease, asthma, type II diabetes, concentration as well as the metabolic syndrome inflammatory bowel disease. The review supports the beneficial effects of Omega-3 DHA as a functional ingredient. in his findings, Adams states that consumption of Omega-3 DHA in the right quantities reduces all- cause mortality as well as various cardiovascular outcomes such as sudden death. There is similar conclusion for effect of Omega-3 on brain development and concentration. However, there is limited evidence on the effect of Omega-3 DHA in prevention of Asthma as well as bowel inflammatory diseases. This evidence definitely informed Tip Top's decision to manufacture the bread mainly targeted for school going children to its effect on brain development and concentration. Effects of differences in the genetic make-up of the population in relation to the effectiveness of functional foods It is believed that the genetic make-up of the population can greatly influence the effectiveness of functional foods. However, not many studies have been done in this area. In a bid to ensure that functional foods have the desired effects on the population, a new area in functional foods known as Nutrigenomics or personalized nutrition has emerged. This entails applying human genome to nutrition and personal health in providing individual dietary recommendations. By using one's personal genetic makeup and nutrition in dietary recommendations, it is believed that consumers will have greater benefits from functional foods in reducing disease risk and optimizing their health. There are two classes of functional foods i.e. those that provide a complete dosage of a functional component and those that provide partial dosage of the functional component (7). However, those that provide a complete dosage of a functional component are deemed to be more beneficial to the consumer both in terms of convenience and economically. This is because one does not have to consume several servings of such foods in order to get his/her daily requirements of the functional component. This also implies that less money is spent in achieving full dosage. However, there are no more benefits associated with such foods although individuals should strive to ensure that they consume full dosage of their daily requirements of functional elements. Overreliance on functional foods As discussed above, Functional foods have numerous benefits both in terms of improving our health as well as prevention and treatment of some diseases. However, overreliance on functional foods can be harmful. For instance, fat soluble vitamins are toxic at high levels. Ingestion Of so much of the functional nutrients therefore can be detrimental to our health and can also hamper ingestion of other nutrients (5). Therefore, it is necessary for one to be wary of his/her overall intake of the functional nutrients since just as nutrient deficiency is dangerous, overdose is also harmful. Equity of Access of the population to functional foods The issue of accessibility of functional foods to the population is of a major concern. This is because not everybody has access to the functional foods and hence the functional nutrients. For instance, not everybody can have access to the fish providing Omega-3 DHA. Yet the fortified products are too expensive for the poor to buy. This implies that there is a need to make the functional foods available to the general population if they are to have their desired effects across the globe. Should functional foods ingredients only be added to foods they were originally derived from? The essence of functional foods is to make the functional nutrients available to the consumer in the right quantities and abundantly so that they can have the desired health benefits. However, the sources of the functional nutrients are not always available in all places (6). In addition, the foods rich in the functional foods may not be taken every day in order to provide the functional nutrients. For instance, not everyone takes fish on a daily basis but most people consume bread on a daily basis. Therefore, functional foods ingredients should not only be added to foods they were originally derived from but they should also be added in foods that are consumed most frequently in a bid to ensure that people have adequate supply of the functional nutrients.. The role of functional foods in the future The recognition of the critical role that functional foods can play in curing diseases has helped the functional food market develop into what it is today. Functional foods have developed as a way of preventing diseases whereby individuals take responsibility of their wellbeing. However, indications are that functional foods will move away from treating serious health problems in future to addressing more common lifestyle issues. Future functional foods are therefore going to be marketed with wellness/soft health claims such as digestive health, stress management, beauty and weight control as opposed to serious disease control. Conclusion Due to their increased importance in disease curing and control, the role of functional foods in today’s world has continued to grow. Many varieties of functional foods can now be found in our markets all with health claims that are worth trying. Of great importance is Omega-3 DHA which is a functional nutrient found in some of the modern foods such as the Tip Top Omega-3 DHA White Bread.Omega-3DHA has been found to have health benefits in brain development as well as in preventing diseases such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, one should be careful not to consume more than the recommended dosage of the functional ingredients as this can have adverse effects on a person's health. In addition, there is need to make the functional foods more affordable so that all members of the population can have access to them. in so doing the functional foods will play a great role in health improvement especially considering the fact that functional foods are likely to address lifestyle issues in future rather than curing of diseases. References: 1. Simopoulos AY. The importance of Omega -3 functional fatty acids. Biomed Pharm. 2005; 72:78-85. 2. Hoffman VD. Dietary essential fatty acids supply and brain development. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2002; 33:345-49. 3. Hasler CJ. Functional foods: Their role in disease prevention and health promotion. Food Tech. 2008; 52 (2):57-62. 4. ADA. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Photochemical and functional foods. Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 105:93-9. 5. Manson JB. Fish consumption and risk of sudden cardiac death. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010; 205:23-8. 6. Willett WM. Dietary intake of marine n-3 fatty acids, fish intake and the risk of coronary disease among men. N Engl J Med. 2008; 32 (3): 77-82. 7. Jeffrey GD Functional foods. Nutr. 2006; 92:78-98. 8. Adams JN. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Health. , Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008; 46:820- 27. Read More