RNDr. Jozef Kočan writes about functional foodstuffs. He is a specialist for food legislative and methodologist for production prepartaion and quality control in I.D.C. Holding, a.s. . He acts as an executive secretary for SLOVAKBISCO (Association of confectionary and pastry producers in Slovakia).
Functional foodstuffs / programmed to boost our health First of all – what are the functional foodstuffs?
This is food that, besides ensuring human nutrition, has also actual measurable positive effect on human health and his physical and psychical performance. Within this characteristics the functional foodstuffs are for example dietetic and therapeutic food, fortified food (with vitamins), food for sportsmen, for elderly people, for pregnant and breastfeeding women, for babies and small kids, or special food (e.g. gluten free) for people with certain health disorders.
Already the first japanees legislative (1991) has mentioned them and there were stated three basic requirements for assigning food to this group. And these requirements are followed up to now. It must be real food, not pills, powders nor caspules (these are nutrition supplements) and it must be made of natural ingredients. It is consumed as part of daily food and plays certain function in one of processes in human body, for example by digestion, by boosting immunity, it can prevent obesity and varios chronical diseases, it is able to slow down the ageing process, etc.
Antioxidants instead of medicine
Functional foodstuffs are able for example to reduce or eliminate cardiovascular diseases that cause 58% of all deaths in Slovakia. These are in generally foodstuffs with high content of fibre and omega-3 fatty acids that precautionary reduce the “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase the “good” HDL cholesterol. When we talk about cancer, the second most often casue of death, epidemiological studies have shown that approximately 30% of deaths caused by cancer root in incorrect diet. At the same time there are foodstuffs naturally containing several anti-cancerous agents – these are the natural antioxidants contained in fruits, vegetables and herbs. They are called bio-flavonoids or polyphenols. Antioxidants are able to reduce impact of reactive forms of oxigene and others so called free radicals produced in our tissues. Effective natural antioxidants that are part of our food are Beta-carotene, C, E vitamins and big group of natural agents called in generally polyphenols. There were found thousands of phenolic agents with huge variety of structures in plants, especially herbs. It has been proved that antioxidant activity of many plant substances is even higher than effect of C and E antioxidant vitamins. No surpise that these substances have occured in conception of our functional sweets – presented as “candies full of herbs" produced in IDC Figaro Trnava.
How were developed the “functional candies”?
Although sweets do not usually come together with well-balanced diet, we also know that we can only hardly avoid them completely, especially when we talk about kids. Is it able to use their favor of sweets at least for a good purpose? What about to try to fortify their organisms by candies with beneficial herbal extracts? Such and similar questions lead to development of Verbena - filled candies with content of healing extracts of herbs without synthetic vitamins and colorings. All types of Verbena candies contain basic mixture of extracts from seven herbs (Herbal complex) gathered in the pure area under the Slovak mountains, the High Tatras (Calendula company). These are agrimony, ribwort, Echinacea, nettle, verbena, thyme and mint. Single herbal extracts are added to this mixture according to particular type of candy shown at the packaging – extracts from linden, Mellisa, chamomile, rose hips and sage. The basic mixture and the single extracts are ten times concentrated blends of herbs and provide precautionary protection against diseases of respiratory system, they improve immunity, digestion and they even act as antidepressants and their antioxidant effect helps to detoxify the organism.
Only factual medical arguments
Therefore functional foodstuffs provide medical benefits to people. Nowadays it is important to ensure, especially for our better orientation – and even legislatively – that medical facts on functional foodstuffs are really true, i.e. proved clinically. Exaggeration and quackery is at least inappropriate. Therefore the EC directive 1924/2006 has been introduced. Consumption of functional foodstuffs has also psychological effect - we are aware of doing something actively for our health, we take responsibility for it.
Nutrition specialists in developed countries focus gradually to conception of “optimal” nutrition. New foodstuffs are developed and their sale is supported based on measurable medical benefits. Concept called Measurable Health is presented already by several producers of functional agents, in Europe for example companies like Cognis and Wild. At the beginning there is necessary to start with health enlightenment to convince people to consume functional foodstuffs – in media and in stores and shops as well. Product package is another source of information, if it is used wisely. But even then success of functional foodstuffs depends on many factors – on their safety, effect, taste, comfortable preparation and last but not least on their price of course.
Jozef Kočan