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II. BIOLOGICAL BASED THERAPY

2- Dietary Supplements ( FUNCTIONAL FOODS)

Definition: food, or parts of food, that provide medical or health benefits, including the

prevention and treatment of disease‖ .

Also, Functional foods are defined as manufactured foods for which scientifically valid
claims can be made. They may be produced by food-processing technologies, traditional
breeding, or by genetic engineering. Functional foods should safely deliver a long-term
health benefit. Accordingly, a functional food may be one of the following:

1. A known food to which a functional ingredient from another food is added.
2. A known food to which a functional ingredient new to the food supply is added.
3. An entirely new food that contains one or more functional ingredients.

The Japanese, who were among the first to use functional foods, have highlighted three
conditions that define a functional food:

 It is a food (not a capsule, tablet, or powder) derived from naturally occurring
ingredients.

 It can and should be consumed as part of a daily diet.
 It has a particular function when ingested, serving to regulate a particular body

process: enhancement of the biological defense mechanism, prevention of a
specific disease, recovery from a specific disease, control of physical and mental
conditions, and slowing of the aging process.

Basis of Action:

Much scientific study has been conducted on the role of the various products added to
normal foods to enhance their ability to inhibit or prevent diseases. Many regard dietary
intake as the best means of acquiring necessary nutrients. For example, a report by the
World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (2007) suggests
that although there may be evidence to support that the consumption of some fruits and
vegetables may protect against certain types of cancers, it is important to point out that
these foods contain various micronutrients and therefore it is difficult to tease out that a
certain element of the food alone is responsible for this protective effect. However,
supplementation of nutrients is common.

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