5 research outputs found
Antioxidants in Diets and Food
none3noNowadays, the society looks with increasing interest in the diet, which is no
longer simply a means by which to take the necessary nutrients but has become a
means by which it is possible to preserve the health state. German philosopher
Ludwig Feuerbach once said: âWe are what we eat.â This statement is even truer
today because of the hectic life, people often tend to eat frugal, fast, and often
very fat and unhealthy meals. Today, there is a very high attention both from the
social point of view and by the scientific community to the so-called functional
foods. These foods, which contain several bioactive compounds, exert innumerable
biological properties and therefore can help to preserve the health state. In
addition, the use of nutraceuticals has taken the upper hand, unfortunately, often
also to the detriment of functional foods, which unlike the former still remain
foods and, as such, with a certainly better efficacy-safety profile. The term
nutraceutical, indeed, does not refer to a food but rather to a formulation
containing one or more compounds isolated from plant extracts or one or more
titrated plant extracts. Moreover, some formulations (capsules, tablets, powders,
etc.) are rarely studied before being commercialized, and their effectiveness
remains rather doubtful in light of a very lax regulation in many countries
worldwide.mixedAntonella Smeriglio, Laura Cornara, Domenico TrombettaSmeriglio, Antonella; Cornara, Laura; Trombetta, Domenic