The foods of the future are here bearing such futuristic terms as "designer foods," "pharmafoods," "phytochemicals," "nutraceuticals," "functional foods" and "genetically engineered foods." And as we reach the next millennium, the science of nutrition is increasingly allowing us to view how a particular food's chemical properties, its nutrient interaction with other foods, its organic compounds and micronutrients all work to enhance human health. Food technology is working on ways of enhancing and heightening the nutritive power of specific foods as well as extracting the essential "good stuff" out of a particular food. The end result will be a concentrated food product augmented with beneficial nutritional capabilities, a "superfood" that, ideally, will taste good and be good for you.
Functional Foods
Functional foods are modified foods or food ingredients that may provide a health benefit beyond the traditional nutrients it contains. According to the International Food Information Council, "Functional foods are generally considered foods containing significant levels of biologically active components that impart health benefits or desirable physiological effects beyond basic nutrition. Functional attributes of many traditional foods are being discovered, while new food products are being developed to enhance or incorporate beneficial components."
Food Celebrities
Researchers are discovering ways to isolate and target the specific health-enhancing properties of a particular food item. Current nutritional "stars" include garlic, grapes and grape juice, fortified cereals, oats, olive oil, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, oranges and orange juice, plant sterols, psyllium-enriched foods, soy products, tomato products and vegetable juices, to name a few. Other exciting nutrients currently on the cutting-edge roster are folate, monounsaturated fats, potassium, soluble fiber and vitamins B6, B12, C and E. As technology increasingly allows us to understand specifically how food works to prevent the onset of certain diseases, we are zeroing in on how specific complex functions of foods relate to each other synergistically and, ultimately, to human health.
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Fortified Cereals
Because adequate folic acid intake during pregnancy can reduce the risk of certain birth defects—namely, neural tube defects—the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that all grain and grain products should be fortified with folic acid. Folate is one of several B vitamins found in such foods as strawberries and citrus fruits and juices; leafy green vegetables such as spinach and romaine lettuce; whole-grain breads, rolls and crackers; and pinto, navy and kidney beans. Health professionals recommend eating at least five servings a day of these foods because they also reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease. Folic acid, a man-made form of folate, is found in fortified grain foods such as bread, rolls, flour, cornmeal, rice, pasta and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. The fortification of wheat flour with folic acid in January 1998 added an estimated 100 micrograms per day to the average diet.
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Garlic
Garlic is one of a number of phytochemicals (plant-derived compounds) currently under investigation for its potential role in disease prevention. A member of the lily family, garlic contains many compounds, including vitamins A and C, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur (including 75 different sulfur compounds), selenium and a number of amino acids. In recent years, garlic has received increasing attention from both scientists and the general public for its claimed ability to help maintain healthy cholesterol balance in individuals who used it. In addition to examining individual constituents of garlic that are natural or synthetic, researchers have turned their attention to processed garlic and commercial preparations such as aged garlic extract, made from fresh minced garlic. Believed to preserve healthy circulation, among other health benefits, aged garlic extract is processed at room temperature and is maintained anaerobically for 20 or more months.
Important note: we recommend you visit the Dietary Supplements section of this Web site for more information on garlic.
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Grapes and Grape Juice
Purple and red grapes and grape juice are currently under investigation for their role in preventing heart disease. Researchers studied blood platelets in a solution containing purple grape juice and in "control" solutions that did not. Platelets in the purple grape juice clotted about 30 percent less than did those in the control solutions, and released three times more nitric oxide, thus helping to reduce the likelihood of blood clots blocking the arteries and causing a heart attack. In fact, purple grapes and grape juice seem to have the same effect as red wine in reducing the risk of heart disease. Red grape skins are one of the richest sources of resveratrol, a phytochemical compound also found in a host of other foods. Resveratrol seeps from the skins of the grapes into the juice during processing. Researchers believe the antiplatelet benefits of red grape juice may come partly from the anthocyanins in the juice. Anthocyanins are a class of flavonoid phytochemical compounds found in red grape skins that give the skin and the juice their intense color.
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Oats
Oats contain a number of nutrients that help modify several heart disease risk factors. Among these nutrients are insoluble and soluble fiber, phytochemicals, high-quality proteins and amino acids. One specific fiber identified as lowering cholesterol is unique to oats, a mixed-linkage glucan. Findings reported at the American Heart Association meeting in November 1998 showed that a diet rich in oats lowered blood pressure in addition to lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.
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Olive Oil
For many years research has shown that when olive oil—rich in monounsaturated fat— replaces saturated fat in the diet, it helps in the promotion of lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL, the "bad" cholesterol. Furthermore, monounsaturated fat increases the levels of the protective high-density lipoprotein (HDL) more than polyunsaturated fat does when these two classes of fatty acids replace carbohydrates in the diet. Recent research has focused on the protective effect of minor constituents of olive oil on cardiovascular disease. These minor constituents include vitamin E, beta-carotene and polyphenols. Intake of these minor constituents has been reported to reduce the oxidative susceptibility of LDL, a factor that has been implicated in atherogenesis. Extra-virgin olive oil from all regions of the Mediterranean contains a higher content of these important heart-healthy minor constituents.
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Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
The role of omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular function has been studied for the past 40 years. As we learn more about the three primary omega-3 fatty acids—linolenic acid (LNA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—it is becoming clear that each of these components has different functions in the body. Although a general triglyceride-lowering effect has been reported with fish oil (fish oils contain both EPA and DHA), it has only recently become clear which omega-3 fatty acid is responsible for this effect. Five well-controlled clinical studies in recent years have reported that when supplements of DHA (a vegetarian source made from algae that contains only DHA and no EPA) were used, serum triglyceride were generally reduced by about 20 percent and HDL was selectively elevated by about 10 percent. Furthermore, in studies using this supplement (which contained no EPA), there was no change in platelet aggregation or bleeding time and no suppression of immunological parameters—common side effects of the consumption of large amounts of fish oils. Thus, it appears that DHA intake may be a key in maintaining a healthy blood lipid profile. It has also recently been shown that omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) can protect the heart from life-threatening arrhythmias (disturbances in heart rhythm) and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or ventricular fibrillation associated with heart attack. Popular fish such as tuna, salmon, and sardines are rich sources of DHA and EPA.
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Oranges and Orange Juice
Citrus fruits are full of important nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, dietary fiber and potassium. Results of two recent studies add to the evidence that vitamin C may be a significant component of antioxidant protection against atherosclerotic heart disease. The first study, a five-year prospective population study of Finnish men, suggests that vitamin C–deficient men may be at increased risk of myocardial infarction; and the second study suggests that vitamin C may play a role in preventing manifestations of existing coronary artery disease.
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Plant Sterols
Although the average diet contains some level of plant sterols (they are most commonly found in vegetable oils, wheat, rye and corn), the amounts we consume are generally too small to affect our cholesterol. Stanol ester inhibits cholesterol absorption. It is estimated that 2-3 grams of plant stanols a day may lower serum cholesterol. Because stanol ester has no smell or taste, it is easily incorporated into food. Stanol ester is available in several products such as margarine-like spreads and salad dressings. Together with a healthy diet and regular exercise, consumption of stanol ester may make it easier for individuals to achieve healthier cholesterol levels.
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Psyllium-Enriched Foods
Psyllium is a plant used as a grain, similar to oats, corn and wheat. It is the husk portion—known for its high soluble-fiber content—that is used to fortify foods. It is also used in some over-the-counter laxatives. Foods high in soluble fiber include oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, fruits, strawberries and apple pulp. When regularly eaten as part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, soluble fiber has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol. The FDA has determined that soluble fiber from psyllium seed husk, similar to b-glucan soluble fiber from whole oats, when included as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of Cardiovascular Disease CVD by lowering blood cholesterol levels. Adding as few as three psyllium-enriched foods (such as bread, cereal and dry pasta, to list a few) daily into a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet for individuals with elevated cholesterol has been shown to reduce total cholesterol by 15 percent compared with a 10 percent reduction associated with diet alone.
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Soy Products
Soybeans have been an important protein source for 5,000 years and, since the 1950s, the food processors have extracted protein from them to develop a variety of foods and food ingredients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved soy health labels—explaining the benefits of soy protein in reducing the risk of Cardiovascular Disease CVD—on food products containing at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving. The FDA said it has determined that making soy protein part of a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet can reduce the risk of CVD. Studies have shown that, when substituted for animal protein in the diet, soy protein is effective in lowering blood cholesterol. Soy protein and the isoflavones in soy have been shown to be protective against heart disease, and consuming 25 grams of soy protein per day may lower total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The amino acid content in soy protein appears to alter the synthesis and metabolism of cholesterol in the liver. Soy protein is found in foods such as soy milk, tofu, vegetarian burgers and baked goods made with soy flour. Because soy protein can easily be added to the diet, the 25-gram-per-day total can be acquired by having 6.25 grams in each of three meals and a snack.
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Tomato Products and Vegetable Juices
Tomatoes are full of powerful antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin A and lycopene. Tomatoes (which, by the way, are fruit) are the major dietary source of lycopene—which, in turn, is the most potent member of the carotenoid family, which includes beta-carotene. Scientists believe that cooking breaks down nutrients so that they can be better absorbed into the digestive tract. Lycopene gives the tomato its characteristic red color; and, in fact, the redder the tomato, the higher the level of lycopene. Tomatoes are nature's richest source of lycopene (one tomato provides 10 mg). Recent studies have shown that lycopene may have a protective effect against heart attacks. Scientists have presented evidence that cooked tomatoes combined with small amounts of fat are the most effective at conferring their phytochemical power. In this instance, processed tomatoes are really better for you than raw tomatoes. Tomato ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, canned tomatoes and concentrated vegetable juices all contain high levels of lycopene as well as other important vitamins and minerals.
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The Business of Food, The Science of Food
Biotechnology techniques are already increasing the efficiency of food processing, production and distribution. Science is already working on perfecting farming techniques that will allow crops to be genetically modified to resist heat, disease, viruses, drought and other conditions that interfere with optimal plant growth. Biotechnology will not only isolate specific nutrients in a given food, but it will also enable us to eliminate allergy-causing proteins from foods and enhance flavor, taste and appearance as well as prolong shelf life of foods that ripen quickly, like tomatoes and strawberries. In order to keep tabs on safety issues related to these advances in the science of food, the FDA will subject any new ingredients added to food through biotechnology to pre-market approval the same way it does with new food additives such as preservatives or food colors.
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The Heart of The Matter
As we continue to become more knowledgeable about nutrition and how food is inextricably related to our health, we will, ideally, combine the pleasures of food preparation and consumption with a dose of nutrition sense to come up with the right formula for good food and good health. As technology strives to improve, enhance and possibly even prolong our lives, we will soon be able to choose from a vast selection of foods (functional, modified and enhanced) whose nutrients, enzymes, proteins, vitamins, shelf life, taste and appearance will be improved.
A dynamic profusion of supplements, food products, herbal remedies and health foods will appear on the market; and this multibillion-dollar industry will require consumers to become their own watchdogs, monitoring all of this rapid progress with enthusiastic but guarded optimism. In fact, if you are considering supplements or herbal remedies for health-related problems, please check with your physician first.
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