Functional Food with Some Health Benefits, So Called Superfood: A Review

Abstract

: The possible beneficial properties of functional foods are due to their content in bioactive ingredients, with specific biological properties. A number of processed functional foods are available in the market – probiotic yogurt, calcium and ω-3 fatty acids enriched orange juice and milk. Simultaneously, new research studies confer potential health benefits of various conventional foods (salmon, berries, green tea, vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals and breads etc) termed as “superfood” which is a marketing term and there is no established medical definition. Following suitable dietary patterns superfood reduces the risk of degerative diseases by promoting physical and emotional health. Scientific evidences suggests that superfood are dense source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. There is insufficient research on the exact explanation of term ‘superfood’and its health claims by different companies without any legislation. This buzz word making confusion among consumers, that how much and what quantity should make a food superfood, as no single food may be as nutritious to be stated as superfood. This article introduces further investigation on superfood which was categorized on the basis of their major constituents and potential health benefits. Further there is a need of more reviews, researches, clinical trials and human case studies to investigate or test superfood.

Biofortification of Three Cultivated Mushroom Species with Three Iron Salts—Potential for a New Iron-Rich Superfood

“…Innovative therapies can efficiently recuperate normal serum transferrin saturation and concentration of indispensable hemoglobin but may cause various side effects [ 43 , 44 ]. The delivery of bioavailable nutrients from functional foods (called superfoods) fortified with Fe is a promising solution [ 45 , 46 ].…”

Antioxidant Activity and Mechanism of Resveratrol and Polydatin Isolated from Mulberry (Morus alba L.)

“…PPH radical scavenging activity (%) = [1 − (As − Ab)/Ac] × 100 (1) Where: As is the absorbance in the presence of the sample; Ab is the absorbance in the presence of the blank; Ac is the absorbance of the control; IC 50 was determined by probit regression using IBM's Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) analysis of variance (17.0).…”

“…The MTT assay was based on the protocol described by Miao et al [47] with some modifications. Briefly, HepG2 cells were seeded in a 96-well plate of 1 × 10 4 cells/well and incubated for 24 h. Then, the cells were treated with the samples at different concentrations (1,2,5,10,20,30,40, and 50 µg/mL). The cells were then incubated for an additional 24 h at 37 • C. Furthermore, 100 µL MTT (0.5 mg/mL final concentration) was added and incubated at 37 • C in the dark for 4 h. Finally, the MTT solution was replaced with dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) to solubilize the formazan crystals, and the absorption value was determined at 490 nm by using a microplate reader (EnSpire, Perkin Elmer, Singapore).…”

“…There is an increasing demand for the beneficial effects of natural-source functional products and their biologically active molecules [1]. Functional ingredients such as polyphenols, bioactive peptides, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals are directly added to various foods to enhance their potential to prevent or control various diseases [2,3].…”

Functional Foods and Human Health: An Overview

“…The word functional food can also be used to describe traits that have been purposefully bred into established edible plants, such as purple or gold potatoes with lower anthocyanin or carotenoid content [2]. These foods are prepared for functional benefits and aid in reducing the risk of long term diseases beyond basic nutritional functions and can look like traditional food and be eaten as part of a daily diet [3].…”