Functional Health Food Ingredients

Functional food ingredients may be seen as "uberfoods" in that they go beyond nourishing the body to providing specific targeted effects that can have an overall positive impact on health and well-being. Everyday foods such as oatmeal and green tea contain key components such as catechins and soluble fiber which can help reduce cancer and cholesterol. Food manufacturers go a step further by producing and marketing the individual ingredients as supplements and health-enhancing additions to foods.

Mood and Memory Improvement Ingredients

• Functional food ingredients such as the amino acids, L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine, can be used as an alternative to pharmaceutical antidepressants in raising levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine to enhance mood. Phenylalanine is converted into tyrosine in the body, which is then converted to L-dopa, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Deficiency in these neurotransmitters can result in reduced pleasure, focus and feelings of attachment. Ingredients such as choline and acetylcholine can further abet amino acids by increasing levels of the memory neurotransmitter acetylcholine and thereby speed up reaction time, memory and focus. One example of a choline enhancer is phosphatidylserine, which assists muscles and nerves in contracting and prevents central nervous system fatigue.

Intestinal Support Ingredients

• Probiotics as found in yogurt products have become familiar mainstays in supermarket dairy cases and are being used by people with inflammatory intestinal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease to increase the relative numbers of beneficial bacteria that can promote intestinal health. In addition to probiotics, probiotics-helpers such as prebiotics like inulin and fructooligosaccharides, encourage the proliferation of good bacteria by feeding and improving probiotics' functionality. "Synbiotic" products combine the two bacterial boosters into a synergistic mix of selectively targeted stimulators of the desired bacteria. Studies by the University College of London have shown synbiotics to be effective in reducing inflammation and stimulating the immune system.

Sports Nutrition and Energy Ingredients

• Within the performance class of functional food ingredients are a diverse array of products designed for use in exercise and reaching fitness goals. Sports drinks run the gamut from energy drinks, sports waters, amino acid drink, protein shakes and thirst quenchers containing specialized carbohydrates. On the exercise recovery front, amino acids such as L-arginine are being used in powder and read-to-drink formulations that produce nitric oxide, which can provide a workout boost by improving circulation and increasing muscle size volume. In the arena of energy drinks, which are classified as "dietary supplements" by the FDA and therefore unrestricted in caffeine content, caffeine is widely used in quantities as high as 100 to 500 milligrams per serving. Side effects such as crash episodes and heart palpitations are prompting energy drink manufacturers to tone down the caffeine and add nonstimulating herbal ingredients to help the adrenal glands cope with the caffeine.

Superfoods

• Acai berry juice, noni juice, blueberry, green tea, pomegranate, goji and cranberry juices occupy a niche in the functional food realm that offers a healthful, anti-aging alternative to sugary sodas and juices. These superfoods, as they are called, contain high levels of antioxidants which serve to neutralize damaging free radicals that can accumulate in the body and cause toxic effects. Storage and stability are often issues in the processing of superfoods. To counteract the free radicals that can be produced during bottling, adding mineral donors or antioxidants like rosemary can improve the stability of the antioxidants contained in the superfood; moreover, the superfood ingredient could be added in last to minimize oxidative reactions produced during initial blending.

Blood Sugar Control Ingredients

• While not as mainstream as low or no sugar food products, blood sugar management food ingredients are well-known within the diabetic community. These foods are often low in glycemic index and therefore less apt to trigger large fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin. Products containing fructose (not to be confused with high fructose corn syrup, which contains both glucose and fructose) have a low glycemic index of 19 (compared to 65 for sugar and HFCS) and are therefore slowly metabolized in the body. Blood sugar control ingredients are of interest to those who wish to lose weight, as they provide alternatives to sugar which contributes to obesity.