Hippocrates, the father of medicine, believed he could treat most of his patients by modifying their diets. Food as medicine is not something new to a nation like ours.
Food as preventive medicine
Allyl sulphides in garlic and onions prevent heart disease.
The fundamentals of using edible herbs, barks, seeds, stems and leaves to treat illnesses is well documented in our ancient texts including Charaka Samhita, formulated 3,000 years ago. It is an integral part of Ayurvedic medicine. But the system suffers due to lack or research and controlled clinical trials. This is in conflict with the concept of "evidence based" medicines fundamental to modern western medicine. Modern medicine and food science recognises that food also deals with the regulation of physical condition of the body. This led to the formulation of special category of foods called Functional foods.
Functional foods are defined as foods which provide special health benefits which go beyond their nutritional components like energy, vitamins, minerals, etc. They are natural or formulated foods that enhance physiological performance or prevent diseases.Other terms used to describe natural products being developed for health benefits include nutraceuticals, pharmafoods, designer foods, vitafoods and foodaceuticals.
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The promise of functional foods has emerged at a time when limitations of modern medicines is felt and consumer interest in diet and health is at an all-time high. Taken from many cultures, herbs and plants commonly used to treat specific disorders have been carefully identified. Over 10,000 physiologically active constituents in diet have been identified now some of which have been developed into medicines.
It was the Japanese in 1980s who developed and commercialised the concept of functional foods in response to the burden of disease and escalating healthcare costs. Its health ministry initiated a regulatory system to approve certain foods with documented health benefits. Thus was born FOSHU - Foods For Specified Health Use. By 2007, there were over 700 products in the Japanese food market which had FOSHU status, to secure which, there must be adequate evidence of effectiveness of the product, identification of active constituents and guarantee of its safety.
FOSHU food benefits range from cholesterol lowering and blood pressure regulating foods, foods to improve bowel and gastro-intestinal health and bone health - to name a few. Interestingly, the positive health correlations of functional foods are not on the basis of nutrient content. Non-nutrient constituents contribute to beneficial physiological effects which either retard or prevent disease. Allyl sulphides in garlic and onions prevent heart disease, phytates in grains and legumes protect against cancer and heart disease; carotenoids in mangoes, carrots, apricots, pumpkin, green leafy vegetables and lignans in flaxseeds have protective effect against cancers; isoflavones in soy protect against osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease; indoles and isothiocynates in cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli too have protective effect against cancer; ellagic acid in grapes, strawberries, raspberries and nuts function as antioxidant and anticancer substances. Prebiotics in garlic, barley, oats & probiotics in fermented milk and yogurt help in improving gut function and immunity. Besides, there are functional foods obtained from animal sources like dairy products, which contain CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and fish which provides Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).
The CLA has been shown to inhibit cancer - particularly cancer of colon, ovaries, prostate, breast, blood, bone marrow (leukaemia) and skin (melanoma). One per cent CLA in regular diet has been reported to reduce the breast cancer incidence by nearly 60 per cent. CLA also helps lower cholesterol and prevents heart diseases by exhibiting its antioxidant activity and inhibiting formation of free radicals.
In India, a wealth of knowledge lies in our ancient texts. Many people have been consuming majority of these foods for thousands of years to prevent and treat specific health conditions. As there is little recorded history of actual outcomes, dose controls or identification of possible contaminants, this has put them under uncontrolled and questionable categories. They often come under dubious tags like herbal medicine, naturopathy, alternative therapy or untested folk medicine.
But consumer demand for foods capable of promoting good health and preventing or alleviating diseases is growing. It is likely to increase as baby boomers strive to manage the chronic health problems with ageing and seek low cost alternatives to drugs. It is time we too establish and put in place a regulatory system for such foods to promote safety and health.
