Encounters Of Functional Foods And Asian Traditional Medicines

The Functional Food Center has successfully held 25 International Conferences, including this one, since 2004. We take special interest in enabling the assimilation of scientific knowledge at our conferences under the series "Functional Foods and Chronic Diseases: Science and Practice." The 25th International Conference was held October 27th throguh October 28th, in Osaka, Japan. This conference was titled "Encounters of Functional Foods and Asian Traditional Medicines." Main conference sessions and topics include: -Functional Food Definition and the Status in Japan and USA -Japanese traditional medicine (Kampo medicine) -Traditional medicines in China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Indonesia -Traditional medicines and functional foods -Functional Food Ingredients: Sources and Potential Benefits in Public Health -Immunomodulation by Functional Foods: Promising Concept for Chronic Disease and Healthy Aging -Functional Foods and Chronic Diseases -Current Research and Development of New Functional Food Products The Functional Food Center's research has allowed modern society to evade the side effects of modern pharmaceuticals and the problems associated with treating chronic diseases through surgical procedures. Presented in this book are scientists, food manufacturers, and healthcare professionals who are committed to functional food research that have brought together ideas and research to treat chronic illnesses and improve the quality of life through the utilization of functional foods with bioactive compounds.

The consumption of functional foods has emerged as a major consumer-driven trend, based on the needs of an ever-growing health conscious population that wants to exercise greater control over its health. Focusing on an important sector of this rapidly growing field, Asian Functional Foods discusses the theoretical and practical aspects of functional foods found in the traditional Asian diet, from fundamental concepts of biochemistry, nutrition, and physiology to food science and technology. The book covers a wide range of topics, beginning with an introduction to the source, history, functionality, and chemical, physical, and physiological properties of traditional Asian functional foods, followed by the health benefits, mechanisms of antioxidant action, anticancer and antiaging properties, supported by clinical and epidemiological evidence. The chapter authors discuss processing technology and process systems, equipment, material preparation, food preparation, and quality control during processing. They explore stability, shelf life, and storage criteria for traditional functional food products, industrial production, home-made products, consumer and marketing issues, and social and economical impact. As Asian functional foods continue to gain popularity worldwide, a solid understanding of these functional foods will help food scientists take advantage of them to better maintain and promote health. Examining the scientific and social issues impacting their development, this book provides that understanding.

Health and healing foods have a long history in the Asian cultures. Those of Eastern culture have long believed that food and medicine are from the same source and can treat illnesses and promote a healthier life. This volume covers certain traditional Asian functional foods, their history, functionality, health benefits, physiological properties, mechanisms of anti-cancer and anti-aging action. In addition, it covers processing technology, storage, material sources, marketing, social, and economical aspects. Expanding on geographical areas covered in previous works, the authors consider foods that originate from all over upper and lower Asian as well as the Middle East.

This work presents up-to-date information on chemical, pharmacological, clinical studies and historical uses of common dietary Chinese herbs. Authored by native experts in the field, the reader is introduced to each herb with a brief chronological review of Chinese literature on dietary herb uses, with chapters dedicated to each selected herb including color photos for each herb. In addition, Chinese characters as well as the Latin botanical name indices, and chemical structures for the known active compounds are also provided. The clear layout examines the health benefits that have been studied for centuries, including current clinical and toxicological data. A wide range of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs are investigated for their suitability into daily diets for maintaining general wellness or disease prevention. In the past decades, natural health products, dietary supplements, functional foods, or nutraceuticals have emerged in the West due to the increasing demand for non-pharmaceutical healthcare products. Traditional Chinese Medicine disease prevention and treatment incorporates the use of foods, and herbal medicine in an integrated manner, and thus the dietary Chinese herbs in used in TCM for thousands of years could be sources for developing new, effective, and safe ingredients to capture the rapidly expanding opportunity in the global market place.

What we eat, how we eat, where we eat, and when we eat are deeply embedded cultural practices. Eating is also related to how we medicate. The multimillion-dollar diet industry offers advice on how to eat for a better body and longer life, and avoiding harmful foods (or choosing healthy ones) is considered separate from consuming medicine--another multimillion-dollar industry. In contrast, most traditional medical systems view food as inseparable from medicine and regard medicinal foods as the front line of healing. Drawing on medical texts and food therapy practices from around the world and throughout history, Nancy N. Chen locates old and new crossovers between food and medicine in different social and cultural contexts. The consumption of spices, sugar, and salt was once linked to specific healing properties, and trade in these commodities transformed not just the political economy of Europe, Asia, and the New World but local tastes and food practices as well. Today's technologies are rapidly changing traditional attitudes toward food, enabling the cultivation of new admixtures, such as nutraceuticals and genetically modified food, that link food to medicine in novel ways. Chen considers these developments against the evolving food regimes of the diet industry in order to build a framework for understanding diet as individual practice, social prescription, and political formation.

Choosing the foods and herbs that are right for you is essential to achieving and maintaining good health. Over thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has accumulated knowledge about using foods and herbs therapeutically, providing a natural way to boost energy and immunity, extend longevity, enhance beauty, reduce toxins, regulate mood and treat other health conditions, externally and internally. This book will help you put the wisdom of TCM to use, guiding you with case studies, treatment details, recipes and illustrations.Inside you'll find practical and easy-to-understand information about the features of food according to TCM and how to assess your body constitution, to customize your selection of foods and herbs, to use food to treat or prevent health problems and to improve your appearance and mental outlook.This book also features a handy chapter on nearly 90 functional foods and herbs. Arranged alphabetically, with quick facts and photos, this resource will help you plan your strategy for healthy living by using foods and plants specifically suited for your body, lifestyle and goals. Let TCM help you better understand your body and show you how to make the choices that are best for you!

Functional foods are foods which contain bioactive components, either from plant or animal sources, which can have health benefits for the consumer over and above their nutritional value. Foods which have antioxidant or cancer-combating components are in high demand from health conscious consumers: much has been made of the health-giving qualities of fruits and vegetables in particular. Conversely, foods which have been processed are suffering an image crisis, with many consumers indiscriminately assuming that any kind of processing robs food of its “natural goodness”. To date, there has been little examination of the actual effects – whether positive or negative – of various types of food processing upon functional foods. This book highlights the effects of food processing on the active ingredients of a wide range of functional food materials, with a particular focus on foods of Asian origin. Asian foods, particularly herbs, are becoming increasingly accepted and demanded globally, with many Western consumers starting to recognize and seek out their health-giving properties. This book focuses on the extraction of ingredients which from materials which in the West are seen as “alternative” - such as flour from soybeans instead of wheat, or bran and starch from rice – but which have long histories in Asian cultures. It also highlight the incorporation of those bioactive compounds in foods and the enhancement of their bioavailability. Functional Foods and Dietary Supplements: Processing Effects and Health Benefits will be required reading for those working in companies, research institutions and universities that are active in the areas of food processing and agri-food environment. Food scientists and engineers will value the new data and research findings contained in the book, while environmentalists, food regulatory agencies and other food industry personnel involved in functional food production or development will find it a very useful source of information.

It is reported Functional foods are highly nutritious and associated with a number of powerful health benefits. They may protect against disease, prevent nutrient deficiencies, and promote proper growth and development. Functional Foods: Technological Challenges and Advancement in Health Promotion presents information related to bioactive compounds present in the functional foods, derived from fruits and vegetables, cereals and pulses, dairy and meat, herbs and spices and other foods. It describes novel techniques and methodologies used in the extraction, isolation, encapsulation, identification and characterization of bioactive compounds. Key Features: Covers the most recent research related to the bioactive compounds present in the functional foods Presents the latest information on extraction, isolation, encapsulation, identification and characterization Discusses formulation challenges with an emphasis on stability and safety evaluations of functional foods Finally, it includes substantial and scientific research and innovation for new product development with health benefits. This book will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, academicians, and students interested in many aspects of functional foods.