Functional foods and nutraceuticals provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Functional foods contain antioxidants that fight free radicals and may reduce inflammation, disease risk, and support gut and immune health. Nutraceuticals are food substances with additional health benefits, including preventing diseases. Both may protect against nutrient deficiencies through fortification and protect against chronic diseases by providing antioxidants and nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids. They also promote proper growth and development by ensuring intake of nutrients like folate, DHA, and vitamins. Nutraceuticals show potential in cancer treatment by regulating genes and inhibiting overexpressed oncogenes. They also act as antioxidants, aid weight loss and treat diabetes and cardiovascular diseases by affecting insulin sensitivity and cellular metabolism

1. BIOACTIVITY OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
AND NEUTRACEUTICALS
Functional foods- Functional foods are those that
have a beneficial effect on health beyond the basic
function of nutrition, helping to promote better health
conditions and to reduce the risk of various diseases.
Nutraceuticals- A nutraceutical is any substance
considered as a food, or its part which, in addition to
its normal nutritional value, provides health benefits
including the prevention of diseases or promotion of
health.

4. Functional foods benefits include:
•Providing antioxidants (like carotenoids, flavonoids,
lycopene, anthocyanin and polyphenols) that fight free
radical damage.
•Reducing inflammation.
•Aiding in disease prevention, such as reducing the risk for
cardiovascular diseases, neurological conditions,
or cancer.
•Supporting gut health and therefore enhancing the
immune system.
•Providing live microbial cultures, also called probiotic
bacteria.
•Providing “prebiotics” that help feed probiotics.
•Reducing pathogenic bacteria and microbes.

5. Each functional food works a bit differently, depending on the specific
compounds it contains. Some of the ways that functional foods offer protection
against illnesses include:
•Counteracting the negative effects of stress, such as by offering B vitamins,
magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.
•Protecting the brain from free radical damage and supporting
cognitive/mental health.
•Supporting detoxification and digestive health.
•Balancing cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as regulating
heartbeats.
•Aiding in nutrient absorption.
•Helping build and maintain bone mass, such as by lowering acidity and helping
alkalize the body.
•Managing blood sugar levels, such as by providing fiber and anti-inflammatory
compounds.
•Helping with weight management and obesity prevention.

6. May prevent nutrient deficiencies
Functional foods are typically high in important nutrients, including
vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and fiber.
Filling the diet with a variety of functional foods ⁠— including both
conventional and fortified foods⁠ — can help ensure to get the
nutrients you need and protect against nutrient deficiencies.
In fact, since the introduction of fortified foods, the prevalence
of nutrient deficiencies has significantly decreased around the globe.
For instance, after iron-fortified wheat flour was introduced in Jordan,
rates of iron deficiency anemia among children were nearly cut in
half.
Fortification has also been used to prevent other conditions caused
by nutrient deficiencies, including rickets, goiter, and birth defects.

7. May protect against disease
Functional foods provide important nutrients that can help protect
against disease.
Many are especially rich in antioxidants. These molecules help
harmful compounds known as free radicals, helping prevent cell
and certain chronic conditions, including heart disease, cancer,
and diabetes.
Some functional foods are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy
type of fat shown to reduce inflammation, boost brain function, and
promote heart health.
Other types are rich in fiber, which can promote better blood sugar
control and protect against conditions like diabetes, obesity, heart
disease, and stroke. Fiber may also help prevent digestive disorders,
including diverticulitis, stomach ulcers, hemorrhoids, and acid reflux.

8. May promote proper growth and development
Certain nutrients are essential to proper growth and development in infants and
Enjoying a wide range of nutrient-rich functional foods as part of a healthy diet can help
ensure that nutritional needs are met. In addition, it can be beneficial to include foods
that are fortified with specific nutrients that are important for growth and development.
For example, cereals, grains, and flours are often fortified with B vitamins like folic acid,
which is essential for fetal health.
Low levels of folic acid can increase the risk of neural tube defects, which can affect the
brain, spinal cord, or spine. It’s estimated that increasing the consumption of folic acid
could decrease the prevalence of neural tube defects by 50–70%.
Other nutrients commonly found in functional foods also play key roles in growth and
development, including omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin B12

9. Nutraceuticals in cancer treatment
• The leading cause for death of adult is cancer. Treatment of cancer
involves expensive and traumatic use of drugs, surgery and irradiation.
• Nutraceuticals have the ability to control and regulate the DNA
factors in cancer cells and DNA transcription in tumours.
• They possess numerous therapeutic benefits like anti-obesity, immunity
enhancement, natural antioxidant, cardiovascular, Antidiabetic, and anti-
inflammatory effects.
• The herbal-based dietary supplements (or Nutraceuticals) known to
antagonize therapy.
• Numerous Nutraceuticals have shown to regulate specific tumour
suppressor genes and cancer driving genes.
• By utilizing a daily diet of Nutraceuticals specific to the entire possible
gene combinations found in your particular form of cancer we can inhibit
the over- expressed oncogenes unique to that form of cancer.

10. Nutraceuticals as antioxidants
• Antioxidants are the substances that act on free radicals or their
actions. It has been proven that higher intake of foods/
with antioxidant can reduce various human mortalities.
• Some compounds that possess antioxidant activities are onion,
garlic, turmeric, basil, etc.
• Antioxidants (nutraceuticals) play a major role in
diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.
• Major components that possess antioxidant activities are flavonoid
polyphenols - green tea, apples, non-flavonoid polyphenols-
turmeric, grapes, phenolic acids or phenolic diterpenes- rosemary,
organ sulfur compounds- broccoli, garlic, etc.
• They act by directly scavenging free radicals or increasing
endogenous cellular antioxidant defenses.

11. Nutraceuticals as anti-Obesity
• Obesity is a common chronic disease and a major underline reason for
metabolic syndrome which arises when there is an imbalance between
energy intake and energy expenditure.
• Some components widely used as nutraceuticals in obesity are
curcumin, bottle guard, black gram, green tea, etc. They secrete leptin
and other cytokines like IL-1, IL-6 that are critically involved in obesity
and chronic inflammation.
• They also help in reducing LDL and total cholesterol.
• Some act by limiting overall food daily intake. Nutraceuticals have
ability to affect weight loss and have huge Nutraceuticals as anti-

12. NUTRACEUTICALS AS ANTI-DIABETIC
• Diabetes is a metabolic syndrome where a person suffers from
blood glucose. It is caused due to lack of insulin production or the
body cells do not respond properly to insulin or both.
• Some nutraceuticals used to treat and prevent diabetes are
officinalis, fenugreek, green tea, etc.
• It also includes anti-oxidant vitamins like vitamin C and E and
minerals like magnesium and chromium.
• They generally act by affecting insulin sensitivity and also prevent
insulin resistance.
• Some act by increasing hepatic glycogen concentration and
decreasing the concentration of glycogen phosphorylase and
glyconeogenic enzymes.

13. NUTRACEUTICALS IN CARDIO-VASCULAR DISEASES
• Nutraceuticals in the form of antioxidants, dietary fibers, omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals are
together with physical exercise for prevention and treatment of CVD.
• The polyphenols present in grapes and in wine alter cellular
metabolism and signalling, which is consistent with reducing arterial
disease.
• Flavonoids are widely distributed in onion, endives, cruciferous
vegetables, black grapes, red wine, grapefruits, apples, cherries and
berries.
• Flavanoids in plants available as flavones (containing the flavonoid
apigenin found in chamomile); flavanones (hesperidins - citrus fruits;
silybin- milk thistle flavonols (tea:quercetin, kaempferol and rutin
grapefruit; rutin buckwheat; ginkgo flavon glycosides -ginkgo) play a
major role in curing the cardiovascular diseases.

14. REFERENCES
I) Functional Foods Benefits & How to Add Them to Your Diet
By Jillian Levy, CHHC
March 21, 2019
II) Functional Foods: Benefits, Concerns and Challenges—A
Position Paper from the American Council on Science and Health
By Clare M. Hasler
https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/132.12.3772
III) Nutraceuticals and their medicinal importance
BySakthivel Lakshmana Prabu, Timmakondu Narasimman Kuppusami
Suriyaprakash, Chellappan Dinesh Kumar, Subramaniam Suresh Kumar
DOI: 10.4103/2278-344X.101661

15. PRESENTED BY
SOUNDARYA VIJAYAKUMAR
I MSC FSN