An August 2002 U.S. patent issued to Innovative Foods Inc. provides a method of infusing nutrients such as vitamins, phytochemicals, herbal extracts and medicinals into fruits, vegetables and other underutilized food products.
Some attribute the phenomenon of the "French Paradox" to consumption of red wine at least to a certain degree. Although the French consume a diet high in saturated fatty acids, have high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and smoking rates similar to other countries, their incidence of death due to coronary heart disease is relatively low.
With numerous health benefits supported by strong scientific evidence, flax lignans have much to offer manufacturers targeting specific categories of wellness seekers, including consumers in the fast-growing men's health category.
The resin from a tree in India, the guggul tree, contains a substance effective in controlling high cholesterol. The compound, guggulsterone, blocks the action of a cell receptor, FXR, which helps to regulate body cholesterol levels.
A $4.5 million study to be conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston will examine the health benefits of soy isoflavone supplementation in reducing bone loss in postmenopausal women.
The food and nutritional industries tend to "deconstruct" foods. With the aid of science, healthy constituents are found and extracted and/or purified, and then promoted as supplements for food fortification.
The interest in foods with healthful properties has increased the need for food formulators to offer additional benefits in the foods and beverages they manufacture.
Health-conscious consumers—and manufacturers and marketers of nutritional products—are becoming more familiar with the health benefits of "good fat." A primer on nutritional fats and oils—from omega-3 fatty acids to chia seed oil—is provided.
Elderberries grow beyond the folklore into mainstream functional foods.
An old Austrian saying, "Tip your hat to the elder," expresses the respect with which Europeans have long regarded the elder tree (Sambucus nigra L. Caprifoliaceae) and its dark purple berries.