Dietary Supplements And Functional Foods

by Geoffrey P. Webb (University of East London)

• ISBN13: 9781405119092
• ISBN10: 1405119098
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

The study of nutritional supplements has become increasingly important within orthodox establishments throughout the world, and as the market for these products continues to grow, so does the need for comprehensive scientifically sound information about these products, their properties and potential health effects. Geoffrey P. Webb, in this exciting and most useful new book, not only looks at the accepted uses of dietary supplements, such as the use of fish oils in the prevention of heart disease and arthritis, but also explores the wider picture, identifying common themes and principles or particular categories of supplements. Dietary Supplements and Functional Foods provides an excellent introductory text on this fascinating subject. This book is an invaluable source of reference for students and professionals in nutrition, dietetics, nutritional therapy, food science, and technology and other health professions including nursing, pharmacy and pharmacology, personnel within food and pharmaceutical companies involved with supplement and functional food development and all libraries in institutions where this subject is studied and taught will find this book an important addition to their shelves.

Author Biography

Dr Geoffrey P. Webb is senior lecturer in Nutrition/Physiology in the School of Health & Bioscience, Univerity of East London, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
An overview of dietary supplements and functional foods	1	(37)
The evolving rationale for supplement use	1	(7)
Adequacy and the prevention of deficiency diseases	1	(2)
Diet as a means to prevent chronic, age-related and wealth-related diseases	3	(1)
Supplements versus dietary change for the prevention of chronic disease	4	(3)
Dietary supplements and natural remedies as a safer alternative to modern medicine?	7	(1)
Defining dietary supplements	8	(1)
Legal regulation of dietary supplements (UK perspective)	9	(2)
Medicines	9	(1)
Non-medicinal supplements	10	(1)
Health claims	10	(1)
Legal regulation -- the European (EU) dimension	11	(2)
Regulation in the USA	13	(1)
Supplement quality	14	(1)
The market for supplements	15	(1)
Reasons for taking supplements	16	(4)
To compensate for a perceived or potential inadequacy in the diet	16	(1)
To compensate for some perceived increase in need or defective handling of a nutrient	17	(1)
To treat or prevent non-deficiency diseases	18	(1)
To improve athletic performance	19	(1)
Do supplements and functional foods work? Testing their effectiveness and safety	20	(1)
Measures of outcome	20	(1)
The two main investigative approaches	21	(17)
The observational approach	21	(6)
The experimental approach	27	(8)
Testing -- a summing up	35	(3)
An overview of micronutrient adequacy	38	(23)
Introduction and scope of the chapter	38	(1)
Judging the adequacy of micronutrient intakes	38	(5)
Recommended daily allowances on food labels	41	(1)
Measuring an individual's micronutrient status using clinical or biochemical observations	41	(2)
Micronutrient adequacy of the UK population	43	(16)
Young and middle-aged adults	45	(4)
Children	49	(2)
Pregnant women	51	(3)
Lactating women	54	(1)
The elderly	55	(3)
Athletes in training	58	(1)
Summing up	59	(2)
The individual vitamins	61	(23)
The fat soluble vitamins	61	(10)
Vitamin A (retinol)	61	(5)
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)	66	(2)
Vitamin E (α-tocopherol)	68	(1)
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	69	(2)
The water soluble vitamins	71	(13)
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)	71	(1)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)	72	(1)
Vitamin B3 (niacin)	73	(1)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)	74	(2)
Vitamin B12 (cobalamins)	76	(1)
Folic acid (folate, folacin)	77	(3)
Biotin	80	(1)
Pantothenic acid	80	(1)
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	81	(3)
The minerals	84	(23)
Calcium	86	(4)
Chromium	90	(1)
Copper	91	(1)
Fluoride	92	(2)
Iodine	94	(2)
Iron	96	(3)
Magnesium	99	(2)
Manganese	101	(1)
Molybdenum	102	(1)
Potassium	102	(2)
Selenium	104	(1)
Zinc	104	(3)
Free radicals and antioxidants	107	(14)
Introduction	107	(1)
The free radical or oxidant theory of disease	108	(2)
Mechanisms for limiting free radical damage	110	(3)
Diets with plentiful supplies of (antioxidant-rich) fruit and vegetables are associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases	113	(1)
What evidence is there that antioxidant supplements are beneficial or at least harmless?	114	(4)
Vitamin E and dementia	118	(1)
Summing up the case for antioxidant supplements	119	(2)
Natural fats and oils	121	(20)
The nature of fats, oils and other lipids	121	(2)
Why are we preoccupied with the balance of our dietary fats?	123	(1)
Why some fatty acids are called `essential'	124	(5)
Essential fatty acids and eicosanoid production	128	(1)
Fish oil supplements	129	(5)
What are the suggested benefits of taking fish (liver) oil supplements?	131	(1)
Fish oil supplements -- evidence of effectiveness	132	(2)
Evening primrose oil and other sources of GLA	134	(1)
Flaxseed oil	135	(1)
Conjugated linoleic acid	136	(3)
β-Sitosterol and the phytosterols	139	(2)
Non-essential `nutrients' that are used as dietary supplements	141	(23)
General rationale	141	(2)
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate	143	(4)
Nature and functions of cartilage	143	(1)
Supplement forms and origins	144	(1)
Rationale for use and evidence of effectiveness	145	(2)
S-adenosylmethionine	147	(2)
Nature and functions	147	(1)
Rationale for use and evidence of efficacy	147	(2)
Lecithin and choline	149	(1)
L-carnitine	150	(4)
Nature and synthesis of L-carnitine	150	(1)
Functions of carnitine	151	(1)
Circumstances that may increase carnitine requirements	152	(1)
Use of carnitine supplements	153	(1)
Carnitine supplements -- conclusions	154	(1)
Creatine	154	(2)
Nature and origins of body creatine	154	(1)
Functions of creatine	154	(1)
Rationale and evidence for the use of creatine supplements	155	(1)
Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone)	156	(3)
Nature and sources of coenzyme Q10	156	(1)
Functions of coenzyme Q10	157	(1)
Rationale and evidence for the use of coenzyme Q10 supplements	158	(1)
α-Lipoic acid	159	(3)
Nature and sources of body α-lipoic acid	159	(1)
Functions of α-lipoic acid	160	(1)
Rationale and evidence for the use of α-lipoic acid supplements	161	(1)
Methylsulphonylmethane (MSM)	162	(2)
Nature and sources of MSM	162	(1)
MSM as a supplement	162	(2)
Natural products and extracts	164	(41)
Scope of the chapter	164	(1)
Secondary plant metabolites	165	(8)
Terpenoids	166	(1)
Phenolic compounds (phenols and polyphenols)	167	(1)
Nitrogen-containing alkaloids and sulphur-containing compounds	168	(3)
How might these secondary metabolites reduce risk of chronic disease?	171	(2)
The individual plant and animal extracts	173	(32)
Agnus castus	173	(1)
Aloe vera	174	(1)
Bee products	175	(3)
Chitosan	178	(1)
Echinacea	179	(1)
Garlic	180	(3)
Ginger	183	(2)
Ginkgo biloba	185	(3)
Ginseng	188	(2)
Guarana	190	(1)
Kelp	191	(1)
Milk thistle	192	(2)
Saw palmetto	194	(2)
Spirulina	196	(1)
Chlorella	196	(1)
St John's Wort (Hypericum perforation)	197	(5)
Tea extracts	202	(3)
Functional foods	205	(19)
Introduction and scope of the chapter	205	(1)
The phytosterols and phytostanols	206	(4)
The phyto-oestrogens	210	(5)
Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics	215	(9)
Definitions	215	(1)
The lactic acid bacteria	216	(1)
Breast milk and the `bifidus factor'	216	(1)
What makes a good probiotic?	217	(1)
Suggested benefits of probiotics	217	(2)
Effect of probiotics upon incidence and severity of diarrhoea	219	(2)
Possible effects of probiotics upon risk of developing bowel cancer	221	(1)
Probiotics and the prevention of childhood eczema	221	(1)
Prebiotics	222	(1)
Synbiotics	223	(1)
References	224	(15)
Index	239