The use of food to improve health, beyond its traditional input of nutrients, has been growing up fast. That is the reason why terms as nutraceuticals (nutrients with pharmacological properties ), functional foods, substances derived from foods, modified food and food products, have been used in a confusing way.
The topic is of great importance and should be investigated and
regulated in depth and with rigor. Foods can prevent, control, alleviate and cure diseases. Indeed, many communities have been using them since many years ago.
This is a subject that I will develop in several entries. At the beginning seems important to separate terms. Foods that may act on different diseases should be grouped into "medical food", as the case of garlic. Substances that are added to foods to improve their diet properties, should be integrated into "supplemented food", as milk with minerals. Substances isolated from foods that are "complements", for instance the Omega 3. Modified foods, either by culture or processing techniques, as well as those obtained by genetical modification, should be grouped as "modified food".
Unless you readers, suggest different grouping methods, which I will acknowledge and take into consideration, in future entries I will discuss,
1 .- Medicinal food
2 .- Supplemented food
3 .- Complements
4 .- Modified food
And for you not to think I am forgetting the main theme of these blogs, in most cases, the examples will include medicinal plants that can be consumed in the diet for palliative or curative actions.
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