Συμπληρώματα διατροφής/λειτουργικά τρόφιμα: χημικές κατηγορίες βιοδραστικών συστατικών, φαρμακευτικές αλληλεπιδράσεις, νομοθετικό πλαίσιο κυκλοφορίας. Προτάσεις.

Abstract

Introduction: Food supplements are a category of foods that does not aim in substituting conventional foods but instead to enrich the regular diet of the consumers. On the other hand, a functional food is a food that contains all the necessary nutrients and provide many benefits to human physiology. They contain a great concentration of micro- and macro- nutrients but also a great number of substances individually or in combination. Food supplements are usually commercially available in forms that facilitate dosing such as capsules, tablets, powder etc Aim: the aim of this thesis is to investigate the use of food supplements and functional foods by examining the legal framework, the most important chemically active substances that they contain and the drug interactions with the prescribed drugs. Conclusions: Food supplements are a category of foods that have great potential to benefit consumer’s health. However, there is always a possibility of adverse effects and for this reason it is of great importance to enact a legal framework and to inform consumers but also healthcare professionals to properly use them.