Development of functional food products in relation to obesity

Abstract

The development of new eating habits, as well as actual trends in production and consumption, has a health, environmental and social impact. The entire world is fighting diseases characteristic of the modern age such as obesity, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, allergies, and dental problems. With a global increase in the prevalence of obesity, both nutrition and exercise play key roles in its prevention and treatment. Natural product (nutraceutical) interventions are currently being investigated on a large-scale basis as potential treatments for obesity and weight management. With advancing nutritional sciences, several nutrients such as; low-glycemic-index carbohydrates, 5-hydroxytryptophan, green tea extract, and chromium have been shown to promote weight loss. The first two nutrients decrease appetite, green tea increases the 24 hr energy expenditure, and chromium promotes the composition of the weight lost to be fat rather than lean tissue. These have been assembled, in efficacious doses, into a new functional food product and described in this review. Each component has already been shown to promote weight loss independently in clinical trials.Key words: obesity, weight loss, functional foods