1.1 Introduction
Functional foods play an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and reducing the risk factors of various diseases. Most foods have a functional element which is responsible for improving the healthy state. All food substances such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, meat, fish, dairy contain functional ingredients. A wide range of naturally occurring substances from plant and animal sources having active components which play a role in physiological actions deserve attention for their optimal use in maintaining health. Functional food goes by many closely related definitions around the world (Alongi and Anese, 2021). Most definitions also suggest that a functional food should be, or should look like traditional food and must be part of our normal diet. A functional food can be targeted at the whole population or at particular groups, which may be defined, for example, by age or genetic constitution.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Functional foods are regarded as foods that have potential beneficial effect on health beyond their basic nutritional value. They promote good health and lower the risk of diseases. Functional foods have received widespread pop- ularity across the globe, and they are commonly known as "nutraceuticals" and "designer food". The concept of functional food was started and regulated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan, in the year 1980s and then progressed to North America and other markets (Mellentin et al. 2014). Amount of biologically active compounds are very less in the food items and their beneficial effect have been studied in rodent models and clinical studies. Results from epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of specific fruits, animal products and vegetables that are rich in bioactive compounds reduced the risk of various metabolic disorders and cancer (Karasawa and Mohan 2018).
The functional food sector, which includes the food, beverage, and supplement industries, is one of the many sectors of the food industry that has seen significant growth in recent years. The global demand for functional foods is expected to hit 176.7 billion dollars in 2013, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%. The functional food sector will grow at a 6.9% CAGR, while the supplement sector will grow at a 3.8 percent CAGR, and the functional beverage sector will grow at a 10.8 percent CAGR (Roberts, 2009). Health benefits are commonly associated with functional foods. Physical per- formance, psychological activity, organ or system function, emotional, mental, and curing chronic illness are the physiological benefits of functional foods or bioactive compounds (Granado-Lorencio et al., 2016).
The growth of interest in the relationship between diet, food ingredients, and health has led to the development of functional foods. Healthy food can make a significant contribution to health and well-being, but busy consumers may not have time to access their optimum diet. Functional foods can provide ingredients that improve health in a convenient way (Functional Food Products and Sustainable Health, 2020). Increased affluence and urbanization are also linked to a lifestyle in which our daily routine requires less physical activity and greater access to energy-intensive food. We now face a real challenge to balance energy consumption and expenditure with more overweight. In 2008, 59% of adult men and 48% of adult women in 27 EU countries were either overweight or obese. Nutrition science has focused much of its history on the role of essential nutrients in the prevention of deficiencies. Nevertheless, unchanged levels of key nutrients or functional components must now be ensured in connection with decreasing energy expenditure (Culhane et al., 2015).
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Bio-chemistry of Functional Food, Dietary Importance and Health Effect.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed the searching the new functional foods or their active ingredient remains a challenge for the scientific community. The challenges faced in making functional foods which is to develop effective synergies between science and the development of food products, for the benefit of consumers (Rashidinejad et al., 2021).
Measures taken on carefully selected markers over the short term can be used as an indication of the impact on the endpoints of health, which otherwise would only be possible by long term studies. For example, reduced serum levels of LDL cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart disease are unequivocally linked to the risk of disease, the markers are also regarded as risk factors for disease (Xue et al., 2021). Nutritional biomarkers development is a challenge.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Bio-chemistry of Functional Food, Dietary Importance and Health Effect. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the relevance of functional food dietary.
- To investigate the factors affecting the human health from dietary food intakes.
- To conduct a thorough literature survey of functional foods.
- To understand the various classifications of functional foods and their health benefits.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Are there factors affecting the human health from dietary food intakes?
- What is the relevance of functional food dietary?
- What are the various classifications of functional foods and their health benefits?
1.7 Significance of Study
This study will be of immense benefit to food technologist and other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on Bio-chemistry of Functional Food, Dietary Importance and Health Effect in Nigeria.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
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