Herbs A Potential Ingredient to Functional Foods

Lamiaceae Herbs A Potential Ingredient to Functional Foods 

Aromatic herbs and spices are an important part of human nutrition and have a place in all the cultures of the world. The literature describes how they impart flavour and reduce the need for salt and fatty condiments, improve digestion, and provide the organism with bioactive compounds that could prevent the appearance of physiological and metabolic alterations. An example of this would be the Mediterranean Diet. Mediterranean diets do include considerable amounts of oregano, rosemary, basil, and thyme, among other herbs, which may help to explain some of the protective effects against some chronic diseases such as heart disease or cancer, observed in populations following more traditional Mediterranean diets (Tapsell etal. 2006). 

Bearing in mind all these considerations, would it be possible to consider the aromatic herbs and spices an ingredient for the development of functional foods This question is not easy to answer because the concept of functional food is complex and may refer to many possible aspects, including food obtained by any process, whose particular characteristic is that one or more of its components, whether or not that component is itself a nutrient, affects the target function of the organism 

On the other hand, in recent decades, in the developed world, especially in the United States, a strong desire for things that are natural has appeared. Even if the natural and artificial exemplars are specified to be chemically identical, a majority of people who prefer natural continue to prefer it (Rozin et al. 2004). The consumer preference for natural products have resulted an increased interest in the search and use for natural bioactive compounds present in aromatic herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables that might help to maintain the health. Furthermore, people want to take food with desired health benefits rather than take medicine separately. 

Members of the family are used for different purposes, but we can group their uses into three main categories (Naghibi et al. 2005) (1) medicinal, (2) ornamental, and (3) aromatic plants which are used as culinary herbs or vegetables and in the perfume industry. This category is mainly formed by Nepetoideae subfamily (Table 13.1). This fam- 

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LAMIACEAE HERBS A POTENTIAL INGREDIENT TO FUNCTIONAL FOODS... 

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