Potential health benefits

Physiological functions as well as clinical symptoms that occur in humans deficient in specific vitamins are given in Table 6. It is becoming more authenticated that vitamins have additional potential health benefits when adrninistered, via the diet or by supplementation, at levels above those required for obviating deficiency. Although for most vitamins the optimal levels are not yet estabUshed, some of the potential health benefits to be derived from vitamins are indicated (16). In one case, the level of scientific proof is such that the U.S. FDA has allowed "a health cl aim that women who are capable of... 

Table 6. Vitamin Functions, Clinical Deficiency Symptoms, and Potential Health Benefits...

Glover, D.A. Ushida, K. Phillips, A. O. Riley. S. G. (2009) Acacia (sen) SUPERGUMtm (Gum arabic) An evaluation of potential health benefits in human subjects. Food Hydrocolloids, Vol. 23, No. 8, (December 2009), pp. 2410-2415, ISSN 0268-005X. 

Because of the requirement by public health authorities that any chemical used in the production of food should pose no risk to the consumer, the safety of food chemicals has mostly been approached from the perspective of whether or not the chemical poses a toxicological hazard. If it does so then it is argued that it is likely to present some degree of risk to the consumer even if humans are exposed to very low levels of that chemical in their diets. However, if exposure is minimal, depending on the nature of the toxicity, it is likely that the risk is acceptable because it is so low. What is not considered, or even tested in the experimental systems designed to study the toxicological effects of chemicals, is whether there are levels of exposure where there might be potential health benefits. The assumption is made that any nonnatural, adventitious substance that can be shown to be toxic is unlikely to have health benefits. 

Among the plant phenols, the flavonoids and the anthocyanidins, belonging to the 1,3-diphenylpropans, have been studied in most detail, mainly because of their potential health benefits. With more than 4,000 different flavonoids known, systematic studies of the effects of variation in molecular structure on physico-chemical properties of importance for antioxidative effects have also been possible (Jovanovic et al, 1994 Seeram and Nair, 2002). Flavonoids were originally found not to behave as efficiently as the classic phenolic antioxidants like a-tocopherol and synthetic phenolic antioxidants in donating... 

Natural products have been noted for their potential health benefits from time immemorial and are the basis of Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical practice (Bushkin and Bushkin, 2002). However, the potential benefits of several natural products reside in one or two active ingredients. For example green tea stands for polyphenols, soy for soy estrogens, broccoli for isothiocyanates and grape seed for polyphenols. The beauty of rice bran is that there are more than 100 antioxidants, several categories of bioactive phytonutrients, such as IP6, polyphenols, phytosterols, tocotrienols, y-oryzanol, B vitamins, minerals and trace minerals in addition to fat, protein, fiber, polysaccharides and other nutrients. These phytonutrients and antioxidants of rice bran are believed to act at the cellular level, and their synergestic function is responsible for the positive health benefits. 

Although rice bran is still a wasted product all over the world, recent scientific studies have recognized its potential health benefits. This is a unique, nutrient-dense natural product which offers health benefits for a series of ailments. It is a food pharmacy worth considering not only for general health maintenance but also as a dietary supplement for serious health conditions. With the advent of unique stabilization technology rice bran, an under-utilized waste product, has now been made available as a highly nutritious, health-promoting food for humans. 

The research into the biological activities of chlorophylls developed over the past 20 years is also important although very few in vivo assays concerning then-potential health benefits have been performed. Far fewer studies have focused on chlorophylls in comparison to carotenoids. Efforts to stabilize chlorophylls in pro-... 

In light of increasing evidence associating these compounds with a wide range of potential health benefits, catechins and proanthocyanidins have attracted commercial attention [II]. Accordingly, the proanthocyanidins in... 

The composition and physicochemical structure of DF and phytochemicals in fruit and vegetables have specific characteristics that lend this food group significant nutrition- and health-related properties. Indeed, the potential health benefits of fruit and vegetables are mainly attributed to the effects of DF and antioxidants. 

McKay DL and Blumberg JB. 2006. A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of peppermint... 

Bhimanagouda SP, Turner ND, Miller EG, Brodbelt JS (eds) (2006) Potential health benefits of Citrus, ACS symposium series, vol 936... 

Other potential health benefits of dietary flavonoids are too numerous to mention here. Suffice it to say that our understanding of the importance of flavonoids in the human diet is continuing to advance rapidly. One suspects that much of the physiological activity associated with flavonoids can be attributed to (i) their proven effectiveness as antioxidants and free radical scavengers, (ii) to their metal complexing capabilities (a capability that drove early advances in absorption spectroscopy and NMR studies), and (iii) to their ability to bind with a high degree of specificity to proteins. 

Various excellent reviews are available on phenolic compounds, their chemistry and analysis, content in foods and nutritional significance (Bravo, 1998 Dykes and Rooney, 2006 Manach et al., 2004 Naczk and Shahidi, 2006 Robbins, 2003). From a nutritional perspective, phenolic compoimds (especially tannins) are regarded as antinutritional factors due to their ability to form complexes with dietary proteins and minerals and digestive enzymes (Bravo, 1998). However, lately there has been increasing focus on the positive aspects of phenolics due to their ability to act as antioxidants which may offer potential health benefits such as prevention of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. 

J. Potential health benefits and negative effects associated with components of morama beans... 

TABLE 5.8 Potential health benefits associated with the components of Tylosema esculentum (morama beans)... 

This limited overview on the analysis of four classes of the following secondary potato metabolites is, except for anthocyanins, largely limited to our own studies of glycoalkaloids, calystegine alkaloids, and phenolic compounds. Because interest in these potato constituents arises from potential health benefits and occasional toxicity, we also include in this overview a brief discussion of these aspects that relate to composition and a description of experimental methods. The interested reader should consult the cited references for an entry into the extensive worldwide literature on the diverse analytical and biological aspects for these metabolites. 

Plant polyphenols have been of interest for long time owing to their role in plant pigmentation, reproduction and protection against predators and pathogens. Recently, interest in the biological effects of plant polyphenols (particularly flavonoids) has increased, because of the the potential health benefits associated with some dietary polyphenols. This... 

Interest in w-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids initially was prompted by observations that Greenland Eskimos experienced a significantly lower incidence of death from ischemic heart disease than Western populations. Results of subsequent studies indicated that this alleged or potential health benefit and other physiological effects were due to a diet high in marine oils containing esterifed w-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). 

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