SLW Flashcards
What is meant by a “nutraceutical” and “functional
foods”?
nutraceutical foods:
-“food, or parts of a food, that provide medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease”
Functional foods:
- Functional foods are modified foods which claim to improve health, quality of life, or wellbeing. They are intended for use as part of a healthy lifestyle or as a means to compensate for an unhealthy one.
Some common examples of functional food are as follows:
➢ Probiotics - mostly bacteria which when taken in adequate amounts can confer a health benefit.
➢ Prebiotics - which can promote the growth of particular bacteria in the large intestine that are beneficial to the health of the intestine, and also inhibit the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.
➢ Stanols and sterols - occur naturally in small amounts in plants and fruits. They are thought to play a role in decreasing cholesterol levels.
What is glucosamine?
Glucosamine is an amino sugar that is naturally occuring in the body and it is normally involved in the making of glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins. These are important components in maintaining and building parts of the joints such as the cartilage
What are the health claims of glucosamine?
It is most notably used to prevent and delay the progression of osteoarthritis
What are the side effects of taking glucosamine supplements?
➢ Gastrointestinal discomfort ➢ Constipation ➢ Diarrhoea ➢ Headaches ➢ Nausea
What is chondroitin?
It is naturally synthesised in the body and can be found in the bone cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan and is a major component of articular cartilage. It can be used to help those who suffer from osteoarthritis. Chondroitin possibly results in the stimulation of the synthesis of proteoglycans and decreases catabolic activity of chondrocytes by inhibiting the synthesis of proteolytic enzymes that contribute to cartilage matrix damage. Chondroitin also exerts anti-inflammatory activity
What are the health claims of chondroitin
➢ Pain relief
➢ Slowing down the process of the cartilage breaking down (joint damage) to manage osteoarthritis
➢ Increase joint mobility
➢ Reduce inflammation
What are the side effects of taking chondroitin?
➢ Mild stomach pain ➢ Nausea ➢ Bloating ➢ Diarrhea ➢ Constipation ➢ Headache ➢ Swollen eyelids ➢ Leg swelling ➢ Hair loss ➢ Skin rash ➢ Irregular heartbeat
What is melatonin?
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the brain. It is involved in regulating a person’s body clock and helping to regulate sleep patterns. It is often recommended to manage ‘jet-lag’ (to re-establish normal sleeping pattern). In some countries melatonin is available to purchase as a supplement but in the UK, access is restricted to supply by prescription; Circadin is the only licensed melatonin product for use in the UK which is a prescription only medicine and it is available in the form of a ‘prolonged-release’ tablet. This is only licensed for short term treatment in adults of 55 years of age or over. However, it is used ‘off-label’ in children and young people under 18
What are the health claims of melatonin?
➢ Helps to promote sleep
Advantages of melatonin over other hypnotic agents include:
➢ No hangover effect.
➢ No risk of tolerance with repeated dosing.
➢ Therefore, no risk of physical dependence
➢ Low prevalence of unwanted effects.
What are the side effects of taking melatonin?
➢ Dizziness ➢ Headache ➢ Nausea ➢ Agitation ➢ Slight drop in body temperature
What advice about melatonin would you give to a patient?
Advise caution in patients who are pregnant, or have an autoimmune condition. Re-inforce to patients that this supplement is not available in the UK and they should be careful when using. This should not be used by children under the age of 12. Melatonin should be used with caution in patients using anticoagulants, as melatonin can reduce blood coagulation
What are plant sterols?
Plant sterols are steroid alkaloid bioactive component that have similar functions as that of mammalian cholesterols, but different in terms of their side-chain chemical structures. Some of the food sources of plant sterols include vegetable, nuts, margarines and soya. The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterised by a high intake of plant-sterol containing food
What are the health claims of plant sterols?
Plant sterols are mainly used to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is also known as ‘bad cholesterol’. Plant sterols may reduce the risk of CVD as elevated LDL-cholesterol is one of the important risk factors for CVD.
What are the side effects of taking plant sterols?
To date, no serious side-effects of plant sterols consumption have been observed in humans.
However, some cases of diarrhoea in animals and humans have been reported at high doses of plant
sterol
