Dietary Supplements and Functional Foods

The market for supplements and functional foods is massive and growing. There are many accepted uses of dietary supplements, e.g. the use of fish oils in the prevention and treatment of heart disease/arthritis and the use of folic acid in pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. Supplements and functional foods are becoming more important as academic subjects taught within conventional health, nutrition and health-related courses and also in the many courses springing up in areas such as herbalism and alternative therapies taught now within orthodox academic establishments throughout the world.. The book will take an introductory approach to the subject defining what supplements and functional foods are and the reasons why they are taken. Evidence will be presented for their successful use in treatment and prevention of disease processes. The individual supplements will then be discussed in detail including chapters on vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, natural fats and oils, garlic, other plant products and royal jelly, and functional foods such as probiotics.