For the first time, the Japanese started talking about functional nutrition in the 80s of the last century. The meaning of this theory converges to the fact that all food products are not only physiologically necessary, but can also have a clear pharmacological effect on the human body.
According to statistics, Japan ranks 1st in the consumption of dietary supplements (BAA) and can rightfully be considered a country of centenarians. However, it was there that they first started talking about functional nutrition. As for Russia, here the word dietary supplement is still perceived by the majority of the population as something hostile to the human body. Nutritionists believe that there isn't really much of a difference between the two. They are distinguished only by the form.
Perhaps the negative to dietary supplements is caused by an analogy with food dyes, preservatives and other technological additives, which are also called food additives. They can indeed contain non-food, synthetic substances. Confusion is also introduced by the translation from English, where food additives (BAA) and food additives (dyes, emulsifiers, etc.) are listed as "food additives"
It is surprising that pharmaceutical preparations, which are often of a synthetic nature, inspire more confidence in the Russian population than concentrated extracts from plants. Although the latter are also available in the form of capsules or tablets, they are classified as food products. The norm of vitamins, minerals, micronutrients necessary for the human body in dietary supplements is slightly exceeded, so they should be taken in courses.
Both dietary supplements and the functional nutrition system are able to compensate for the deficiency of essential substances in the body. Only this process is lengthy. Nutritionists agree that dietary supplements should be used in a system with functional nutrition. Then the efficiency of health restoration is much higher. Specialized meals should not be confused with functional ones. The first means a special set of high quality products intended for certain groups of the population: children, pregnant women, athletes.
As for functional nutrition, according to the scientific concept, only that which has a clear positive effect on some key function of the activity of the human body can be attributed to it. So, for example, a lactic fermented milk product helps to restore the intestinal microflora, and products with a reduced sugar or cholesterol content are a prophylactic agent for diabetics and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
Nutritionists - experts in the field of nutritional science believe that functional foods must be taken seriously, as modern foods are strikingly different from what our grandfathers ate. The depletion of natural resources, the massive use of chemical fertilizers, the use of antibiotics, hormones and pesticides have caused irreparable harm to nature. Therefore, functional nutrition is not an invention of scientists and nutritionists, but the imperative of the times.
