Hiteles termékek – tudatos fogyasztók a funkcionális élelmiszerek táplálkozásbiológiai áttekintése

Abstract

Until recently, nutrition has played only a minor role in the ordinary, so-called „Western” therapies. Yet it was known in the Ancient world that one should eat moderately but eat a variety of foods. In those times foods and medicines were not differentiated, and it was known that some foods and food products had favourable affects on health. The relationship between nutrition and health is well known. Inadequate nutrition can lead to numerous diseases or pathological conditions. At the same time, healthy nutrition based on scientiic evidence decreases the risk of disease. In the last few decades, many plants, animals, and minerals have risen to prominence in the market due to discoveries about their nutritional content and their role in prevention and mitigation of serious illness. Their effectiveness has been proven. The application of evidence-based practice can now be found in dietetics as well, and „conscious nutrition” is a popular idea. Nowadays, one sixth of the Hungarian population eats in a healthy way and selects their everyday food and drink according to nutritional guidelines. Knowledge about the risks of inordinate consumption and the remedial effect of balanced consumption is widespread. The great advantage of these products is that they are foodstuffs, not pharmaceuticals. Besides the enjoyment and gastronomic pleasure of eating, „nutraceuticals” provide a body important immunizators. Through expansion of their healthy food production, food-factory enterprises can win serious intellectual and inancial capital for their activity, yet that alone is not sufficient. Customers should be provided the knowledge they need about functional foods and how they can be consumed most effectively. Information must be disseminated regarding the differences between apparently similar foods with differing biological values. Making claims concerning health requires serious a scientiic background and a sense of responsibility. Conscious consumers value truthfulness in their suppliers and merchants most highly.