Pulses and Functional foods

Since the 1950s, health professionals such as Ansel Keys have been studying the diets of the people of the Mediterranean. The people of Greece, particularly Crete, had the longest life expectancy in the world until the 1960s, followed by Southern Italy, Spain, and France. Unfortunately, with mass tourism and food habit modifications things are changing. The important aspects of the Mediterranean diet are daily high intakes of cereals, grains, vegetables, pulses, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, and fruit. Wine is taken with food in moderation. Meat and poultry are also eaten in moderation, with poultry more frequently served than red meat. Animal fats in the form of butter, cream and lard are not included in the diet.

In this context, and among the basic parts of this diet, pulses could be considered as functional food. Why ? Functional food is a key concept for the future of nutrition as a science because it results from the implementation in nutrition of all the basic scientific knowledge that has accumulated over the past two or three decades.

What are functional foods ?

The functional food concept is quite distinct from other approaches like food supplementation or food fortification, and functional foods are different from nutraceuticals, pharmafoods, vitafoods and ‘alicaments’, all terms that are not defined conceptually. Functional foods are food products to be taken as part of the usual diet in order to have beneficial effects that go beyond what are known as traditional nutritional effects.

Linkages between diet habits and the quality of life continue to surface on numerous fronts. Collectively these epidemiological, pre-clinical and clinical studies provide rather compelling evidence that numerous essential and non-essential dietary components are capable of influencing growth, development and performance and disease prevention. Scientific discoveries and widespread interest in the potential medicinal benefits of foods and food components have fostered a variety of content, health and structure–function claims. Unfortunately, defining the ideal diet is complicated by the numerous and diverse components that may influence biological processes.

Is the immune system: a target for functional foods ?

The immune system acts to protect the host from infectious agents that exist in the environment (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) and from other noxious insults. The immune system is constantly active, acting to discriminate ‘non-self’ from ‘self’. The immune system has two functional divisions: the innate and the acquired. Both components involve various blood-borne factors and cells. Nutrients that have been demonstrated (in either animal or human studies) to be required for the immune system to function efficiently include essential amino acids, the essential fatty acid linoleic acid, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, Zn, Cu, Fe and Se. Practically all forms of immunity may be affected by deficiencies in one or more of these nutrients.

Obesity and functional foods

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in many countries around the world. Because of the close relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes, an epidemic of diabetes is close behind the obesity epidemic. Preventing and treating obesity is becoming an increasing priority. In the United States, over 60 % of the adult population is overweight or obese and thus at increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. While the aetiology of obesity and diabetes is complex, diet clearly plays an important role both in the development and management of these diseases.

There is interest in functional foods that could help in prevention and/or management of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This could involve food products that help management of ‘hunger’ or that increase ‘satiety’. In addition to foods that impact upon body weight, these may include foods that affect the glucose and/or insulin levels that are seen either following the ingestion of food or later in the day.

 Are Pulses functional foods ?

Part of the answer is given in the British Journal of Nutrition, December 2002 Supplement, dedicated to pulses and their potential effect on coronary diseases, obesity, diabetes and cancer among others. You will find the abstracts of the articles which make this special issue here.