Functional ingredient assignment

As Hippocrates pointed out “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food” nearly 2,500 years ago, this notion is receiving renewed interest throughout the world.  The market of functional food is attracting consumers’ interests.  Recent consumers pay considerable attention on their health and try to improve it by themselves. The phenomenon is motivated by raising public health costs and health awareness.  Consequently, a great variety of functional food and nutraceuticals have emerged and created a huge market.  Among the vast range of health benefits, one of the most significant trends of the functional food lies in modification of the activity of the gastrointestinal tract by using probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics aiming to improve gut health and immune protection.

The primary role of our diet is to provide enough nutrients to fulfill requirements which give us a feeling of satisfaction and wellbeing.  However, recent researches discovered the functions of food beyond nutrition.  Diet may modulate various functions in our body.  There are various kinds of ingredients which found to have regulatory function of the gut health and immune protection.  There are some key categories of functional ingredients for gut health.  Several approaches are aiming for the same benefit.  Here, two examples of their benefits and some products which meet those benefits are shown below. 

First, ingredients for controlling the intestinal function by using probiotic are common way to gain the benefit.  Some particular strains of bacteria are used for this area. L.casei strain shirota, one of lactobacillus strains, is well known as the ingredient for yakult in Japan.  Although yakult has produced many types of product contains L.casei strain shirota, there is the trend of product, focusing on the target consumer by fortifying the sub benefit.  For example, “yakult SHEs” is their relatively new product whose target are young women.  It says “for woman’s beauty” as their benefit statement.  The product contains calcium, irons, vitamin C, vitamin and collagen as well as L.casei strain shirota.  By adding these functional ingredients, they appeal to their target that it promotes not only digestive health but also it gives efficient minerals and vitamin for enhancing women’s health and beauty.  These fortified dairy products for probiotics are becoming common in the probiotic market.  Also there is a unique example of probiotic product, “Onaka natto”, produced by Asahimatsu foods.  It is a product claims on gut health for its fermented soybean product.  The product is fermented by the company’s proprietary natto bacteria “Bacillussubtillis K-2 strain”.  The company claims that “Onaka natto” regulates the functions of intestines when consuming one pack (50g) a day for 2 weeks. (Asahimatsu syokuhin 2008) Originally, soy bean has its own functional ingredients such as dietary fibre, isoflavone, nattokinase, and vitamin K2.  It also targeting young women and the package is designed pink to appeal for the targets.

Second, there is a product which claims more about immune system.  The product called “ImmuneMC5” is a supplement designed to have the ability to enhance immune system by using 5 kinds of mushrooms which has documented to have beneficial effect on immune system.  Some research have found out that mushrooms contain biologically active polysaccharides that mostly belong to group of beta-glucans which increase host immune defense by activation complement system, enhancing macrophages and natural killer cell function. (Akramiene 2007) The product also claims to have the antimicrobials and anti-inflammatory activities, scavenger free radicals, help reduce risk of cancer and boost antitumor.  These possible effects can also be able to explained by the activity of beta glucan.  Beta-glucan which are glucose polymer that are major structural components of the cell wall of yeast, fungi , but also of cereals like oat and barley. (Volman 2007)  They act differently in different parts of the body.  They stimulate the growth of desirable bacteria and limit the growth of potentially harmful organisms.   Beneficial bacteria ferment beta-glucan to produce volatile fatty acids, which are used by the cells lining the intestine to protect against bowl disease.(Volman 2007) They also have the ability to bind and activate specialized cells involved in immune response and stimulate immune system. (Volman 2007)  There is also an example of nutriceutical named “Immune health Medical Mushroom Brend”.  In this case, the company claims the benefit comes from Inurin which is dietary fibre extracted from chicory root. Inurin produce ologofructose by partial hydrolysis and the fructan, the product, stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in intestine flora.

As we saw above, there are several ways to make product as healthy food.  Next, we will see the trend of the market of gut health.  There are some trends that company trying to add the premium value such as fortifying the product, replacing a component which is excessive, or increasing the concentration of a beneficial component to make the product more functional and make the difference among similar products in the market.  The market of gut health and immune protection is growing rapidly.  Especially dairy product such as yogurts and fermented milk, have experienced rapid growth. (Stanton 2001)  It seems this market will keep continue growing.  However, the regulatory and labeling problems are still complicated because they are different from the country to others, but are likewise critical because they can be the media for communication between benefits of the product to the consumers. (Sanders 1999) 

In conclusion, the functional ingredients for gut health and immune protection contain several approaches to have the benefit.  Each company is trying to sell their product by unique marketing strategy using some approaches.  The market trends indicate the possibility of the further market growth.  It is promising that the improvement of scientific research and marketing strategy will lead this market growth.  It is important to boost this trend to optimize the health of consumers.

Reference

Akramiene D, Kondrotas A, Didziapetriene J and Kevelaitis, E. (2007) Effects of beta-glucans on the immune system.  Medicina (Kaunas). 43(8): 597-606.

Asahimatsu syokuhin.  New product, “onaka natto” (2008) http://www.asahimatsu.co.jp/company/release/080118onaka.pdf (viewed 17th September)

Sanders M E, and Veld, J H. (1999) Bringing a probiotic-containing functional food to the market: microbiological, product, regulatory and labeling issues. Antonie can Leeuwenhoek 76: 293-315

Stanton C, Gardiner G, Meehan H, Collins K, Fitzgerald G, Lynch P B, and Ross, R P. (2001) Market potential for probiotics. America Journal for Clinical Nutrition. 2(4): 476-483

Volman J J, Ramakers J D, and Plat, J.  Dietary modulation of immune function by β-glucans.  Physiology & Behavior. Volume 94, Issue 2: 276-284


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