Introduction

In research on functional foods is vitally important to study methods of

epidemiological research since starting from this can be evaluated the interaction of
diet and health, such research is directed with respect to several aspects for example
the use of animals in the experimentation of the effect that a food can have on health
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS
● The main observation of interest is the occurrence
● Epidemiological research methods are of the disease and its ultimate goal the prevention
of the same.
needed to directly analyse the
relationship between dietary habits,
and in particular functional food
intake and disease development.
● Experimental scientific method
○ Observation and measurement
○ Formulation of hypotheses
○ Verification of the hypothesis
○ Resolution of the hypothesis
○ Issuance of a general law
 Types of epidemiological
measures
○ Measures of disease frequency
■ Prevalencia

Uses of epidemiology
■ odds
■ cumulative incidence
○ Measures of effect
■ Attributable risk
● Establishment of health diagnosis in the
■ Relative risk
community
● Description of the natural and social history of the
disease
● Study of the preventive or causal factors of the
disease
● Identification of groups vulnerable to the disease
and new-onset syndromes
Nutritional Epidemiology
Involvement of certain nutrients and foods in the
development of the most prevalent chronic diseases

● Obesity
● Diabetes
● Cardiovascular
● Cancer
● Osteoporosis
● Waterfalls

The complex nature of nutrition is another aspect that

makes it difficult to study the role of nutrients and
food in the causes of disease.
Nutrients
The nutritional episcopology studies lie in the fact that
the use of the total intake of a nutrient provides the
most potent hypo-typesis test on the relationship
between diet and the risk of developing the disease.

Variations in diet occur

Nutritional epidemiology, it is essential to have

instruments for measuring food intake that can
adequately quantify existing variations and thus avoid
the error mentioned in the estimation of effects.
INSTRUMENTS FOR THE COLLECTION OF FOOD AND
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Mediterranean diet
Ability to predict the risk of mortality based
on the study of dietary patterns based on
the analysis of certain foods or nutrients.
life expectancy among the highest on the
planet and with very low rates of diet-
related chronic diseases, such as
cardiovascular diseases and cancer
9% reduction in total mortality,
primarily from cardiovascular
disease, and a 13% reduction in the
incidence of Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's disease
functional eating pattern" because,
beyond its function as a source of
energy and nutrients for the body, it
contributes to preventing the
emergence of the most prevalent
chronic diseases, prolonging life in
good health.
Preclinical studies with experimental animals
Research for the development,
production and control of novel
foods and medicines requires the
use of experimental animals
Obtain information on the
functionality and toxicity of various
therapeutic compounds
BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTAL MODELS
Biological models are also used to assess
the bioavailability or degree or frequency
with which a drug or compound is
absorbed or made available in the body's
tissue or organ after it is administered.
Types of biological Considerations in the use of
models animals as models of human
● Cellular and tissue nutrition
models.
● Isolated organs. ● Dietary pattern
● Animal models (in vivo ● Nutritional requirements
studies) ● Digestion and absorption
○ Induced Models ● Body composition, nutrient
○ Models generated by metabolism and excretion
genetic manipulation ● Reproduction
○ Spontaneous models
Animal models of disease and functional foods
● Cardiovascular pathologies
● Bone health and osteoporosis
● Performance and fitness
● Weight regulation, insulin
sensitivity, and diabetes Some types
of cancer
● Mental state and psychic
performance
● Gastrointestinal Health and
Immunity
Cardiovascular diseases
A large number of cardiovascular
diseases, such as myocardial infarction,
hypertension and peripheral vascular
disease have their origin in the
appearance of atherosclerosis.
Studies in animal models have
verified the interaction between
diet and genetic susceptibility to
hypertension.

Animals are induced to develop disease

by ingesting diets with altered
composition, especially lipids
Obesity
Studies carried out on
genetically obese and diabetic
mice or rats confirm that there
are hereditary factors that can
contribute to obesity.
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus comprises a group
of diseases with one common
characteristic: hyperglycemia. It may
be due to an almost absolute insulin
deficit or a relative deficit of insulin.
Osteoporosis and diet
Numerous animal studies have
shown the relationship between
dietary components and bone
health.

Antioxidants have also been

shown to eliminate oxygen free
radicals, inhibit bone resorption
and stimulate bone formation.
Cancer and diet
Studies in rats have shown that
tumor development is enhanced by
the administration of high-fat diets,
especially those rich in
polyunsaturated fatty acids, in Another animal model has demonstrated the
addition to diets with high energy inhibitory effect of selenium in various
content. phases of tumourogenesis.

In the field of toxicology, animal models are

routinely used to determine the
carcinogenesis of nutritional additiv
New foods, functional foods and nutraceuticals

Do we need food specifically for health?

Food specific for health can be the best tool

for nutritionists-dieticians and doctors to get
adequate diets to all kinds of physiological
situations, since they allow to increase the
catalog of usable foods, so that they are
incorporated into the diet essential nutrients
and products with healthy activities and at
the same time, the less recommendable
ingredients are removed or diminished.
Classification of specially used food to health

Functional
Foods

Dietetics
FOODS OF
SPECIFIC USE TO
HEALTH
Accesories Food

Nutraceuticals
Functional Foods

●The concept of "functional food“: foods that are consumed as part of a normal diet and contain
biologically active components, which offer health benefits and reduce the risk of disease.
Functional foods are the type of specific foods used to the health with greater importance at
present
●Normative:
○ Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20
December 2006 (nutrition and health claims)
○ General Sanitary Food Register (Royal Decree 1712/1991, of November 29)

Main types of functional
foods
The most common is that
functional foods contain a only
type of bioactive ingredients and
hence commonly Functional Foods
are denominated according to said
ingredient.
● Probiotic foods when they contain viable microorganisms
that exert positive effects for health.
● Prebiotic or soluble fiber foods when they contain non-
digestible carbohydrates that exert positive stimulation effects
on certain groups of colon bacteria
● Symbiotic foods when they contain probiotics and prebiotics
in a synergistic combination
● Functional foods with proteins (dairy or soy).
● Functional foods with bioactive peptides with healthy effects. .
The most well-known and best-studied effect of bioactive
peptides is their antihypertensive character
● Foods with functional lipids, of which there are numerous
types such as omega-3 of different origin, sterols, modified
glycerides with various effects, the most known being those
related to cardiovascular risk. It is probably the most
numerous group of Functional Foods
● Foods with antioxidants, generally phenolic compounds
natural origin with diverse healthy effects frequently based on
the basic mechanism of neutralization of free radicals.
Dietetics
● The concept of “dietetic“: food products for health use with three specific characteristics established
○ Products destined to a special feeding (products of very low energetic value for control of
weight, foods destined to people with intolerance to the gluten, among others)
○ They are food for special medical purposes according to the Directive 1999/21 / EC of the
Commission, of March 25, 1999.
○ Substances that can be added to dietetics are listed explicitly in the Annex to Regulation (EC)
953/2009 of the Commission of October 13, 2009.
● Normative:
○ Preparations for infants and continuation (Royal Decree 867/2008).
○ Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children (Royal Decree
490/1998)
○ Food products intended for use in low-calorie diets energy value for weight reduction (Royal
Decree 1430/1997)
○ Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes (Royal Decree 1091/2000)
○ Food products suitable for people with intolerance to gluten (Regulation (EC) 41/2009)16
Food Complements

●The concept of “food complements“: products whose purpose is to supplement the

normal diet. They are marketed in dosage form, ie capsules, pills, tablets, pills, envelopes,
liquid ampoules, dropper bottles and other similar forms that should be taken in small
unit quantities at the periodic doses recommended in the product labeling.
●Normative:
○ Royal Decree 1487/2009, of September 26, relating to accessories foodstuffs
○ Regulation (EC) No. 1170/2009
○ Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the
use of substances other than vitamins and minerals in food supplements. SEC
(2008) 2976, SEC (2008) 2977
Bioactive Ingredients
The advancement of Food Sciences
and Nutrition has made it possible
to identify and isolate a large
number of natural ingredients in
foods, which due to their
biological activity and their
beneficial physiological role are
called bioactive ingredients. Once
concentrated, these ingredients
with additional benefits can be
added to other foods that do not
contain them or have them in
small proportion to make healthier
or more functional foods
Regulation of conditions of use
of functional foods
Regulation of conditions of use
of functional foods
Publicity Of Functional Foods
● Japan has been a pioneer in this field. In 1991, the
concept of FOSHU was established by the Ministry of
Health and Welfare that approves them, after the
presentation of complete reports based on science that
support the statements used in food when consumed as
part of a normal diet.
● In the United States, since 1993, statements of disease
risk reduction have been allowed for certain foods that
are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) on the basis of all available scientific evidence
and on which there is consensus scientific.
● The Codex Alimentarius (joint program between the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) and Health Organization (WHO), for the
establishment of food standards) gains authority in
world trade, since the countries that are developing
new legislation often use Codex standard
European Regulation
● In December 2006, Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 20
December 2006 on nutritional and health claims on
food was published at the EU level (OJ 2006 L 404 of
30.12.2006) to be applicable in the Member States from
July 1, 2007, becoming the first piece of specific
legislation to harmonize and coordinate nutritional and
health claims.
● The three types of declarations provided in the
Regulation are the following:
1. Nutrition statements, which affirm, suggest or imply that a food has
beneficial properties due to its composition.
2. Health claims, which affirm, suggest or imply that there is a
relationship between a food or one of its components and health. This
type of statement mentions the physiological function of a component
and must be based on accepted scientific data and well understood by
the average consumer.
3. Declarations of reduction of risk factors. It is a specific type of
health claim, which states that a food or one of its components
significantly reduces a disease risk factor. For the first time, the
mention of disease will be allowed in food but only after approval by
the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Conclusion
During the process of investigation in the foods it is necessary to take into account the
different participants form of the form in which a corporal until the method must be
carried out and in which that functional component can be affirmed.