[Functional foods].

Abstract

This lecture first pinpoints the "tertiary" function of foods which, as opposed to the conventional "primary" and "secondary" functions that are related to nutrition and preference, respectively, is understood to be directly involved in the modulation of our physiological systems such as the immune, endocrine, nervous, circulatory, and digestive systems Insights into this newly defined function are particularly important in that the intake of physiologically functional food factors could be effective in preventing diseases that may be caused by disorders in these systems. Technologically, it has become feasible to design and produce physiologically functional foods (simply, functional foods) that are expected to satisfy in whole or in part our today's demand for disease prevention by eating. Such public expectations are reflected in the activation and development of academic and industrial studies on novel food factors. Meanwhile, a national policy has been established to approve functional foods in terms of "foods for specified health uses" defined by new legislation. Up to now, 78 such items have been approved; the first was a hypoallergenic rice product. Here are highlighted the details of studies on cereal-based functional foods. Other basic and applied studies directed toward the tertiary function of foods, with future perspectives for functional foods, are also discussed.