Abstract
Nutrition plays a significant role in the prevention and treatment of common diseases. Some superb dietary choices such as functional foods and nutriments can surely help fight against certain diseases and provide various advantages to an individual’s health. Plants have been regarded as a primary source of highly effective conventional drugs leading to the development of potential novel agents, which may boost the treatment. Growing demand for functional foods acts as an aid for the producers to expand in agriculture and pave the way for innovation and research by the nutraceutical industry. The given review highlights how various functional foods such as tomatoes, chocolates, garlic and flaxseed are currently being defined, their sources, benefit in treating various ailments and the challenges with their use.
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Key Points
Flaxseeds show cholesterol-lowering properties hence reducing the levels of LDL and total serum cholesterol. They can be consumed in whole flaxseed, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil and partially defatted flaxseed. They can also be consumed in the form of flax milk which is cholesterol and lactose-free, and provides health benefits and suitable for people who are allergic to soy, gluten and nuts. It can be incorporated into other food items, including muffins, biscuits, buns, rolls and pasta, to enhance the flavour. The chemical structure of flaxseed lignans is similar to mammalian oestrogen and is responsible for oestrogen-like effects. Besides being effective in breast cancer, flaxseeds are also beneficial in prostate, lung, ovarian and endometrium cancer due to the presence of α-linolenic acid and secoisolariciresinol diglucoside. They are protective in cancer because they inhibit cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis and inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid have an essential role in brain development and memory. Flaxseeds also have a beneficial role in the management of menopausal symptoms and prevent the severity of hot flashes. Flaxseeds are known to be beneficial in polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder of women. Flaxseeds in combination with lifestyle modification were able to reduce weight and insulin concentration and improved menstrual cycle. Supplementations of flax seeds result in a reduction in ovarian volume and the number of follicles in polycystic ovaries.