RECENT STUDIES ON FUNCTIONAL FOODS IN JAPAN

摘要

In Japan, a number of food substances potential for disease risk reduction rather than simply for health maintenance have been studied for their body-modulating functions. Some of them have been practically applied to the industrialization of functional foods in terms of "foods for specified health uses (FOSHU)". More than 250 items of FOSHU are available as of May 2001; these include foods for people with a high blood glucose, cholesterol or triglyceride level or hypertension. Although a variety offunctional food substances are being studied in Japan, some new research trends are apparent. One example is progress in the studies of antioxidative food factors. Since the age-related diseases, such as cancer, atherosclerosis and diabetes would be correlated with oxidative stress, antioxidative food factors may be beneficial for prevention of those diseases. Detailed studies on the antioxidative phytochemicals, amino acids and peptides are in progress. Another example is progress in the studies on immunomodulatory food factors. Development of immunomodulatory food is strongly required by people because the number of allergic patients is rapidly increasing in Japan. Studies on immunomodulatory food factors, together with those on the mechanisms for highly complicated immune systems are in progress. Unavailability of food factors must strongly depend on their behavior in the intestine. However, stability and absorption of such food factors as flavonoids in the intestine have not been revealed Importance of evaluating absorption/modification of food factors in the intestine is now being recognized. Since the intestinal epithelium is a tissue exposed to high concentrations of food substances, intestine-modulating effects of food substances are also being paid increased attention. For example, recent studies have revealed that intestinal enzymes and transporters can be modulated by food substances. Thus the studies on functional foods in Japan are still progressing from a wide variety of viewpoints. More FOSHU with novel functions will appear in the near future.