Nutrition and Functional Nutrition

Résumé

Nutrition and Functional Nutrition is an educational book that presents nutrition as both a biological science and a public-health discipline linked to food systems, consumer behaviour and technological innovation. It begins with the evolution of human diets, the transition from traditional to Western dietary patterns, and the rise of diet-related diseases. The book then explains nutrient requirements, balanced diets, diet quality indicators, malnutrition, food security, vulnerable populations and public-health interventions, including nutrition education, social protection, WASH, health-system actions and emergency nutrition. A practical section addresses dietary assessment, food composition data, women’s and newborn nutritional status, food classification, food groups, processed and ultra-processed foods. The second half focuses on functional nutrition: functional foods, nutraceuticals, supplements, regulatory differences between Japan, the EU, the USA and Canada, and major bioactive compounds such as fibres, probiotics, prebiotics, polyphenols, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols and isoflavones. It also covers functional dairy products, cereals, beverages, fortified foods and plant-based products, then discusses evidence for cardiovascular, metabolic, gastrointestinal, bone and cancer-related applications. The tone is scientific, structured and pedagogical, with attention to safety, quality control, health claims, ethics, innovation, personalized nutrition and sustainability.