Distinguish functional foods and medicines

The ambiguity between the use of functional foods and drugs makes many consumers indistinguishable.

Prof. Dr. Pham Gia Khai, former Chairman of the Professional Council of the Committee for Protection and Health Care of Central Staff, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), said that functional foods (TPCN) have the most benefits. for health. However, many manufacturers have over-advertised their uses so that buyers do not understand the nature of the product.

Understand the benefits of functional foods

Food supplements were the first products appeared in Japan in the 80s of the twentieth century. Japanese people create food products but nutrition is higher than daily food. During the preparation process, the food will be selectively selected to supplement the body to help improve health.

'It is necessary to understand the nature of food supplements that cannot be a cure. It is a product that replenishes the missing substances in the body during metabolism, helping to improve the condition ' , GS. Khai said.

Do not distinguish too clearly between food supplements and drugs. In some specific cases, food supplements may also be called drugs. People with cramps due to lack of calcium and vitamin D3, just need to supplement vitamin D3 and calcium. However, in the case of other pathological patients, supplementation of supplements does not work.

Functional foods have many benefits but cannot replace drugs.(Photo: Foodmanufacture).

In 2004, the Ministry of Health issued a circular on the concept of food supplements as follows: ' Food supplements are food used to support the function of organs in the human body, have the effect of supplementing nutrition and giving the body comfort, increase resistance and reduce disease risk '.

According to Prof. Khai, TPCN is divided into different groups:

1. Food groups of animal origin (dairy products, meat, fish .) and food of plant origin (soy sauce, vegetables, fresh fruits .). These foods are processed to retain important nutrients and remove unnecessary nutrients that can be used by everyone.
2. The group of food elements is divided into 6 categories: nutritional fiber, multi-molecule sugar (oligosaccarid), amino acid, peptide and protein, vitamins and minerals, lactic acid bacteria, fatty acids. This product is produced for a special group of people who need it.

How is medicine different from food supplements?

Prof. Khai said that, unlike food supplements, medicines have a role to play in the body's metabolism. It changes the physiological or pathological structure of the body to correct injuries in the body, helping to better predict the disease. It helps reduce symptoms, restore and regulate body functions.

The drug is prepared in the form of tablets and mixtures derived from animals, plants, minerals, pharmaceutical chemicals, biology.

The drug can be classified in many different ways such as the purpose of use, chemical properties, mechanisms, effects on the biological system, or the effectiveness of treatment .

Techniques for preparing food supplements do not need to be too high, drug preparation has a strict and complex technical process. FDA (USA) regulates that registered drugs are only valid for a maximum of 10 years. When nearly expired, the drug will be clinically tested to evaluate its effect and effectiveness.

" Medication is the result and the product of medicine needs to be based on evidence not based on reasoning. The utility of food supplements is based on the potential value from inference . A functional food product when circulated Infinite value for time monopoly and no clinical trial after 10 years of use , 'Prof. Khai said.

Unlike food supplements, the drug has very strict regulations that need to specify the material of substances or compounds, which are useful and statutory, how the metabolism in the body is excreted, side effects, content .