Table of Contents
What is Functional Food?
Functional food is a type of food with special health functions, which is suitable for specific populations to consume, has regulatory functions, and does not cause any acute, subacute, or chronic harm to the human body, and is not intended for therapeutic purposes. Its scope includes foods that enhance the body’s constitution, prevent diseases, regulate body rhythm, restore health, and delay aging. We will look into how Functional Foods are important to Enhance immunity.
Immune Enhancing Functional Foods
As a major category of functional foods, immune enhancing functional foods mainly focus on active proteins, active polysaccharides, functional oils, vitamins, four types of substances. Therefore, this article elaborates on the research progress of immune enhancing functional foods in recent years from four types of substances, in order to provide a reference basis for the development of immune enhancing related functional foods in the future.
Active Protein Based Immune Enhancing Foods
Protein is an essential nutrient required by the human body and a fundamental substance that constitutes the body’s immune defense function. It is closely related to immune tissue development and immune organ development. Therefore, many scientists have focused their research on the immune regulatory functions of proteins and their decomposition products
Active peptides are composed of several to dozens of amino acids with different structural sequences, and are multifunctional compounds formed after protein enzymatic hydrolysis. Scientists found that spleen peptide and Thymosin extracted from the spleen and thymus of healthy calves have a significant regulatory effect on the function of the immune system.
Amino acids are metabolites of proteins, and in the process of immune regulation, some amino acid catabolic pathways have become key checkpoints of immunity. Amino acids may act as Signaling molecule to regulate metabolic pathways in inflammatory immune processes. At present, this protein/peptide chemical component can be customized and synthesized by peptide synthesis companies such as Omizzur and Bachem ltd.
The well-known active peptide ingredients for improving immunity include:
Thymosin: It is an active polypeptide secreted from thymus tissue. Thymosin is an immunomodulatory drug. Common dosage forms include injections, capsules, etc. It can improve cellular immunity. Therefore, using thymosin according to the doctor’s advice can improve the body’s immunity.
Thymopentin: Thymopentin is also a kind of immune cell regulating drug, which is often used for patients with low immunity caused by tumor radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In addition, immunoglobulin can also be used.
Glutathione
Composed of cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid, it can maintain the normal immune function of the body. The common dosage forms are tablets and injections. It has the effects of whitening, anti-oxidation, and passing the body’s immunity. Patients want to pass the body’s immunity. In addition to using peptides, they can also improve through moderate exercise, light diet, and vitamin supplements.
Active Polysaccharides Enhance Immunity
Polysaccharides widely exist in the cell walls of plants and microorganisms, have a variety of physiological activities, have immunomodulatory effects. Moreover, can significantly enhance the body’s immunity.
Active polysaccharide is one of the active ingredients of herbal medicine. It is a natural plant molecule of ketose or ketose linked by various glycosidic bonds. It is one of the main components of living matter. As an important class of natural active substances, the biggest advantage of active polysaccharides is that they have less toxic and side effects and can be obtained from a wide range of sources
At present, there are Lentinan, Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide, Lycium barbarum polysaccharide, Tremella polysaccharide, Poria polysaccharide. As well as, Astragalus polysaccharide, Polyporus polysaccharide, etc., which have been used clinically.
Functional Oils and Fats to Enhance Immunity
Oils with special physiological functions are usually called functional oils. Some special nutrients or active substances contained in them can directly or indirectly improve the immune function of the body and prevent and treat certain diseases in the human body.
Palm oil
Palm oil is a commonly used edible oil, which is very rich in natural carotene. Even 15 times more than that contained in carrots. Regular consumption of palm oil helps to lower blood fat and cholesterol, and also has anti-cancer effects.
Olive oil
Olive oil is the most recommended daily cooking oil by nutritionists all over the world. It not only contains the most abundant anti-free radical unsaturated fatty acids, which can protect the cardiovascular system and gallbladder; it is also very rich in vitamin D and vitamin E, which can prevent osteoporosis.
Sea buckthorn oil
The content of vitamin E and vitamin A in sea buckthorn oil is even richer than that in fish oil. In addition, sea buckthorn oil also contains a large amount of vitamin K, carotene and various minerals. Therefore, regular consumption of sea buckthorn oil can not only effectively resist fatigue, radiation, prevent cancer, but also protect the heart and blood vessels.
Vitamins Food to Enhance Immunity
Vitamins are a kind of special nutrients in the body. Although the amount is small, they are necessary for the body and cannot be produced by the body itself. They need to be ingested from the diet. Different from carbohydrates, proteins and fats, vitamins cannot produce energy or form cells, but play an important role in regulating the metabolism of organisms.
At present, the researches on vitamin-enhancing immunity mainly focus on vitamin C and vitamin D. Vitamin C is maintained at high levels in most immune cells and can affect many aspects of the immune response.
Summarize:
Although some aspects of functional food research have made good progress, and a series of immune-enhancing functional products have been developed, there are still some problems in general. Lastly, If the basic research on functional foods that can enhance specific immunity and the advanced food technology are enhanced, the development of functional foods that enhance immunity will be greatly promoted.