Define beneficial effects of functional foods?

Several beneficial effects of functional foods have been reported, which include effects such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, blood glucosellipid-lowering, regulation of intestinal transit, prebiotic effect, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and immunoyotentiating. A reduced risk of several chronic diseases such as CVD, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis has also been reported. A wide variety of functional foods are available in the market. Functional foods can be identified/selected on the basis of their properties, clinical significance or composition. Discussed below are some of the common methods employed for classifying functional foods.